The short answer
A squeaking floor is two surfaces rubbing under load. Usually that is a board moving against a nail shank, two board edges rubbing at a tongue-and-groove joint, or the whole board flexing against a joist it is no longer tightly fixed to. The noise is friction, and the cause is a lost fixing or a lost fit.
What is actually rubbing
Timber shrinks as it dries. A chipboard or floorboard deck that was screwed down tight when it was laid can end up with a hair's-breadth gap between board and joist. Step on it, the board deflects, the fixing shank grates in its hole, and you hear it.
In chipboard decks in newer homes, the squeak is often at the tongue-and-groove joint between sheets rather than at the joist — the glue line in the joint has failed and the two sheet edges move against each other.
The usual causes
- Nailed rather than screwed decks. Nails lose grip as timber dries; screws generally do not.
- Shrinkage gaps between the board and the top of the joist.
- Failed glue in tongue-and-groove joints in chipboard flooring.
- Missing noggins, so long joist spans flex more than they should.
- Pipe and cable notches cut too deep into joists, weakening them.
- Underfloor heating pipes or services touching the underside of boards.
- Seasonal humidity change, which is why squeaks often appear or vanish with the heating season.
Why the popular DIY fixes backfire
The two most-repeated internet remedies are talc or powdered graphite in the gaps, and driving extra nails or screws from above. The powder trick is temporary at best. The screws are the risky one: floors hide central heating pipes and electrical cables, and driving a screw blind through a board is exactly how people put a hole in a pipe under a carpet they have just paid for.
The other issue is access. If the floor has carpet, LVT or engineered boards over it, the noisy fixing is under a finished surface, and lifting and relaying that covering without damage is a large part of the job. Getting at the squeak without wrecking the floor above it is the skill.
Locating exactly which joint is moving, confirming what is beneath before anything is fixed, and choosing a fix that suits a nailed board, a chipboard joint or a flexing joist are what stop the noise from simply moving three feet along the room.
How we put it right
Squeaky floors from £75 — carpet-lift repairs from £150
We find the specific joint that is moving, check for pipes and cables, and fix it so it stays quiet.
Serving Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Whitnash, Cubbington, Southam and surrounding Warwickshire.
Common questions
Are squeaky floorboards a structural problem?
Most squeaks are caused by movement between boards and fixings rather than a structural problem. However, noticeable bouncing, excessive deflection or damaged joists should be investigated.
Why did my floor start squeaking after new carpet was fitted?
Lifting the old covering, and the extra traffic and load during fitting, disturbs fixings that were only just holding. It is very common, and it is usually the deck below rather than the carpet itself.
How much does fixing a squeaky floor cost?
Squeaky floor repairs where the boards are accessible start from £75. Where a carpet or floor covering needs lifting and relaying, that starts from £150.