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Fix Squeaky Floorboards 2 - From Under the House
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In the previous article we looked at fixing squeaky floorboards from the top of the floor, now we can be a little more adventurous and have a look from under the floor. In many ways this is the best place to investigate what is making your boards squeak and also to fix the problem.
Hopefully access underneath your floorboards is easy. Don some old clothes, take a brush or even a vacuum cleaner and wear one of those disposal face masks. These items are required because it will be dirty under there, unless of course you are in a basement situation. The brush or vacuum will be handy to get rid of cobwebs. Oh, and don`t forget a torch - it will be dark under the house!
The first things to check are the foundation piles. These may be concrete or wood. Running from pile to pile you will see a beam of wood, this is called a bearer and on top of this will be the joists that the floor boards are fixed too. Sometimes, as the foundation piles settle, a gap will form between the joists and bearer or between the bearer and piles. A simple method to check if there is a gap that`s causing your squeak is to get someone to walk around the problem area while you are under the house. As the person walks around, carefully check for any movement around the joists and bearer area. You must look closely because the smallest movement will cause a squeak. If there is some movement simply jam in some timber wedges or thin pieces of timber to suit. Hammer them in firmly and if possible fix with glue or nails to hold them in place. Check the effect by getting your assistant to walk around again.
If your foundation piles are badly out of alignment, for example leaning to one side or if there are large gaps on a whole series of piles, then call in an expert because you may have a serious problem. Also if the ground is very damp around where the piles are out of alignment or there is a musty smell with moss or mould in evidence, you should call in a builder as you may have a ground drainage problem. If however, you can see that all the foundation piles are fine, then the issue might be that the floorboards are loose and rubbing against each other.
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Get your assistant to walk on the floor above you again and check the floorboards for movement. Place your hand on the underside of the floor and you may feel the movement. Once the movement is located the fix is fairly simple: get some pieces of timber to the length required to cover the width of the problem area across the floorboards. Carefully drill pilot holes in both the timber pieces and the floorboards, be really careful not to drill right through the floor, and using woodscrews fix the pieces to the floorboards. The size of the screws will be dictated by the thickness of the timber pieces you use (number 8 or 9 by 35 - 40mm long screws should do if you use 30mm timber). If you want to do really solid job use glue as well!
For information on how to fix squeaky floorboards from inside the house, please click here.
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Limitation of Liability
This project has been produced to provide basic information and our experienced staff are available either in-store, or via phone or email, to answer any questions you may have. As this information is generalised Mitre 10 is not responsible for the application of the principles in any particular case, as the contents of this project may need to be modified for the particular site and circumstances. Consumers should always ensure that they comply with any local body bylaws that pertain to any construction project and consult a qualified tradesperson where expert services are required. |
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