LESLIE: Bob in New Jersey, you’re on The Money Pit. What can we do for you?
BOB: Well, I have an older home that has hardwood floors with no subfloor. They’re just over the joist and they’re in – they’re in great shape and they’re beautiful. But they’re squeaky in spots and I’ve tried shimming them up from underneath only to get a squeak elsewhere.
TOM: Well, you’re on the right track because the reason floors squeak is because the boards move. But generally, I don’t recommend trying to shim them from below because this is the sort of thing that happens. The other alternative is to secure them from above. So if you can identify where the floor joist is, underneath the hardwood floor, you can simply re-nail that hardwood floor. And you might be thinking, “Well, how do I do that without the nails showing?” Well, you simply use a finish nail and you want to predrill the floor with the finish nail first. I would suggest a – sort of #10 or #12 finish nail. And you want to stick that finish nail in the end of the drill and use the nail as the drill. It sort of splits the fibers of the wood and sort of makes the path for it. Then release the chuck and tap the nail in the rest of the way. If you do that in four or five places right around where the floor joist is, it’s going to secure those loose boards down and you’ll be able to test it with every nail that you put in, Bob, and make sure that it’s really holding up.
BOB: Great advice.
TOM: Alright? Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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