Silence a squeaky floor

Q: The hardwood floor in my loft apartment is beautiful. It’s very old and has a rough look from generations of use, but the floorboards squeak loudly in several places. The landlord says the floors are as-is and won’t repair them, but he did say I could try to fix the problem myself. How do I do that? — Tony B., Boston

A: Squeaky floorboards are an annoying problem, and can be an expensive fix depending on the cause of the squeak. If the boards just squeak when stepped on and don’t sag under your weight, the sound can be minimized without too much work.

Floorboards squeak because one board is rubbing against another. On a perfect floor, boards don’t rub against one another because they lie flat against the subflooring and are placed firmly side by side. Over the years, however, heat, cold and damp, as well as everyday use, cause the boards to swell and contract, sag under heavy weight, and spring up away from the subfloor.

A quick fix, one that works on minor squeaks, is to squeeze graphite powder between the boards. (Some folks use talcum powder instead.) This lubricates the joints, and although the boards still rub against each other when you walk over them, the squeak will be minimized or disappear — but only for as long as the lubricant stays in place.

Larger squeaks and sagging boards take a bit more work. If you have access to the subflooring (unlikely in an apartment building), stand beneath it as someone walks across the floor above and pinpoint the squeaky areas. Then, hammer shims (thin wedges of wood) between the joist nearest the squeak and the subflooring, and put wood screws up through the subfloor to the center of each board to reattach them to the subfloor.

Chances are you don’t have access to the subfloor, so you’ll have to work from the top. In this case, locate the squeaky spots and hammer finishing nails into the edges of the boards at several spots. Angle the nails slightly so they’ll have less chance to work back out. You can also re-anchor the boards to the subfloor from this direction by placing either nails or screws along the center of each board. Drill a pilot hole first, and then either drive a nail or a screw into the board, sinking the head of the nail below the board surface. Fill the small hole that results with wood putty to hide the nail head.

If a floorboard squeaks and sags so much that you’re afraid you’ll fall through, it’s time to re-engage the attention of the landlord. Check the lease laws in your state — most lean in favor of the tenant. If the flooring problem is so severe that it impacts your ability to live comfortably in the apartment, the landlord has an obligation to fix it.