How to fix squeaky floorboards, and what it costs in Sydney

Why floorboards squeak

The Australian Timber Flooring Association says “many floors will make some noise when walked on”, and that in solid strip floors laid on joists or battens, squeaks come from “board-on-board rubbing or board-on-‘nail’ rubbing”. It adds that “often when squeaks occur the T&G joint is relatively loose”, and that some noises come from the subfloor framing or from boards rubbing against door joinery rather than from the flooring itself.

Timber moves with the seasons. Boards shrink in dry weather and swell in humid weather, which can loosen nails and open joints. Squeaks that come and go through the year often follow that cycle.

Find the squeak and the joist

Walk the room in socks and put a strip of masking tape on each spot that squeaks. Rock your weight on the spot: if you can feel the board move, it has come loose from the joist.

• Joist lines: the existing nail heads run in straight lines across the boards. Each line marks a joist.
• Underneath: if the house has a crawl space, look up from below while someone walks on the spot. You may see a gap between a board and its joist.
• Pipes and cables: before driving any screw, check underneath or along the joist line for water pipes and wiring that run close to the boards.

How to fix squeaky floorboards

These are the usual fixes, from the quickest to the most lasting.

• Powder in the joint: talc or similar brushed into the gap between two rubbing boards can quiet a squeak for a while. It does not stop the movement, so the noise tends to return.
• Screw the board down: pre-drill through the loose board into the joist, countersink, and drive a flooring screw so the head sits below the surface. Fill the hole with matching timber filler. On a polished floor, line the screws up with the existing nails so they are hard to spot.
• Pack from underneath: where there is access below and a gap between the joist and the boards, a timber packer glued and tapped gently into the gap stops the board flexing without marks on top. Forcing a packer in can lift the board and leave a hump.
• Squeaks at a doorway or wall: where boards rub against door joinery or skirting, a little clearance or a refixed trim can stop the noise.

Fixing a few loose boards is a minor repair, but a polished floor shows every mark. Use filler matched to the timber, and test on a board in a cupboard or under furniture first.

What fixing squeaky floorboards costs in Sydney

We found no Sydney contractor price per board or per room for squeaky floors. Airtasker publishes average floor repair cost ranges for the area around Bankstown and for Sydney as a whole. Each is quoted separately as published.

For a quote, say how many rooms or spots squeak, whether the floor is polished timber or covered by carpet, whether there is a crawl space underneath, and roughly how old the house is. Choose “Another minor job” on the quote form.

When a squeaky floor needs a builder

Loose boards are a minor repair. A problem in the frame under the floor is not. Have the floor inspected before fixing the surface if you notice any of these:

• the floor feels bouncy or springy, not just noisy
• a dip, sag or slope you can see or feel, or doors that start sticking in the same area
• boards that are soft, crumbling or hollow-sounding, or timber damage under the house
• stumps or piers that have sunk, leaned or cracked

Termites, stumps and bearers: who to call

Replacing bearers, joists, stumps or piers is structural building work, outside this minor-repair service. NSW lists underpinning and piering as its own trade category, and any residential building job over $5,000 including labour, materials and GST needs a contractor licence. For an inspection, the NSW Government suggests “a suitably qualified person such as a licensed builder, a surveyor or an architect”.

Timber that looks eaten or hollow may be termite damage. NSW guidance on inspection reports notes that a building inspection identifies visible termite damage but not whether termites are still active, so it recommends a pest inspection as well. Do not screw or patch over suspected termite damage.

In homes built or renovated before 1990, the NSW asbestos checker lists flooring among the places asbestos may be found. If there is old vinyl or sheet flooring, do not drill, cut or sand it until it has been tested.