How to Stop Squeaks in Stairs

How do I stop my wood steps from squeaking -Ralph

Wooden staircases develop squeaks when there’s a gap between the tread and stringer, which allows the step to move slightly as pressure is applied. There are several ways to fix wood stairs that squeak, including:

• For stairs with access from below, drive wood shims between the tread and stringer from below, and seal them with construction adhesive.
• For carpeted stairs that don’t have access from below, drive small diameter screws through carpet.
• For wood steps that don’t have access from below, drill holes in the steps, countersink wood screw below the surface, and cover the screw heads with putty.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• How to Prevent Wood Floors from Squeaking (video)
• How to Prevent Squeaks Under Carpeting (video)
• How to Stop Wood Steps or Flooring from Squeaking (article)
• Stopping Squeaks Under Carpet (video)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Ralph asks, “How do I stop my wood steps from squeaking?”

Danny Lipford: You know I don’t think I’ve ever seen a set of stairs that’s framed with wood that didn’t squeak at least a little bit. Now, if you have access under the stairs, fairly easy to fix. Just drop by The home center, pick up a few wooden shims. Use your hammer to drive it right in the space that you’ll find under the stairs where the squeak’s occurring. Then to keep the shims in place, use a good quality construction adhesive to caulk around and seal it in place. That’ll also help prevent some of the squeaks.

Now, if you already have carpet on them, like I have here, then pick up a few small diameter screws that you can drive right down through the carpet, and then fluff the carpet up around it to cover it up a bit. If you have hardwood floors, well, use the same screw, recess a little bit, and then cover it up with colored putty.