What to do if wooden floors creak without disassembling the coating. How to make the floor not creak: types of flooring, causes of creaking, necessary materials and tools, step-by-step instructions for work and expert advice Floors on logs creak what to do
The floor can be deformed for various reasons, for example, due to high humidity. If the floor has been installed for a very long time, it will begin to creak, and then completely become unusable. But if you make repairs at the right time, you can save the floor and get rid of the unpleasant noise that has arisen due to the appearance of cracks. To get rid of the problem, you need to understand where the creak comes from and what causes it.
Why do floors creak
When installing a wood floor, creaking is guaranteed, although most people are fine with it and take no action. But there is another group of people who can not sleep at night because of the eternal creak, so they are looking for all kinds of ways to restore the floor. Before deciding on the cause of the problem, I had to familiarize myself with different types of floors. For example, wooden floors in dachas were most often installed by professionals, so they easily selected the right thickness of boards, high-quality dry lumber, and installed logs wherever needed. This guarantees a silent wooden floor for at least several seasons.Any floor will creak after five years, but this is a very good result, since all floors begin to creak immediately after installation, and it makes no difference whether it is installed by a professional team or by the owner of the cottage. The noise that occurs when walking on the floor is very unpleasant, it can be heard throughout the house, although sometimes it is quiet. This is mainly due to the fact that the tree begins to rub against another tree, and an unpleasant sound immediately appears.
Boards can rub not only against each other, but also against logs. This is due to the fact that the lags are not installed securely, the attachment points are not mounted well enough, so there is an unpleasant noise. Although professionals should not make such mistakes, they do occur. When installing a board, it is ground to another, this ensures that there will be no displacement, and with it noise. Unfortunately, the tree quickly absorbs moisture and reacts to the temperature in the room, so in different seasons the tree begins to break down under the influence of cold and moisture. For example, in spring or autumn, planks may increase in size as they swell due to exposure to moisture. This provokes the expansion and deformation of the floors. But then the most unpleasant thing occurs - winter or summer comes, and the dimensions of the boards decrease because they dry out. Because of this, gaps appear, which further renders the floor unusable.
It takes several cycles of drying and getting wet, so the gaps become large enough, the boards begin to run into each other and make an unpleasant noise. When a person walks on the floor, they bend and shift relative to each other, friction occurs, and a terrible creak is heard. The chances that creaking will occur after the first season are very high, since the floors are not installed well enough. If you are lucky and the floor was installed by real professionals, it will become unusable after 3-4 years of use.
Why do new floors creak?
It doesn’t matter if your floor is new or old, it will still creak for the same reasons. Of course, old buildings once had quality floors that had dried out and deformed because too much time had passed. But problems also arise in new houses, mainly because the floor was installed incorrectly, without observing the laying technology. Although there are exceptions, if the house shrinks, which is quite rare, the floor will also collapse, but this is due to incorrect calculation of the foundation and is not so common.There are several main reasons why the floor starts to creak:
- Dried and poor-quality building materials were used during laying. Boards and logs begin to dry out, the dimensions of plywood sheets change significantly, and gaps form between wooden surfaces;
- There is no layer between plywood and joists, for example, when installing a waterproofing layer, noise can be significantly reduced. Also, noise occurs due to improper installation of a laminate or parquet substrate;
- Boards and logs are installed poorly, because the ends regularly shift relative to each other;
- There is no technological gap near the walls.
The problem may arise due to improperly selected thickness of plywood, beams and logs, boards. If the distance between the lags is incorrectly selected, the floor begins to creak. Please note that the logs are made of timber, and their minimum size is 10x8 centimeters. It is necessary to maintain a distance between the lags of about 40 centimeters, a maximum of 60 centimeters. So that the boards do not sag under your weight, you need to buy boards with a minimum thickness of 40 millimeters, and plywood with a thickness of 20 millimeters.
How to fix wood floor squeak
During the installation of floors, the most durable wood is used, because the loads on the floor are very high. But as mentioned above, humidity and air temperature deform the structure of the tree, and this causes squeaks and floor deflections in the most unexpected places. Despite the fact that many are faced with this problem, it can be solved quite simply. To get rid of the creak, you need to acquire the following tools and materials:
- Drill;
- hammer;
- nails;
- Floor paint;
- Nail puller;
- Wood sawdust.
Take a drill and make a hole on one side of the floorboard, you need to drill directly into the beam through the board. Screw a screw with the desired diameter into the resulting hole, you can also drive in a nail, but a screw is preferable. Drown the hat in the board, both when installing the screw and the nail. Walk again on the floor in the place where you did the work, check if there is any noise? If it squeaks, but not as much as before, you can make a hole on the other side of the board and screw in another screw. Next, do this operation with all the floorboards that cause unpleasant noise. As a rule, the problem will be solved after this procedure.
If the problem persists, but the noise level has decreased, you can use wooden wedges. Install them in the gaps between the floorboards and the beams. To fix the tongue-and-groove boards, you will need screws with countersunk heads. If the boards are driven in very hard and the heads of the nails are almost invisible, use a nail puller and lift the board. So you can understand where the lags are installed.
The most common cause of creaking is the friction of each board against the boards next to it. When you find a problem spot, pour some graphite powder or talc into the crack. Seal the gap with wooden wedges if you do not want to use powder.
Often the creak appears due to the boards, which collapsed under the influence of temperature changes and high humidity. The floorboards dry out and are placed in a different position, which provokes the appearance of a squeak. Prepare a paste from sawdust to thin it out, use floor paint. Seal every gap with this paste, and the problem will be solved. To prepare the mixture, you will need a small part of the paint and about four parts of sawdust in the same amount. When you apply the mixture and it dries, walk along the floor and check if there is an unpleasant noise. As a rule, the creak should disappear.
Also, you should remember...
In order to reduce the chance of creaking due to the drying of boards and lags, a special damping pad should be placed between the boards and lags. For example, insulation or waterproofing. For laminate and parquet, special substrates are used. But it happens that they are laid, and the floor still creaks - re-lay the substrate to solve the problem. You can reduce the chance of noise by loosely laying boards or boards, keep a gap between them with a distance of about a millimeter. This will not affect the quality of the coating, but the boards will not rub against each other. You can use wedges, but they are only used for plank flooring. The crests of the boards can be damaged, so the method is not very popular.
Often moving on a wooden floor, you can hear the terrifying creak of the floorboards. It irritates others, distracts from important matters, excites, gets on the nerves, alarms. It will not be possible to quietly slip out of the house without disturbing its inhabitants. At night, the unexpected sound of creaking floorboards will wake up almost all the sleepy tenants of the apartment. Today we will tell you what to do if the wooden floor creaks.
What is a wood floor
First of all, let's understand what a wood flooring is.
On bars 150 cm long, 50 cm thick (logs), wooden floorboards are nailed. This is how floors were made in Soviet times. There is another option for wooden floors.
A draft floor is screwed onto the logs with self-tapping screws, which is plywood or boards. Under the logs, you can put small linings. On top of the leveled rough base, a finishing floor is laid in the form of parquet, laminate, solid board.
Why does the wood floor creak?
We often ask ourselves the question: “Why do wooden floors creak in the house?” Today we will try to find out.
Causes of the squeak:
How to fix creaky wood floors
First of all, you need to determine the cause by listening to which floorboard creaks.
But this can be done if you remove the laminate, linoleum and other fine flooring. Walk on the rough floor. If it does not creak, then you will have to re-lay the finishing floor. If the creak continues, we continue to look for creaky floorboards.
Entire groups of floorboards can also creak. They need to be removed and replaced with new ones. The lack of material, time, money sweeps aside this method of removing the squeak.
What to do if the wooden floor creaks without parsing it
Let's see the simplest means and methods for getting rid of board squeaks.
Rub the wax candle on the seams between wooden floorboards. This method will help stop the unpleasant sound.
Eliminate creaking in the apartment without disassembling the floor, pins will help for a long time. At an angle of 45 degrees at a distance of 50 cm from each other, drill holes with a diameter of 8 mm along the seam. Insert dowels into them, securing with adhesive. The pins will provide the floor with a stable and solid base.
So that wooden floors do not creak, it will help cementing loose lumber. From our weight, the boards under us sag, loosen. Cavities appear between the concrete floor and them. If they are filled, the creak will disappear.
We find a board that causes an unpleasant sound, drill a hole in it and pour liquid cement through it with a syringe.
In order for the cement to harden firmly, you need to pump it under the floor gradually, in portions. Carry out this action until the cement stops entering the hole. Top plaster or cover with mastic.
Strengthening the wooden floor so that it does not creak will also help pumping foam into the hole. It swells and spreads over an empty plane, filling it. As a result, the floor becomes hard and the squeak stops. But not for long. Moving along the floor, we act on the mounting foam, destroy it. The plane is again empty.
In a wooden house and in the country, you can use metal anchors if the base under the floor is concrete. The anchor is a hex bolt. Inserting it into the drilled floor, turn the dowel head. He begins to open the petals below, getting stuck firmly in the hole. The lags become sandwiched between the anchors. Unable to move, the wooden floorboards are also firmly fastened to the base.
This is a very reliable way, but expensive. Each anchor can withstand no more than 30 kg. To fix the entire floor, you need about 200 dowels, each of which costs more than 50 rubles. So calculate how much it will take to fix the floor with anchors!
You can get rid of the squeak of lumber by hammering wooden wedges in cracks between floorboards. To keep the wedges better, coat them with glue. Treat the wedges with an antiseptic. So that the wooden wedges do not move away from the boards, we drive in the wedges at a distance of 50-80 cm from each other. You can hammer the wedges further. To do this, with a chisel, you need to move the floorboards, lifting them. A wedge can be hammered into the gap between the boards to a depth of 3-5 mm.
If the wooden floor in the apartment creaks, you can pour graphite powder with talc into cracks. If the floor is old, made of rotten boards, then this method is ineffective.
But you can also use sealant based on sawdust, varnish and paint. Such a mixture will firmly connect the boards to each other. Sealant is sold in the store. Self-production of such a sealant is also possible. We mix the parts of the ingredients (4:1:1) and pour to the base of the floor.
If the floorboards of the wooden floor creak, then the cracks can close with a cord coated with PVA glue. We put such a cord between the cracks, and cover it with sawdust mixed with glue on top. Spread sawdust in cracks above floor level. When the glue dries, cut off these bulges.
If the floor is even, there are no swellings, there are no rotten boards, but the creak is still heard, covering wooden boards with plywood, which we fix at a distance of 15 cm from each other. The plywood must be thick, at least 12 cm. The plywood fastening points must fall on the logs.
The most profitable and easiest way is to fix the boards with self-tapping screws instead of nails. They just need to be screwed to the boards that are loosened.
How to scroll a wooden floor so that it does not creak
In order not to creak wooden floors, it is important to choose the right screws.
They should be threaded to the cap. Screwing such self-tapping screws into the board, we connect it with a log.
The gap between the bar and the floorboard will disappear, the lack of free space between the log and the board will not allow the floorboard to move, there will be no creaking.
If you take a self-tapping screw, where the thread is at a certain distance from the cap, then, already fastened to the lag, the board will still move along the surface of the self-tapping screw from the cap to the beginning of the thread, making nasty sounds.
But these methods can be used if the creak is insignificant. To better fix the floor, it is better to use plastic dowels with screws. In defective boards, deep holes are drilled along the diameter
dowel, going deep into the concrete base by 40 mm. Then dowels are inserted into it and screws are twisted.
If you knock on already tightened boards, you will hear a ringing loud sound; for unreinforced floorboards, the sound is deaf when knocking. By pulling the floor with self-tapping screws, you will eliminate the creaking of the floorboards. In the country, in the bath, you can freely use this method. In an apartment building, be careful not to damage the wiring of neighbors downstairs.
creaking floor wooden floor repair
Let's see how to pull off a wooden floor so that it doesn't creak.
If you decide to re-lay the wooden floor, then look through all the boards, replace the rotten ones where necessary, fix them with self-tapping screws, drowning the hats and covering the recesses with mastic.
If there are a lot of rotten boards, then the rough coating should be disassembled. Floors do not need to be dismantled immediately. First, we will lift 3-5 boards located near the wall, tear them off the floor. Let's look at the logs, in what condition they are.
Inspect the boards, replace the rotten ones. The first torn off board, replacing the logs, put in place.
We fix it, then tear off one board at a time, repairing and replacing logs and boards. Tearing off the board, on the other hand, we put the old one in place, fastening with screws with a log.
Number the boards so as not to confuse. Pay attention to the lags, if there are any cracked ones.
Replace the bars with new ones, try moving the lags. If they swing, moved, then they need to be secured with wedges.
The wedge is a bar sharpened at an angle of 30 degrees. Its length ranges from 30 to 40 cm, and its thickness from 30 to 60, depending on the size and thickness of the log.
Drive a wedge into the joists. Usually, two wedges are driven in on each side so that the logs hold firmly to the concrete base. Metal corners can also be used to fasten the lag. The boards need to be joined together with the help of metal brackets, driving them into logs and wedges.
If there are no staples, then you can use trimming boards, attaching them with screws to the logs. Instead of metal wedges, it is enough to take wooden spacers. It is best to take tongue-and-groove boards for flooring. You can fix the boards together with self-tapping screws, inserting them into the tree at an angle. To make the boards tightly fastened, you need to tap the board with a hammer.
Some masters, before laying the next board, coat the grooves with glue to tightly fasten the boards.
When laying the first board, do not forget to step back from the wall by 15-20 mm. Under the influence of temperature changes, moisture, the board can expand and rest against the wall, destroying, warping the entire floor structure, if there is no gap with the wall. Self-tapping screws near the wall will be closed with skirting boards.
How much does it cost to creak wooden floors
The price of eliminating the creak of wooden floors in Moscow is 200 rubles per square meter.
We told you about what to do if the wooden floor creaks. We hope that our tips will help you get rid of the annoying sound. We don't know which one you choose. But we believe that you will find the most effective one depending on your conditions, desires, opportunities and time.
When doing construction or renovation, many people have a question about what type of floor to use. There are many options, but still many choose the classic - wood. Wooden floors have been used for a very long time. They are an indicator of status and at the same time environmentally friendly. But you need to understand that such a coating has its own service life. Due to the properties of the material, this floor may creak over time. This annoying sound sometimes bothers the owners. What can be done to prevent creaking floors? There are several solutions to this problem. And today we will look at how to make the floor not creak.
Types of coatings
Of course, only a certain category of flooring emits a creak. These include:
Causes of the squeak
There are also several reasons why the floors creak (what needs to be done, we will consider a little later). First of all, it is worth noting the violation of the rules for preparing the coating. What is meant by this characteristic? Wood is an environmentally friendly material that can be dried. It does not matter whether it is parquet or chipboard - all of the above types of coatings absorb moisture and give it away. If the material gives off moisture, gaps appear between the boards or sheets. Also, the elements can be deformed. Because of this, the board is in contact with the next one and makes an annoying sound when walking around the room.
The next reason is the wrong lag laying technology. It is necessary to comply with a certain If it is too large, the floorboards will have a higher load. As a result, the floor sags and makes a characteristic sound. Also, floor creaking can occur due to the use of too thin boards. What should be the thickness? The minimum thickness for boards is four centimeters. If you use thinner ones, they will sag under load. Alternatively, you can reduce the distance between the lags. But it is better to stick to the requirements and not use thin boards. Parquet can creak due to the lack of a layer of varnish. Over time, the layer may wear out. As a result, this leads to the destruction of the adhesive layer. The strength of the material will decrease.
One of the popular causes of squeaking is choosing the wrong gap. It is called compensatory. It is designed to eliminate the friction of adjacent boards in the event of an increase in humidity in the room. It is worth noting that such a gap must be made not only along the wall, but also between adjacent boards. If this is not foreseen, the floor will creak when walking. In addition, due to friction, the material warps. A little less often, the floor creaks due to poor fixation of fasteners. These include self-tapping screws, various screws and nails. Since the tree tends to dry out, the fasteners can no longer securely hold the boards.
Another reason is too high humidity in the room. Sometimes the moisture concentration is so high that even expansion gaps do not save. A tree at any age tends to absorb moisture and swell. Due to the expansion, the elements and rub against each other.
Ways to solve the problem
There are several options for solving the problem. It:
- Punching wedges.
- Use of foam.
- Floor screed.
- The use of metal anchors.
- Reinforcement with plywood.
- Pulling screws.
Foam application
This is an efficient and easy way. If not disassembling the board, you can eliminate the sound. For this, mounting foam is taken and poured into the expansion gaps. Since the foam expands as it dries, the boards will be stiffer and stronger. This method is relevant if, during installation, the proper distance between the lags was not adhered to.
If this is parquet, you can overcome the sound as follows. For this, a plaster or cement composition is prepared. Further, using a drill with a 0.8 mm drill, a hole is made.
The solution is taken into the syringe and poured into this hole. Then the hole is covered with putty on wood. This is a very simple and effective method.
Use of wedges
Here already without partial parsing of a covering not to manage. To do this, we need a hammer, wedges and a doboynik. The work is carried out in several steps:
There may be several wedges. They clog until the sound disappears when walking. But you need to know certain requirements. So, the interval between the wedges should be 20 centimeters. In this case, the wedges should not protrude above the base of the floor.
metal anchors
To prevent the floor from creaking, you can also use metal anchors. But this method is only suitable if the base of the floor is a concrete slab. Anchors are fastened manually. The work is done sequentially:
- A through hole is made on the board and on the logs using a drill.
- The metal shell is installed.
- The stud of the metal anchor is twisted.
- After mounting the next anchor. In this case, the interval should be at least 100 centimeters.
- The result is a strong floor that will not sag or creak.
Experts say that the use of metal anchors is a really effective method of dealing with creaking. But it is worth noting that the price of such tools is very high, since several dozen of them will be required.
plywood laying
What needs to be done so that the floor does not creak? Another solution to the problem is plywood sheet flooring. But there are limitations here. The base of the floor must be level. And the thickness of the plywood sheet is not less than twelve millimeters. To work, you will need the following:
- Screwdriver.
- Self-tapping screws.
Sheets must be laid on top of the boards and secured with self-tapping screws. The interval between the latter should be about 20 centimeters. There is creaking plywood on the floor, what else can be done? Next, consider another option for eliminating sound.
Padding with self-tapping screws
If the coating creaks, what to do without disassembling the floor? You can resurface the surface with self-tapping screws. However, this method is relevant only if the sound appears when the log and floor boards are rubbed. The set of tools and materials is minimal. This is a screwdriver and screws. The hardest part is finding the squeaky lag. After that, it is necessary to screw a few screws into the timber through the board. But you don't need to twist too much. The hat should sink a little into the board. If overtightened, the material may crack (this is especially true for parquet and classic boards).
Wedging boards
What can be done to prevent creaking floors? Wedging boards from below can be done. This method prevents the floor elements from moving when walking. To do this, a wedge is carefully hammered between the beams with a hammer. Please note that the boards do not need to be raised. They should not be higher than the rest of the floor. You can wed the boards from above. To do this, wedges are hammered into the gap between the boards. In this case, a doboynik and a hammer are used. The interval between the wedges is 15 centimeters. The number of wedges can be different. Finish the installation when the creak is eliminated.
Fastening boards from above
To do this, we need to make several holes in the places where the boards creak. Next, these elements need to be fixed with screws. Please note that the holes are drilled at a certain angle to each other. Thanks to this, we will make a more rigid fastening of the boards to the beam. But at the end of the work, it is better to hide the caps of the screws. For this, a special putty for wood is suitable. After that, the surface will not be completely flat, and in order to smooth it out, you need to sand the surface with sandpaper.
We strengthen the beams
If the above methods did not help, you can use a more radical method. Experts note that the most reliable reinforcement option is the installation of spacers. After that, you can safely forget about the creak for a long time. This operation is performed in several steps:
- In the central part of the span, a line is beaten off across the beams. It can be done with ordinary white chalk.
- The bars are cut off. Their dimensions should be such that they fit into the gap between the beams. The thickness should correspond to the beams, and the height should be 25 millimeters less. This gap is provided so that in the future it will be possible to lay any communications (pipes, wiring, etc.).
- Proceed to install the bars. You need to lay them across the room. In this case, the bars are installed on both sides of the marked line alternately. Each element is fixed with two nails from the end. And those bars that rest against the wall are attached only on one side.
Removing the creak from the old floor
If the floor boards creak, which was laid a very long time ago, you will have to try here. The fact is that cracks often form on an old tree, and some boards even rot. If the old floor creaks, how to fix it? Experts advise to resort to replacing the grooved boards. But before you remove the elements affected by fungus and mold, you need to remove the comb on one of them. You can use an electric jigsaw to facilitate the work. However, the file must be strong and thick. Also note if there is wiring under the floor. If there is such a house or apartment is de-energized, otherwise there is a risk of a short circuit. If you feel resistance while working with a jigsaw, you need to stop. Otherwise, the expensive tool will become unusable.
Raise the first board. Push the chisel away from you. If the board is difficult to go, you can step on the chisel with your foot. As soon as it rises, move the chisel to another beam. It is advisable to remove all rotten boards, up to the center.
Before installing new boards, you must first check the dimensions. Next, a piece of the future floorboard is cut out with a jigsaw and installed in place of the old one. When installing, you need to combine the groove with the ridge. To securely fix the floorboards, experts recommend using self-tapping screws or nails. In the latter case, the board is nailed so that the hats do not peek out, but are flush. In order not to damage the new flooring, you can use part of the unnecessary grooved floorboard. We make blows with a hammer through it.
But how is the fixation with self-tapping screws? You should be careful here, as there is a risk of cracks. It is necessary to screw in the screws until the hat is flush with the board. If you go further, you can damage the board.
Strengthening the floorboards
How to make the floor not creak? To do this, you need to determine how far the boards are from the concrete base. To find out, you can use a drill with a thin and long drill. We drill a small hole in an inconspicuous area and then stick the wire there. Next, we note at what distance it stopped, and thus determine the depth. This value must correspond to the length of the screws. The technique is very simple. You need to screw the screws into the creaking floorboards. Keep in mind that screws should be screwed into the logs. The latter can be identified by the nails in the floor that run in rows along the floorboards. If the nail heads are not visible, you will have to dismantle the plinth.
Before screwing in the self-tapping screw, you need to drill a small hole. Its diameter should be slightly smaller than that of the self-tapping screw. This is necessary so that the material does not crack. Next, the self-tapping screw is twisted until the hat is flush with the floor. The operation is repeated with each board, screwing it to the lags.
Preventing deflection
There is another way to make the floor not creak. To do this, you need to pick up self-tapping screws of such a length that they rest against the tips of the concrete base. In this case, the sharp ends of the screws should be blunted. Otherwise, they will destroy the concrete. Also, the same hole is pre-made in the boards as in the previous case (a little thinner than the self-tapping screw itself).
The essence of the technology is quite simple. Screwed-in screws will serve as an additional support. The boards will no longer sag and creak, as they rest against the concrete floor with self-tapping screws. The creak is eliminated in 90 percent of cases. Also, this method is resorted to if the lag is cracked, and it is necessary to eliminate the deflection without dismantling the floor covering.
Summing up
Now we know how to make the floor not creak. There are several methods, and they are relevant in different cases. You need to build on what the cause of the creak is - old boards, deflection or cracked logs. In most cases, the problem can be overcome without dismantling the coating. But if this does not help, you need to be patient and proceed to open the floor to drive wedges or other operations.
Consumption ecology.Homestead:Perhaps, there is no stronger irritant than a creaking wooden floor. It is especially annoying if such a phenomenon overtakes residents shortly after a major overhaul and you have to tear off the finishing coating. Today we will tell you what to do if wooden floors creak, and how to avoid it in the future.
Perhaps there is no stronger irritant than a creaking wooden floor. It is especially annoying if such a phenomenon overtakes residents shortly after a major overhaul and you have to tear off the finishing coating. Today we will tell you what to do if wooden floors creak, and how to avoid it in the future.
Causes of a creak
Actually, there is only one ultimate cause of a creaking floor - friction between two poorly fixed parts. But there are three typical places in which such a phenomenon can be observed near a wooden floor.
In the simplest case, the floor creaks due to friction between adjacent floorboards: one of them sags under load and scrapes against the next one. Such a creak has a characteristic dry sound and is quite easily detected when the floor boards are sequentially pressed through.
A more characteristic creak with a thin squeak arises from the weakened nailing of the boards to the logs. Rusted metal inside dry wood creates a really nasty screech and is much more difficult to locate due to the fact that the nail heads are usually hidden under several coats of paint.
The third and most rare type of creaking is the loose connections of the composite logs and jumpers between them. The appearance of such a creak is typical for frame and multi-storey buildings with a complex system of wooden floors. The sound of the floor when walking in such cases is muffled and crackling.
Do I need to rip off the floor
If the wooden floor was laid with a grooved board for painting or varnished, then the boards will not have to be torn off. It is quite possible to eliminate the creak between the floorboards from the surface, plus there is an occasion to restore the wooden floor, smooth out the irregularities with putty, and renew the paintwork.
In some cases, repairs may require the removal of the finish pavement or the boardwalk underneath. For example, if the boards of the subfloor creak, on top of which the finishing one is laid - la minat or linoleum. In such cases, the finishing floor is sorted out, performing the required manipulations and getting rid of the creak, and then laying it back.
If the lag system is the source of the creak, then more extensive repairs will have to be carried out. The greatest difficulty lies in the localization of the creaking connection, which is almost impossible to do blindly. Therefore, the disruption of the floor boarding cannot be avoided.
Wedging method
The creaking ends of the floorboards can be wedged together, thereby concentrating friction in several places and avoiding the effect of a string. For this, ordinary wood chips or wedges are used with a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm and a width of up to 30–35 mm.
This method is good for eliminating squeaks in old solid board floors, where cracks of uneven thickness have appeared as a result of shrinkage and warping. At the widest point of the creaking joint, the first wedge is driven in, then a few more are added with an indent of 50–80 cm. To facilitate the entry of the wedge, you can expand the joint with a chisel, hammering it by 3–5 mm.
Wedging is a rather meticulous process, but this is almost the only method of local repair of a creaking floor without disrupting the flooring. After compacting the boards, it is necessary to seal the cracks with putty; in the simplest case, a mixture of PVA and small sawdust will do.
Reinforcement of the floor
The reason for the appearance of a creak on the ends and fasteners of the boards may be insufficiently tight pressing of the flooring to the logs. This is a typical disease of a wooden floor: after several cycles of drying, the nails can loosen and the entire flooring becomes loose.
The essence of strengthening the floor is to restore the density of pressing the boards with self-tapping screws, which do not lose their pressing quality over time. The catch is that by pressing a warped board in one place, you can loosen the fastening at other points, so it would be right to reinforce the entire floor at once.
Another subtlety is the need to drill the boards before screwing in the screws in order to avoid catching the threads in them. The method is ideal for eliminating creaking in the subfloor. Fine coatings can also be strengthened with self-tapping screws, but the traces of the caps will have to be masked with putty, which, moreover, must be matched to match the wood when opening the floors with varnish.
The greatest difficulty is to determine the location of the lag if the traces of the fastening of the flooring are hidden. Among all the methods, two of the most effective can be distinguished: drilling with control of the exit of the drill in order to determine the installation step of the lag and the breakdown of the edge boards.
Boardwalk busting
Overhauling a wood floor is the only way to eliminate creaking with a guarantee, without requiring a significant investment. And with creaking lags, there is practically no alternative to this method.
The point is to consistently rip and reattach the boards without changing their order for a tighter fit. First, 3-5 boards are removed from one edge, then, with good additional light, they visually assess the space under the floor, the safety of the lag, and the presence of harmful organic matter.
When iterating, the first board is fixed and torn off one by one after checking and fixing each subsequent board. All boards are checked for rotting and damage by pests, unusable ones are replaced with new ones of the same thickness, adjusting the ends with a planer for tight joining.
To avoid the appearance of a creak between the floorboards in the future, you can rally the boards on wooden dowels and tighten them tightly with a car jack. If there is no need for hidden fastening, it is recommended to use self-tapping screws - two for each place of fastening to the logs.
surface reinforcement
Not a very budgetary, but very effective way to get rid of the subfloor from creaking is to lay plywood on it with frequent attracting fastening with self-tapping screws. The thickness of the flooring must be at least 12 mm, fastening is carried out in each board in two rows in a checkerboard pattern no further than 30-35 mm from the edge.
In addition to self-tapping screws, a mixture of sawdust or mineral chips with bustilate glue will help to achieve high-quality adhesion. It is important to arrange the flooring sheets in such a way that the joints between them do not contribute to the deflection of the boards in the future. Ideally, you should divide the additional flooring into two layers of 6–8 mm each, fastening them together with an adhesive mixture and carefully consider the scheme for dressing the joints.
The method is characterized by high technological complexity. In addition to high-quality tightening of self-tapping screws and the correct arrangement of sheets, it is required to remember the layout of the boards so that each of them is strengthened and tightened. To do this, the location of the joints is marked on the walls with risks, along which the thread is pulled or the lines are beaten off with a coloring cord.
Other options
There are also many "folk" ways to get rid of the creak between the floorboards or in the places where they are attached. Contrary to popular belief, sealing the gaps between the boards with an adhesive mixture does not give an effect, at least a long-term one.
It is better to warm up the joint with a high-quality building hair dryer and pour melted paraffin or stearin into it. The method with impregnation of boards with vaseline or vegetable oil works in a similar way. Just do not use machine and motor oils, they are not environmentally friendly.
As a preventive measure to prevent squeaking, it is recommended to tightly assemble the floor boards using tongue-and-groove ends or oak dowels. You can also treat the ends of the boards with friction-reducing compounds - silicone sealant or rubber paste. Instead of ordinary nails, it is better to use ruffed ones, which are less prone to loosening. published
All residents of old houses know the problem of the appearance of a creak of a wooden floor on the logs over time. This can happen due to several reasons, but it is quite possible to fix such a problem with your own hands.
In this article, we will tell you detailed instructions on how to make the floor so that it does not creak.
Causes of the squeak
A creak may be the result of improper installation technology or due to deformation of the supporting elements and fasteners.
Namely:
- Weak fixation of the boards is the most common problem of unpleasant sounds when walking. How to make the floors not creak? It will be enough to fix the boards tightly to the lags. It is better to do this on self-tapping screws, because the nails will weaken over time.
- Loose or incorrectly fixed lining under the logs. Over time, they became unstable, and the floor began to "walk" when walking.
- Cracks between boards. If you laid damp wood, it could dry out with the change of season. The ends of the boards began to scrape against each other and creak.
- No temperature gap. If you laid the boards close to the walls without a gap of 10 mm, then they could swell and swell. A little contact with the wall will be enough to cause a squeak, even if you just drove a small wedge into the gap.
- Large spacing between joists or thin boards.
Of course, the problem can arise from one or more of these reasons. Before you start doing anything, you need to determine the cause of the creak. This can usually be done by visual inspection, and sometimes it will be necessary to remove several boards to check the state of the lag.
But what if the floor creaks from chipboard or plywood? In addition to the reasons described above, its creaking can also cause the sheets to rub against each other. The fact is that sheet materials are attached to the floor with a small gap, which is then, if necessary, covered with putty on wood.
Eliminate floor squeak
We will tell you what to do so that the floor does not creak in most cases. After performing these operations, you will lose 90% of the sounds. At the same time, the price of such or a house will cost only 400-600 rubles for the purchase of fasteners.
We fasten the floorboards
Previously, all boards were nailed, and in almost every old apartment, such floors have been lying without repair for several decades. Naturally, the nails have become loose, and it is required to replace them with a more perfect mount - self-tapping screws.
Floor scrolling instruction:
- First of all, determine the thickness of the lag, for this, drill a hole in the floor, and measure the distance to the base. Or temporarily remove 1 floorboard. Self-tapping screws will need to be taken about 1.5 cm shorter than the thickness of the floorboards and the log (combined) so that they almost completely scroll through them.
Advice!
To scroll you will need a powerful screwdriver with a good battery.
Cheap models will not be able to screw long screws into a tree, or they will quickly sit down.
- If your screwdriver does not take self-tapping screws, try pre-drilling holes for them. Old nails can not be removed if the caps do not stick out much.
- The logs themselves are approximately 60 cm apart. To calculate the number of screws - multiply the number of lag by the number of boards in width. That is, at each point of contact of the log with the board there should be a tight mount.
- Then everything is simple: we fasten all the boards tightly so that the heads of the screws do not stick out. We mark the places where the creak remains, with a marker, in order to additionally fix this place later.
- After that, you can level the surface by laying plywood. It will also need to be tightly fixed with self-tapping screws, in increments of about 15-20 cm. If screwed less often, it will hang out.
gaps between boards
If there are gaps between the boards, the next thing to do to prevent the floors from creaking is to fix them with wooden wedges.
For this:
- Cut the wood into strips of suitable sizes.
- Coat them with glue and drive them tightly into the slot.
- When the glue dries, cut off the excess flush with the surface.
But the rail will constantly need to be sharpened to fit the gap so that it fits snugly into it, so this method is not very good.
A more convenient option is to use a cord instead of a rail.
- To do this, it is desirable to purchase a braided synthetic cord. It must be well impregnated with wood glue or PVA. Using a doboynik or core, you need to insert the cord between the floorboards, approximately ½ of their thickness.
- Seal the remaining gaps from above with homemade putty from a mixture of sawdust and PVA. The consistency of the mixture should be similar to thick sour cream.
- The putty is applied to the cracks in excess, and when it dries, the excess is cut off with a knife flush with the surface.
Repair of conventional floorboards
What to do if the floors in the apartment creak not from a special grooved board with a spike and groove, but from an ordinary one? In this case, the floorboards bend strongly under load, because the adjacent elements do not support them in any way.
To fix this problem, you will need to link the boards together.
You will need a long drill and wooden dowels.
- Drill a hole in the floorboard with a drill at a high angle so that it reaches the adjacent board.
- Lubricate the dowel with PVA glue and drive it into the hole. It should go into each of the boards by about half.
- We drill the second hole in the opposite direction in the adjacent board after about 20-30 cm. This is done so that the dowels support the boards, like the grooved ones.
Temperature gap
We check the presence of a temperature gap of 10 mm around the perimeter and near pipes and doors. If we find driven wedges under the skirting boards, be sure to remove them. If there is no temperature gap or it is small, you need to dismantle the extreme boards and cut them in width, and then fix them in place.
Loose lags
If you find that your logs are unstable, then most likely you will need to re-lay the entire floor covering of the apartment or house again. If the problem occurs only in one place, then it can be solved locally - by removing the sheathing and placing new gaskets under the logs or the boards themselves.
Note!
The logs should lie freely on the linings, they should not be nailed or fixed to the floor.
So you only worsen the sound insulation.
The thickness of the boards and the step of laying the lag
Perhaps the sounds come from excessive bending of the boards when walking. This can be caused by too small thickness of the boards and a large step of laying the lag.
Measure your dimensions and compare with the data in the table. For large deviations, it will be necessary to completely redo the coating, make intermediate boards to ensure normal structural rigidity.
But you can temporarily solve the problem by screwing additional supports between the lags.
- To do this, you will need to buy screws with a large thread that will securely hold the floorboards.
- Their length must be greater than or equal to the distance from the finish surface to the concrete base.
- A hole is drilled, smaller in diameter than the screw. The distance to the concrete base is then measured and the screw is cut to that length.
- Then the self-tapping screw is screwed in until it rests on the concrete floor. Thus, it will support sagging boards.
Conclusion
Please note that it is pointless to do a top coat with creaky floors. Even a thick laminate will not save you from these sounds, and then they will only increase. Also, simple flooring will not help either. The video in this article shows in practice what to do so that the floors do not creak." width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">
Conclusion
Please note that it is pointless to do a top coat with creaky floors. Even a thick laminate will not save you from these sounds, and then they will only increase. Also, simple flooring will not help either. The video in this article shows in practice what to do so that the floors do not creak.
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