How to Fix Squeaky Floors Under Carpet

One thing we all can agree on is that a squeaky floor in the bedroom is annoying. You get up in the middle of the night out of bed, and suddenly the flooring creaks and is noisy! Or you hear someone walking in the home, awaking the household. You try your best to tippy-toe, but it doesn’t help.

Alternatively, you plan to sell your home to impress buyers, and the carpet squeaks so loud it leaves you embarrassed. If this is the case in your residence, you might wonder how to fix squeaky floors under carpet to remove that irritating sound.

Here you can find everything you want to know about fixing the problem with our handy guide. The project is an uncomplicated one, and anyone can do it. Read on to find the detailed steps here.

Will a Squeaky Floor Cause My Home to Topple Down?

There is no need to feel alarmed by squeaky floorboards. The only thing causing it is the wood beams of the subfloor not connecting correctly with each other. You see them running laterally to each other, comprising the whole length and width of the house.

Their primary purpose is a wooden reinforcement to the home’s mass. Furthermore, it keeps the basement or crawlspace sturdy. For the floor to squeak, there are different reasons for it to happen from:

• The hardwood is getting wet, and it starts to warp.
• Or you have furniture placing pressure on more than one spot for too long.

How to fix squeaky floors under carpet?

To fix the squeaky boards under carpet problems can take time, and you can do the following with some special hardware. You will need:

• Stud Finder (optional)
• Hammer to help find joists
• Electric Drill
• String of yarn
• Optional: a Floor Repair Kit
• Pliers if you are not using repair gear
• Deck or drywall screws if not plan on using a restoration kit

Steps to Fix a Squeaky Floorboard

Before you can start with any floor repairs process, you need to find where the sounds are coming from the carpeted area. Walk over your rug to find the boundaries of where the squeak comes from. Take the strings and mark off the site. You may find that the squeak is the entire length of your room based on how they constructed it. After locating the squeaky noise, you need to find the joists in the area.

Locating the Floor Joists

You can follow different techniques to achieve this. The fantastic news is that not all places have them spaced 16-inches apart. Once you find the first one figuring out the rest is easy. If your home has an unusual style or the construction is from the 1900s, the structure might be different, and you will need to use these techniques.

#1 Use a Studding Finder

 Your best option is to invest in a stud finder you can find here. With the machine, you can quickly detect where the uprights are in a wall (plywood beams) and behind surfaces. To do this, you turn the device on and move it over the floor slowly. The majority of these gadgets work with lights or noises when detecting a beam. Once you find the girder use your tape measure or the twine to indicate the spot.

#2 Using a Hammer

If you think you do not need the stud finder, you can always use your trusty old hammer. With the hammerhead, tap it on the floor, a parallel line running in the beam. At some point, you (within 16″) the noise changes. Tapping it on the carpet, the sound makes a more dense, thicker tone. When you hit away from the padding, the noise is hollow. Yet, you will find this technique can take longer. When you move to the next step, you will know if you are hitting the strip.

#3 Using a Joist Finding Kit

Another method to solve your squeaky floor problem is using the Squeeeeek No More Kit available on Amazon. With the gadget, you can detect a squeaking noise through the carpets. The apparatus comprises a tool looking like a long screw without a lot of threads. You use it to drill in the rug until it moves through the subfloor and does not damage the carpet. Once through the floor, it attaches to the joist and holds it or will shoot through, not attaching to anything. If you have missed the beam, try again.

#4 Driving in Screws Along the Edges

You can follow two procedures, and it depends if you plan to use repairing implements like the O’Berry Enterprise Squeek No More Kit. With the kit, your restoration goes smoothly but can cost more. However, if you have all the instruments mentioned above, you can do it with the following instructions:

Take your deck or drywall fasteners that are at least 3″ with an inch without threads at the top, like the U-Turn 3305 Stainless Steel Deck Screw.

1. Push the fastener into the rug on the rafter at one end of the area.
2. Turn it down till it reaches the top of the rug.
3. Do the same at all the other ends on the same joist.
4. Move to the other supports and do the same.

Alternatively, you can watch this video on how to fix a squeaky floor under your carpet.

If you opted in using repair equipment:

1. Place the attachment into the chuck and use one of the unique fasteners on the bit.
2. Take the tripod, place it firmly onto the carpet on top of the beam at one end of the area.
3. Stand close to the platform with your body weight to lower the subfloor touching the beam.
4. Place the screw through the opening and make a hole until the nail stops.
5. Move over to the other section on the same beam and repeat the steps.
6. Now move to the end of the other posts in the area where you find the squeaking noise.

#5 Drive in The Rest of the Nails and Break Off the Screw Heads

Once the screws are in place at each end of the same beam:

1. Take some chalk line or a piece of twine and wrap it around one screw, stretching it to the other one at the end of the joist. Doing this creates a line to follow.
2. Working along the length of the support, fasten every 8″, screws into the floor.
3. Once done repairing one joist move your line to the next one to do the same.
4. Now, if you bought the kit, the head of the screw breaks off, and it comes with the tripod and tools to do this. However, if you used drywall or deck screws, the head is solid and harder to snap off. Take your channel lock pliers and grip the screw head while reaching as close to the subfloor and pull it back/forth until the head pops off.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, fixing your squeaky floor under your carpet is easily done as long as you located the correct joist. With the above procedure, we hope you can improve your floor without any problems. Furthermore, it will cost you a couple of dollars. The restoration is simple, and with the video as guidance, it should make it easier. But if you are not a DIY person, we recommend you call in a professional carpet installer to help.