LESLIE: Now we’ve got Linda in New Jersey who’s got a squeaky hardwood floor. What’s happening?
LINDA: I just had the carpeting taken up and the floors restained and I’m wondering how to get the creaks out.
TOM: Well, before you had the floors restained the thing to do would have been to have them renailed or rescrewed down because when you have squeaks you have movement in the floor. Now that it’s been done it’s going to be a little trickier. You may have some finish repairs to do. But if these are the steps – or is it the floor that’s squeaking?
LINDA: The steps.
TOM: So Linda, with the steps what has to happen is they have to be reattached or reinforced to where they connect with the risers and the stringers. That’s the piece in the front and the piece on the side. A couple of ways to do that. It could be nailed from the tread down into the risers or it could be screwed and screwing them together is actually a better way but it’s going to involve a bigger repair because I’m assuming that they’re hardwood. And so what would happen is you would predrill the steps and then you would put a pilot hole for the screw and then you would put the screw in and then you’d have a hole to fill and normally a pro would use a wood plug for that. So when it’s all done it’s fairly invisible.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: But it’s – you know, there’s a few steps to it.
LINDA: OK. (chuckling)
TOM: It’s not easy, Linda. (chuckling) OK? It’s not …
LINDA: No, I’m not planning on doing it myself.
TOM: Yeah.
LINDA: I just wanted to …
TOM: Basically, bottom line, loose treads have to be secured. Once you secure them they’ll be a lot quieter.
LINDA: We’re in the process of doing it right now so actually the timing is good.
TOM: Alright, perfect. Linda, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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