Fixing Squeaky Stairs


Squeaky stairs have been known to be a good burglar deterrent but more times they are annoying. The reason for squeaky or noisy stairs has to do with the parts Fix squeaky stairsused to assemble. House settling, wood expansion and contraction are all results of these conditions. Nails loosen from framing members that includes treads, risers and the underlying rough stair stringer that supports everything.

What's The Easy Fix?

It could be as simple as inserting some thin wooden wedges under the stair tread or nosing providing the treads themselves are not the retrofit type. How do you know which type may be on your stairs? Often stairs that don't have this characteristic may have a decorative piece of cove molding installed under the tread (photo right). By removing the trim you're able to insert a wedge or shim under the tread that will provide it more stability.

Can You Get Below The Stairs?

Being able to access the stairs from below would be the next easy solution. Once again our shims could be the easy fix. By having a partner stand on the steps above locate the annoying sounds, tap wedges into place in between the tread and stringer.

For stair treads that may be bowed it may present another option. By fastening a block to the back side of the riser below the offending tread will help push up the tread eliminating the noisy sounds. Other materials used for this repair are angle brackets. Fasten one side into the riser from the rear and into the tread above it with decking screws.

Last Choice Charlie

The final option is one we prefer to stay away from as it requires fastening into the surface of the stair tread into the rough stringers that help support the staircase system. If you're an artistic type and don't like lousy looking nail holes in your stairs one can opt for fastening all treads with deck screws. These can be covered by decorative plugs after they are screwed in.

For stairs that annoy you to death and the area is dry walled removing the wall could be an option.



Related Pages:

• Fix Squeaky Hardwood Floors
• Remove and Replace Stair Treads
• Other Hardwood Floor Repair Jobs