Squeaky floor in new home

[Dexter]

Is this to be expected? The builder suggests it is something for the flooring guy (likely me) to touch up.
That sounds wrong, but I don't want to argue this out until I know for sure who's job it is. There is nothing in our contract regarding squeaky floors.

I noticed that the stairs built with that heavy gauge plywood risers don't squeak, while the other fight with 2x12"(?) risers squeak like a darn!

I went around and marked the floor in about 20 spots (7 stairs!) and will continue doing so until it is time to fix.

Would appreciate any guidance.

[rambler]

Ok.....

Some stairs squeak? That is a different issue.

You have 20 spots in the floor that squeaks.

What kind of floor? Wood, laminate, carpeting, linolium, tile, what?


Typically there is the floor joists.

On top of that is the subfloor. There shoulda been glue on the top of the joists, then screwed down. the glue stops the squeak there.

Some of the floor options above have another layer of wood on top of the subfloor. Between them can cause squeaking. Depends on the type of floor as to how it is assembled - but often some glue or a layer of foam is supposed to remove the squeaks.

What is it you have?

--->Paul

[Sawmill Jim]

Well you got a new house the squeaks make it home

From past experience these squeaks are going to get worse before they get better . When i worked in building we put heavy felt paper on the sub floor and this seemed to quite it down also reason for using coated nails . Now they use screws .

If you have teenagers at home i would try to fix all them except one or two on those steps

Good luck might try some of that thin cork under those steps it is about 1/8 thick .

[ChristyACB]

My frog floor squeaks like crazy in some areas. It is a nail slipping up and down. I actually used a stethoscope to isolate it. Drove me insane!

I'm getting new carpet...again...in there and having more insulation and a thicker subfloor put in (Frogs are always so much colder!) and that should fix it up.

Speaking of which...anyone in VA wanna refloor a frog room?

[Harry Chickpea]

Bottom line - no, it isn't normal or acceptable. Rambler has it pegged. Builders have known for years to "screw and glue" subfloor to the joists to prevent squeaks. For the price of a case of construction adhesive your builder wants to leave you with an ongoing problem. Unless you got the lowest bidder, it should be his problem to fix before the finish floor goes in. I would be firm on this.

[Dexter]

Originally Posted by rambler

Ok.....

Some stairs squeak? That is a different issue.

You have 20 spots in the floor that squeaks.

What kind of floor? Wood, laminate, carpeting, linolium, tile, what?


Typically there is the floor joists.

On top of that is the subfloor. There shoulda been glue on the top of the joists, then screwed down. the glue stops the squeak there.

Some of the floor options above have another layer of wood on top of the subfloor. Between them can cause squeaking. Depends on the type of floor as to how it is assembled - but often some glue or a layer of foam is supposed to remove the squeaks.

What is it you have?

--->Paul

I have the house to near lock up.
So, it is simply joists and plywood floors. No windows yet, so no flooring. I will be getting laminate floors most likely though.
Yeah there are numerous spots upstairs that really creak as you walk over them.
And yes, many of the stairs are REALLY squeaky.

I can see they did glue between the joists/plywood flooring.

[Dexter]

I should add, that we had ALOT of rain in fall and the house had no roof. Everything was completely saturated. It is drying now.
I have been told by people I trust that most homes get wet during construction, and will dry out (and needs to dry out before insulation and drywall!)

[Dexter]

Thanks everyone.
Rambler, yes there is glue between joists and subfloor(ply) but a nail gun was used, not screws. Could that be it?

[Chixarecute]

Definitely should have been screws. Nails are cheaper, faster.

Our subfloors got wet before the roof went on, I spent a lot of time with a belt sander after it dried out, smoothing out the seams.

You shouldn't have to have squeaky floors spelled out in the contract. If that is what he is telling you, you might want to be on the lookout for other parts of construction where he shortchanged you. (Write up your "punch list" of things that need to be corrected before you make final payments to the builder!)

Edited to add: maybe someone here can specify spacing for the screws - I think ours were put in every 12". And length, it has to go through the subfloor (3/4"), and have good purchase into the joist, probably 1.5" total.

[davel745]

When we put our sub floor down, we used exterior grade construction adhesive and a special screw that is made by Hitachi for there nail gun. I tried to pull one out and it was near impossible to get out. To remove the screw/nail you need to use a drill and a Philips head driver and they back out easily.

I would suggest you get a box of 10D galvanized screw nails and drive them into the floor joists. Locate the joist and snap a line. Nail between there nails. (Note they should have screwed the sub floor every 6 to 8 inches.)

The floor can be tightened up from underneath also, requires special hardware.

Dave

[7thswan]

Not to be expected. Get out your drill, put on a screw bit and start putting in screws.

[T-Bone 369]

Back a number of years ago I worked as a field service rep for a large home builder and addressed isues like this quite often. As has been pointed out it usually is a nail moving up and down where the bond between materials is not solid. Here are some of the tools in my arsenal.

There is a special screw made to address this in areas where the floor is finished and you do not want to tear up the floor covering. It drives in through the covering into the subfloor and joist then the head breaks off down the shaft. It works very well in carpet and OK in traditional hardwood floors (it would leave a small hole the size of a pencil lead which I would fill with a matching wood crayon). You had to be pretty sure you were in the spot where the squeek was and hit a joist. It does not work so well on vinyl and definatly not on floating wood floors.

Another solution that I used when the joists were accessable from the bottom is the spray the side of the joist at the top along the floor with non-expanding spray foam. It will penetrate between the joist and the subfloor and act like glue when dry.

I would always check the basement/crawlspace to examine the beams. Sometimes tightening up the basement posts or adding a shim on the top of the pilaster would snug up things enough to stop movement.

Suprisingly, many of the floor squeeks turn out to be the walls not the floor. Standard practice for subfloor instalation is to use construction adhesive (I like PL 400 personaly) but walls are usually not glued down. As the house drys and settles the walls can stay with the ceiling and pull away slightly from the floor. In a case like this I would take the base trim up (carefully so it can be re-applied) and drive a long screw at an angle through the bottom plate of the wall into the subfloor (and if possible into a joist).

There are other things that can cause squeeks (had a plumbing pipe against the joist once that almost drove me to the nut house) but these are the things that 99% of the time would fix the problem. It just takes a little patience to track them down.

[Dexter]

Thanks everyone. GREAT tips here.
Because the builder is still working on other aspects of this project I will make sure he doesn't get his final payment until these things are to my satisfaction- you don't buy a new car with a flat tire, right? I will tell him that if required.

[Windy in Kansas]

I consider it the job of the general contractor to see that the building is properly built and finished. Squeaky floors are not part of a properly built home. When corrected make sure they aren't corrected with talcum powder or another quick and temporary fix.

Older floors with tongue and groove can sometimes be accessed from below to have talc blown in which will silence the squeak.

[VERN in IL]

A squeak is a GREAT THING! Really it only squeaks when a person walks on it, think of it as a security alarm.

[Toads tool]

My squeeky steps were an issue of contention on my home build.
THey really had me worked up at the time.
But as time goes on and the kids get older, I love the squeeks. A perfect anti-sneak device.

I've also grown rather fond of the old girls voice, Just my house speaking to me.

Shims- works wonders.

[ericjeeper]

Originally Posted by Dexter

Thanks everyone. GREAT tips here.
Because the builder is still working on other aspects of this project I will make sure he doesn't get his final payment until these things are to my satisfaction- you don't buy a new car with a flat tire, right? I will tell him that if required.

Yeah but I never have bought a new car and then never rolled the windows up for months either.
A lot of this you have brought upon yourself. By failing to enclose the house.
Just my opinion. But I seriously think you need to wait til it dries out before you make any changes.

[Dexter]

Originally Posted by ericjeeper

Yeah but I never have bought a new car and then never rolled the windows up for months either.
A lot of this you have brought upon yourself. By failing to enclose the house.
Just my opinion. But I seriously think you need to wait til it dries out before you make any changes.

Brought upon myself huh? I guess I wasn't clear. I have a contractor hired who is building from footings to lock up. It was he who did not enclose the house, not me. Because of my nattering a tarp did finally arrive.