Instructions

• 1). Locate the exact source of the squeak. Walk over the floor and note exactly where the boards are making noise. Test the flooring to see if it rebounds when you step on it. This may tell you whether the flooring has come loose from the subflooring or if there is a loose floorboard. Take note as to what the squeak sounds like. If it is loud, it may be due to a loose nail, whereas more muffled squeaks may be coming from below the floor itself.
  
  
• 2). Sprinkle baby powder into the floorboards and rub it into the cracks to help keep the boards from rubbing against each other. Mineral oil can also be used for the same purpose. Use the baby powder liberally for the best results.
  
  
• 3). Find the squeak from underneath the floor. If possible, go under the floor into a basement or crawl space and have somebody walk on the floor above you, so you can mark the location of the squeak. If the floorboards have pulled away from the subflooring, or the subflooring from the joists, try placing a wooden shim between the flooring and what isunderneath. Gently push the shim in. Have someone walk over the floor above you to test out this solution.
  
  
• 4). Place screws into the subflooring from below to secure the floor. Make sure the screws are shorter than the total width of the subflooring and the floorboards above it. Take care not to push the screws in too far.