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I have had no luck finding books, videos, or web
sites that have any advice on how to fix them. I haven’t been able to find
information on even just the basic understanding of stair construction. It
seems all anyone wants to talk about is rise and run when it comes to
staircases.
Answer:
Squeaky wooden stair cases can be a real annoyance. Fortunately for you
there are a number of ways you can resolve your squeaky wood stairs, and the
techniques are straight forward.
First,
if the back of the stair case is exposed, or you can make access to it, you
can do the following:
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If
the squeak is at the nose of the stair tread attach a small block of wood
(e.g. 1"x1"x a few inches in length) to the backside of the nose. Before
attaching the small blocks of wood, apply glue to the wood on the surfaces
that will come in contact with the riser and stair tread. Then toe nail
the small wood block to the back of the nose of the stair tread. The nails
should fasten into the riser, and the stair tread just above it. Make sure
you use finish nails that are not so long that they penetrate through the
small block of wood and the stair tread or riser.
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If the squeak is on the back of the tread, then
drill a pilot hole into the back of the riser and into the stair tread to
enable a screw to be installed. Prior to installing the screw, and after
drilling the pilot hole, countersink the pilot hole opening so that the
screw head will sit below the surface of the riser. Next apply some wood
glue to the screw (approximately a 2" screw), and then install it into the
riser and through into the stair tread. Finally, add a wood filler over the
screw hole opening.
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If you
do not have access to the back of the wooden stairs, then you will need to
work from the front of them.
If the
squeak is at the nose of the stair tread, first identify the location of the
squeak and then have someone stand on the tread. Next, drill two small pilot
holes into the top of the stair tread, near the squeak, and directly
overhead of the riser. The two small pilot holes should be drilled such that
the two nails will be driven into the stair tread at opposite angles to each
other (45 degrees to one another). Prior to nailing the finish nails (8 or
10 penny nails) into the stair tread, coat them with wood glue. This will
enable the nails to go in more easily and will add another level of rigidity
to the stair tread once the glue sets up. Use a nail punch to sink the nails
and then apply a wood filler afterwards. Note, you may need to install a
couple of pairs of nails to completely silence the squeak.
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Photo By Mark Donovan |
Photo By Mark Donovan |
If the
squeak is occurring at the back of the step, then again drill small pilot
holes into the back of the stair tread directly over the stringer (or
stringers). Again, the small pilot holes should be placed opposite each
other at a 45 degree angle. Then nail in the finish nails, countersink them,
and apply a wood filler.
With
these simple techniques your squeaky stairs should be a thing of the past.
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