Original hardwood floor question

[split_shank]

We just moved into a house that has original hardwood floors throughout the house (All rooms except kitchen and bathrooms on main level). Although they are in very good condition considering their age, the squeaks and creaks drive me nuts, especially when trying to sneak down the hallway in the middle of the night. Of course the loudest spot is right in front of the future nursery. We have a runner down the hallway and some large area rugs in the living room but they do little to muffle the sound, just keeps our feet warm. This is the first place I have ever lived in that has hardwood floor work in it, so is this just part of the ''charm'' that hardwood gives? Or did you and have to find a way to fix it?

 

[somethingshiny]

Usually when hardwood squeaks, it''s because one piece is rubbing against another. You can go down the hall and find squeaky spots and just drive a nail through the wood into the subfloor to stop the shifting movement. If you''re not comfortable doing it yourself, you can find a handyman or a flooring installer to do it for you.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 6/26/2010 10:16:57 AM
Author:split_shank
We just moved into a house that has original hardwood floors throughout the house (All rooms except kitchen and bathrooms on main level). Although they are in very good condition considering their age, the squeaks and creaks drive me nuts, especially when trying to sneak down the hallway in the middle of the night. Of course the loudest spot is right in front of the future nursery. We have a runner down the hallway and some large area rugs in the living room but they do little to muffle the sound, just keeps our feet warm. This is the first place I have ever lived in that has hardwood floor work in it, so is this just part of the ''charm'' that hardwood gives? Or did you and have to find a way to fix it?

LOL! You''d better just get used to it, in general. There are sounds that are nails, but for the most part the wood is just a bit squeaky. Resign yourself to not being able to sneak around. Of course if you live there long enough, your kids won''t be able to sneak around either, which could be a plus when they hit their teens. And burglars won''t be sneaking up on you either.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Our house is the same way! There is NO sneaking around in here, especially in the hallway by the bedrooms. Rugs help, but we only have a large area rug in the living room so our little guy doesn''t play slip n slide while running around.

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

same problem! We only hear squeaks in the hallways so I put down a runner with a rubber non-slip underside which did help, but think overall in general it comes with the territory.

Ksinger- haha! good point!

 

[soocool]

check this out:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,203171,00.html

 

[split_shank]

Date: 6/27/2010 9:15:21 AM
Author: soocool
check this out:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,203171,00.html

Thanks!! For those of you with little kids at one point, were they disturbed by the squeaks and wake up or have a hard time going to sleep knowing that people were ''around''? Or did they get used to it much like a regular train going by or airplane overhead?

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 6/27/2010 10:23:26 AM
Author: split_shank

Date: 6/27/2010 9:15:21 AM
Author: soocool
check this out:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,203171,00.html

Thanks!! For those of you with little kids at one point, were they disturbed by the squeaks and wake up or have a hard time going to sleep knowing that people were ''around''? Or did they get used to it much like a regular train going by or airplane overhead?

My son is almost 2 and he doesn''t seem to be bothered by the squeaks. We have never snuck around after he''s in bed though so he''s used to household noise in general.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I can''t help you with the floor, but I can say that the quieter you make the environment for your sleeping child the more anomalies will stand out and wake them. They will get used to the white noise of life and come to ignore it. And the squeak could be seriously handy when they are a teenager

 

[soocool]

The smoke alarms would go off for no reason and my DD would sleep right through it. (that worried me a bit), but our upstairs floors and stairs squeak and we left them alone. It is better to learn to know what the noises are and then you have nothing to fear. Plus you''ll know when the floors squeak that one of them is up.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

oops wrong thread

 

[split_shank]

Thanks all! I figured they would get used to it. I will half try to see it can be an easy fix for my own sanity, otherwise I might just leave it. Ditto on the hearing teenagers/burgulars... We have been in the house for about a month and am still getting used to the noises and neighbors within earshot. I still panic when I am laying in bed and hear something then figure, well if the floor starts creaking, then I''ll wake up DH..

 

[swingirl]

You might not like it now but when the teenagers are trying to sneak in after curfew you might find it comes in handy!!

Sometimes it is the floor joists that need securing, not the top planks so that hammering a nail from above isn''t going to do the trick.