Problem: Squeaking Hardwood Flooring - 1
Cause:
Inadequate sub-floor.
If the sub-floor is inadequate, the hardwood can flex and cause fasteners to loosen. When loose fasteners allow hardwood to move, squeaks soon develop.
Solutions:
Use proper subflooring.
- Most building codes do not require subflooring if the joist spacing is 16″ (400 mm) o.c. and the thickness of matched hardwood is not less than 3/4″ (19 mm). If the joist spacing is up to 24″ (600 mm) o.c. the codes may require the subfloor to be not less than 1/2″ (12 mm) plywood or grade O-2 wafer-board or strand-board. Many of the manufacturers of hardwood recommend the use of 5/8″ (16 mm) or thicker plywood for the subfloor as specified in Table 1.
Table 1 |
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Minimum Thickness of Flooring in inches (mm) |
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Type |
Max. Joist |
With |
Without |
| Matched Hardwood (interior use only) |
16 (400) 24 (600) |
5/16 (7.9) 5/16 (7.9) |
3/4 (19.0) 1-5/16 (33.3) |
| Matched Softwood (interior use only) |
16 (400) 24 (600) |
3/4 (19.0) 3/4 (19.0) |
3/4 (19.0) 1-1/4 (31.7) |
| Square-edge Softwood (exterior use only) |
16 (400) 24 (600) |
-- -- |
-- 1-1/2 (38.1) |
- A good grade of asphalt felt or building paper is often installed under the hardwood. This is designed to keep out the dust and to reduce the movement of moisture from below as shown in Figure 36.
