How to insulate old plastic windows. How to insulate plastic windows for the winter with your own hands

Most, probably, the owners of houses or apartments where wooden floors are laid, faced the problem of creaking floorboards. This phenomenon can be caused by various reasons, and it can manifest itself in both old and new buildings. It seems to be a trifle - but it acts annoyingly. And for people with a particularly sensitive psyche, creaking can generally cause an unpleasant neurosis.

You can get rid of unpleasant, nerve-wracking sounds different ways. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to start overhaul. How to remove the creak of a wooden floor on your own, without resorting to the services of a master, will be discussed in this publication.

Possible causes of creaking

Before proceeding with the repair of a wooden floor, it is necessary to determine the cause of the appearance of unpleasant sounds. And they arise most often due to the friction of structural parts against each other:

Loose fasteners. If the board is fixed to the joists with nails, then over time the holes in the wood around them can widen. Both the impact of loads and the drying of the tree contribute to this. In order for a creak to appear when walking on the floor, sometimes it is enough for just one of the nails to loosely press the board to the base.
If, when installing the boards, the master saved on nails, nailing them only in the middle, then the floorboards can begin to “walk” in the transverse direction. At the same time - to rub against neighboring boards, causing an unpleasant sound.

Another mistake made when installing the floor. There is not enough clearance around the perimeter of the room between the wall and the flooring. With changes in temperature and humidity, the material expands. And if the technological (deformation) gap is small or absent altogether, the boards rest against the fixed surface of the wall. They begin, even if imperceptible visually, but still deformation. That is, new friction nodes appear and, accordingly, a creak.

If for some reason the board is deformed - bent outward or inward, then an unpleasant sound also occurs when the load is applied. Another argument to the fact that the boards must be fixed as securely as possible.
If the boards are securely fastened and do not cling to each other, and the floors still creak, then the problem may be in the lags. The beam could dry out and warp over time, resulting in friction against the floor slab.
If the floors are old, then it is quite possible that the beams or logs could separate sections rot. At the same time, the boards fixed on them sag and touch the adjacent rows of flooring, creating friction centers.
If the floors have been recently laid, then the cause of the creak is most often the non-compliance with the installation technology. Or - the use of low-quality lumber for arranging the floor - boards or timber. For example, insufficiently dried boards were purchased and put into action without proper processing. When they dry out, they deform, the fasteners loosen and friction occurs.
When installing the lags, they were not set exactly to the level. Due to differences in their height, deflections are formed when the coating is loaded. Another reason is that the step between the lags is chosen too large, not corresponding to the thickness of the floorboards.
If nails or self-tapping screws of insufficient length are used for fastening, then the fixation of the board weakens over time. The floorboard moves away from the lags, and lowers when loaded. This also results in a creak.
Annoying sounds can also appear if soft leveling pads were laid under them when laying the logs. They are compressed over time, which leads to uneven subsidence of the entire structure.
In older buildings, floor deformation can occur due to subsidence of the foundation of the house. In such cases, there is no way to do without a large-scale overhaul.

So, in order not to make mistakes and not complicate the work, it is worth considering a step-by-step reconstruction of the floor. It should be noted right away that today there are quite a lot of tools that can greatly facilitate construction work. However, in this case, the master uses improvised devices to rally the boards, which everyone can make on their own.

Illustration Brief description of the operation to be performed
The first step is to remove the boardwalk.
First you need to remove the skirting boards. If they are going to be reused, then they must be removed very carefully. It is best not to pull on the baseboard itself, but, having found the fixing nails, remove them with a nail puller.
To determine the location of the nails, the plinth must be carefully pry off the wall with a pry bar. When separating the lath, the nails will immediately reveal themselves.
It is even easier if the plinth is fixed with self-tapping screws - they are simply unscrewed with a screwdriver.
Further, using the same mount, boards are removed from the lags.
If they are in good condition, and you plan to put them back, you need to try not to damage them. The boards also rise slightly from the lags, that is, the nails will also be pulled out a little along with them. When they become noticeable, they can be easily pulled out with a nail puller. Thus, the board will remain intact.
When removing the boards, it is recommended that they be numbered immediately, so that after repairing the lags, put them in place in the same sequence.
Cracked and rotten boards also need to be numbered, but put aside. This is in order to then make new ones on them and put them in place of those that have become unusable.
When the boards are removed from the frame, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the base. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to determine the cause of the creak.
Next, a thorough revision of the base and lags is carried out.
If cracks are found in the concrete base, they are recommended to be expanded, cleaned, primed and sealed with a cement-sand mortar or a special repair putty. The following work can be done only after the repair mixture has solidified.
If, during the inspection, damaged logs are found, then they must be replaced, since, perhaps, it was because of them that the floors creaked.
If the lags are too large, then it is best to add additional elements to the frame. The step between the lags should be no more than 600 mm. When installing them, 80 ÷ 100 mm should be retreated from the wall.
Old logs or new ones, in any case, they must be leveled in one plane. To align them, you will need a long, about 1.5 ÷ 2 m building level, or a shorter one and a rule. Logs are checked for evenness of installation, both in width and length of the room.
If necessary, they can be lifted using rigid spacers of the required thickness or special adjustable anchors.
After the logs are set in one plane, they must be rigidly fixed to the base. To do this, holes are drilled in the logs and gaskets, as well as the concrete base, through which anchor or dowel fasteners are screwed or driven in.
If you had to make a complete reconstruction of the floor, then it makes sense to insulate and soundproof the structure.
To do this, a waterproofing material is laid on the floor surface and fixed on the logs.
A heater is laid on top of the insulating membrane - it can be mineral wool, foam plastic, slag or expanded clay.
By the way, for a private house expanded clay will become the best option because rodents do not live in it. It is especially good to use fine fraction expanded clay.
From above, the insulation is closed with a vapor-permeable membrane, which will allow moisture to leave the insulation and prevent villi from entering the premises. mineral wool or dust from other insulation materials.
All film coatings are fixed on the logs with staples and a stapler.
Now you can move on to returning the old boards to their place, and replacing some of them with new ones.
Boards must be mounted so that there is a minimum distance between them.
Installation begins with board number one. It is laid perpendicular to the lags and well leveled, as they will set the direction for all other floor boards.
Between the first board (both along its length and from the ends) and the wall there should be a technological gap of 8 ÷ 10 mm. This distance will help keep the coating intact during the thermal expansion of the material.

If the fastening of the board to the joists will be carried out with nails, then it is recommended to hammer them at an angle to the surface of the board, so the fixation will be more reliable.
Self-tapping screws are screwed vertically. For arranging floor boards, you should choose self-tapping screws that have threads that do not reach their caps. They will more reliably hold structural elements together.
In order not to split the board when screwing in the screws, it is recommended to drill holes for them in advance with a thin drill.
The upper part of the hole must be expanded (countersinked) so that the screw head is flush or 1÷2 mm below the main surface.
The board is screwed with two or three self-tapping screws to each of the lags.
The second and subsequent boards, before fixing them, must be pulled together.
In this case, the master applied the technique of compacting the flooring with a spacer wedge. A wedge can be made independently from a bar by sawing it at an angle.
In addition to it, you will need a piece of board (thick plywood) against which the wedge will rest.
This stop is screwed to the log at a distance of 20 ÷ 25 mm from the laid board with four self-tapping screws.
Further, a wedge is inserted between the fixed stop and the board.
A bar is attached to its wide side, which is hit with a hammer. The beam is necessary in order not to hammer the wood of the wedge, as it will be needed to compact all the floorboards.
The wedge, when it is tamped, will move forward, acclimating the last board to the previous one. When they are maximally interconnected, the last board is fixed to the lags with self-tapping screws.
In the same way, the rallying of all floorboards occurs.
If the last floorboard does not enter the space between the penultimate board and the wall, it must be marked and sawed off the excess part along its entire length.
The marking of the board should be carried out at the place of its installation, taking into account the fact that a technological gap should form between it and the wall.
It is desirable to cut the cut at an angle so that the lower surface of the board is 8 ÷ 10 mm less than the upper plane.
Thus, a ventilated space will be created between the wall and the board.
Having laid the last board in place, it must also be pulled to the main cover. This process is carried out using a pulling bracket and a hammer. After the minimum gap remains between the boards, the last floorboard must be immediately fixed to the logs with self-tapping screws.
Now you can check the floors for creaking. To do this, it is necessary to walk on it and press on the surface with your feet, making an effort, especially in previously problematic areas.
If the installation is done correctly, then there should be no creaking.
After all the boards are returned to their place, it is recommended to sand the floors. This process is especially relevant in the case when a thick layer of paint has accumulated on the floorboards during the period of operation, which gives the surface a sloppy look.
Grinding, or rather, scraping, is best done using a special machine. This device can be rented for a while, or you can invite a master to work with his equipment.
It is advisable to clean the surface of the floor from paint completely, to bare wood.
Further, the floors must be treated with an antiseptic primer, which will protect the material from biological damage and create good adhesion for the coloring layer.
Even if you plan to lay plywood or OSB on the boards, the primer will still not be superfluous.
The installation of the plinth is carried out after the plywood flooring and decorative coating or before painting the wooden floor.
How to properly perform this stage of work is described in detail in a special publication of our portal.
* * * * * * *

Now, knowing the options for eliminating unpleasant squeaky sounds that occur when moving on the floor, you can start checking the boardwalk. Then, having determined the cause of their occurrence, you can safely proceed to repair work by choosing the most appropriate method.

It should also be noted that the complete reconstruction of a wooden floor is a long and laborious process. And especially in those cases when you don’t know what to expect after dismantling the boards. Therefore, if the owners decide to make a major overhaul, then you should correctly assess your experience in this area of work, weigh your capabilities. Perhaps it would be wiser to entrust this task to professionals who will deal with such a problem much faster and more competently.

In conclusion, we suggest watching a short video in which a home craftsman shares his quick and effective method getting rid of the floor from the creak.

Video: How to eliminate the creak of a wooden floor yourself

Illustration	Brief description of the operation to be performed
	The first step is to remove the boardwalk. First you need to remove the skirting boards. If they are going to be reused, then they must be removed very carefully. It is best not to pull on the baseboard itself, but, having found the fixing nails, remove them with a nail puller. To determine the location of the nails, the plinth must be carefully pry off the wall with a pry bar. When separating the lath, the nails will immediately reveal themselves. It is even easier if the plinth is fixed with self-tapping screws - they are simply unscrewed with a screwdriver.
	Further, using the same mount, boards are removed from the lags. If they are in good condition, and you plan to put them back, you need to try not to damage them. The boards also rise slightly from the lags, that is, the nails will also be pulled out a little along with them. When they become noticeable, they can be easily pulled out with a nail puller. Thus, the board will remain intact. When removing the boards, it is recommended that they be numbered immediately, so that after repairing the lags, put them in place in the same sequence. Cracked and rotten boards also need to be numbered, but put aside. This is in order to then make new ones on them and put them in place of those that have become unusable.
	When the boards are removed from the frame, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the base. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to determine the cause of the creak. Next, a thorough revision of the base and lags is carried out. If cracks are found in the concrete base, they are recommended to be expanded, cleaned, primed and sealed with a cement-sand mortar or a special repair putty. The following work can be done only after the repair mixture has solidified. If, during the inspection, damaged logs are found, then they must be replaced, since, perhaps, it was because of them that the floors creaked. If the lags are too large, then it is best to add additional elements to the frame. The step between the lags should be no more than 600 mm. When installing them, 80 ÷ 100 mm should be retreated from the wall.
	Old logs or new ones, in any case, they must be leveled in one plane. To align them, you will need a long, about 1.5 ÷ 2 m building level, or a shorter one and a rule. Logs are checked for evenness of installation, both in width and length of the room. If necessary, they can be lifted using rigid spacers of the required thickness or special adjustable anchors. After the logs are set in one plane, they must be rigidly fixed to the base. To do this, holes are drilled in the logs and gaskets, as well as the concrete base, through which anchor or dowel fasteners are screwed or driven in.
	If you had to make a complete reconstruction of the floor, then it makes sense to insulate and soundproof the structure. To do this, a waterproofing material is laid on the floor surface and fixed on the logs.
	A heater is laid on top of the insulating membrane - it can be mineral wool, foam plastic, slag or expanded clay. By the way, for a private house expanded clay will become the best option because rodents do not live in it. It is especially good to use fine fraction expanded clay. From above, the insulation is closed with a vapor-permeable membrane, which will allow moisture to leave the insulation and prevent villi from entering the premises. mineral wool or dust from other insulation materials. All film coatings are fixed on the logs with staples and a stapler.
	Now you can move on to returning the old boards to their place, and replacing some of them with new ones. Boards must be mounted so that there is a minimum distance between them. Installation begins with board number one. It is laid perpendicular to the lags and well leveled, as they will set the direction for all other floor boards. Between the first board (both along its length and from the ends) and the wall there should be a technological gap of 8 ÷ 10 mm. This distance will help keep the coating intact during the thermal expansion of the material.
	If the fastening of the board to the joists will be carried out with nails, then it is recommended to hammer them at an angle to the surface of the board, so the fixation will be more reliable. Self-tapping screws are screwed vertically. For arranging floor boards, you should choose self-tapping screws that have threads that do not reach their caps. They will more reliably hold structural elements together.
	In order not to split the board when screwing in the screws, it is recommended to drill holes for them in advance with a thin drill. The upper part of the hole must be expanded (countersinked) so that the screw head is flush or 1÷2 mm below the main surface. The board is screwed with two or three self-tapping screws to each of the lags.
	The second and subsequent boards, before fixing them, must be pulled together. In this case, the master applied the technique of compacting the flooring with a spacer wedge. A wedge can be made independently from a bar by sawing it at an angle. In addition to it, you will need a piece of board (thick plywood) against which the wedge will rest. This stop is screwed to the log at a distance of 20 ÷ 25 mm from the laid board with four self-tapping screws.
	Further, a wedge is inserted between the fixed stop and the board. A bar is attached to its wide side, which is hit with a hammer. The beam is necessary in order not to hammer the wood of the wedge, as it will be needed to compact all the floorboards. The wedge, when it is tamped, will move forward, acclimating the last board to the previous one. When they are maximally interconnected, the last board is fixed to the lags with self-tapping screws. In the same way, the rallying of all floorboards occurs.
	If the last floorboard does not enter the space between the penultimate board and the wall, it must be marked and sawed off the excess part along its entire length. The marking of the board should be carried out at the place of its installation, taking into account the fact that a technological gap should form between it and the wall.
	It is desirable to cut the cut at an angle so that the lower surface of the board is 8 ÷ 10 mm less than the upper plane. Thus, a ventilated space will be created between the wall and the board.
	Having laid the last board in place, it must also be pulled to the main cover. This process is carried out using a pulling bracket and a hammer. After the minimum gap remains between the boards, the last floorboard must be immediately fixed to the logs with self-tapping screws. Now you can check the floors for creaking. To do this, it is necessary to walk on it and press on the surface with your feet, making an effort, especially in previously problematic areas. If the installation is done correctly, then there should be no creaking.
	After all the boards are returned to their place, it is recommended to sand the floors. This process is especially relevant in the case when a thick layer of paint has accumulated on the floorboards during the period of operation, which gives the surface a sloppy look. Grinding, or rather, scraping, is best done using a special machine. This device can be rented for a while, or you can invite a master to work with his equipment. It is advisable to clean the surface of the floor from paint completely, to bare wood.
	Further, the floors must be treated with an antiseptic primer, which will protect the material from biological damage and create good adhesion for the coloring layer. Even if you plan to lay plywood or OSB on the boards, the primer will still not be superfluous.
	The installation of the plinth is carried out after the plywood flooring and decorative coating or before painting the wooden floor. How to properly perform this stage of work is described in detail in a special publication of our portal.

The creaking of the floors is associated with an old dilapidated house that has forgotten what repairs are. And when an unpleasant sharp or viscous sound appears in your home, a reasonable question arises, what to do if the floor creaks.

Perhaps for someone, if the floor creaks, this is not a problem. And the person feels calm. However, for many people, sounds from under floor covering seem to be universal torture. Especially when it's time for bed.

We will share with you tips on what to do so that wooden floors do not creak. There are several ways to solve this issue. The application of any of them depends on the original source of the vile sound.

Why does the floor creak.

The fact that the floors creak immediately after installation seems natural and understandable.

But we want to note that professional installation of quality wood beams means that the wooden floor creaks for the first time in a couple of years. Not earlier.

Absolutely any flooring will become squeaky within 5 years. The sound itself is nothing more than the friction of the floorboards against each other. When laying the floor, building materials are treated in such a way that they rub against one another. But the tree, absorbing moisture into itself, reacting to temperature, begins to deform. Swell or shrink. Stepping on a floorboard or parquet, a person bends the board with his weight, it shifts and a familiar sound arises. That is why parquet, laminate or other wood-based material creaks.
In addition, it is possible when laying wooden slats overdried or damp floorboards were used. After a certain time, they were saturated with moisture or dried up and at the ends they begin to shift relative to each other.
Also, the floor on the logs creaks if there is no gasket between the beams themselves and the plywood sheet.
The floor under the laminate creaks when the underlay is not laid correctly.
During the installation of the floor structure, technological ten-millimeter gaps at the walls were not maintained.

What to do so that the floors do not creak.

Before you start doing something so that the floors do not creak, install a place that makes sounds. Remove the flooring (laminate, linoleum, etc.). Walk around the room. If there is no squeak, then the problem is in the finish. If the sound remains, then we find a creaking floorboard and eliminate one of the methods proposed below.

The first way to eliminate the rattle is to completely disassemble the coating and make a new design.

To do this, remove all furniture from the room. Remove the top cover. And sheathe the building structure with a 12 mm plywood sheet.

But this option will not work if the sound source is in the frame itself. This means that there was an incorrect lag setting. In this case, you need to fix the wooden floor to the base:

Calculate the height between the timbers/plywood sheet and the concrete base. This is done by drilling a hole to the base. Insert a thin splinter or wire into this hole.
Purchase self-tapping screws of the required length with a fastener thickness of at least 7mm and a thread length greater than the floor structure itself.
Determine the places where the lags pass. Stick to the old fasteners.

in the case of old fasteners of boards to the joists along the perimeter of the room, the plinth is removed and the attachment points are located.

In the coating, drill holes smaller than the diameter of the self-tapping screws.
Screw the screws into the prepared holes. You need to screw it all the way so that the cap sinks into the top layer of the structure.

for preventive purposes, you can tighten the screws not only in creaking floorboards, but also over the entire area.

Putty the place where the self-tapping screw enters the floor board, paint and apply the finishing solution on top.

The second method is applicable when the wooden floor creaks due to the lack of technological gaps near the wall. A distance of 10 mm between the floorboard and the wall is provided for the natural "movement" of the tree during temperature changes.

To determine whether the deformation of the gaps or not, is the cause of the squeak, remove the plinth.

when wedges are driven in under the plinth in the gap, remove them.
when there is absolutely no technological gap, then remove the outer floorboards from the beams, shorten them by 10mm, and lay them again.

If the boards have dried up and the floors creak.

We have already said that over time the boards shrink and gaps appear between them. It is they who provoke the friction of the floorboards against each other with the corresponding sound. This phenomenon is familiar to owners of apartments in houses of old buildings. Very often the floors creak in Khrushchev. What to do in this case?

examine the empty space that appeared between the floorboards.
prepare wedges from wood corresponding to the gaps in size.
dip each peg in wood glue or PVA to soak.
drive wedges into the gaps between the boards.
after the glue dries, cut the pegs flush with the surface

Instead of wooden wedges, you can use a rope lace:

buy a cord.

to eliminate creaking with a cord, buy a product with a synthetic base.

impregnate it with PVA or wood glue.
lay the cord halfway through the slot and carefully drive it in.
fill the gaps that are not filled with a cord with a mixture (sawdust plus PVA glue). Calculate the proportions yourself so that the density of the mixture is like that of a paste.
do not spare the sawdust-adhesive mixture. It should rise above the floor. Then after it is completely dry, it will be easier for you to cut it flush.

How to make floors not creak without dismantling them.

It is possible to remove creaking without disassembling the structure. This will help:

wax. Pass a wax candle through the cracks between the planks.
graphite powder with talc. Treat the gaps between the boards with a dry mix.

ways to eliminate floor squeaks using wax and talc are not effective if the floor is old and the boards are rotten.

If the chipboard floor creaks, the sound problem is most often found in the beams. Ordinary polyurethane foam will help to remove the rattle of boards rubbing against each other. Technological process similar to the previous one:

identify the wobbly beam causing the squeak.
drill holes through the beams until they hit the floor. The diameter of the gun tube for mounting must match the size of the hole in the lags.
foam is blown into this hole under the problematic beam. Hardening, it strengthens the supporting structure of the floor.

Instead of polyurethane foam you can use liquid cement. Moreover, in order to pour it into the holes, it is not necessary to have a mounting gun available. Use the 20cc syringe.

so that the foam or cement is firmly frozen, pump it under the floor gradually, in small portions.

On top of even, not swollen, not rotten floorboards, you can lay a thick plywood board. Moreover, the joints of plywood sheets should fall on the bars of the base. This Lego method isolates the sounds that come from under the floorboards.

How to make the floor in the apartment so that it does not creak.

In order not to be tormented by the question “What to do if the floor creaks” in the future, you need to prevent this situation in advance. Even during the repair: replacement or laying a new floor:

before laying the boards, cover the logs with a damping pad (insulation or waterproofing).

when laying a new floor, discard materials that quickly absorb moisture in favor of cedar, oak, ash or maple.

under the laminate and parquet, be sure to put a special substrate.
when installing the upper floor slabs or beams, leave a millimeter gap between the floorboards.

All residents of old houses know the problem of the appearance of a creak of a wooden floor on the logs over time. This can happen due to several reasons, but it is quite possible to fix such a problem with your own hands.

In this article, we will tell you detailed instructions how to make the floor so that it does not creak.

Causes of the squeak

Creaking may be the result of improper installation technology or due to deformation supporting elements and fasteners.

Namely:

Weak fixation of the boards is the most common problem of unpleasant sounds when walking. How to make the floors not creak? It will be enough to fix the boards tightly to the lags. It is better to do this on self-tapping screws, because the nails will weaken over time.
Loose or incorrectly fixed lining under the logs. Over time, they became unstable, and the floor began to "walk" when walking.
Cracks between boards. If you laid damp wood, it could dry out with the change of season. The ends of the boards began to scrape against each other and creak.
No temperature gap. If you laid the boards close to the walls without a gap of 10 mm, then they could swell and swell. A little contact with the wall will be enough to cause a squeak, even if you just drove a small wedge into the gap.
Large spacing between joists or thin boards.

Of course, the problem can arise from one or more of these reasons. Before you start doing anything, you need to determine the cause of the creak. This can usually be done by visual inspection, and sometimes it will be necessary to remove several boards to check the state of the lag.

But what if the floor creaks from chipboard or plywood? In addition to the reasons described above, its creaking can also cause the sheets to rub against each other. The fact is that sheet materials are attached to the floor with a small gap, which is then, if necessary, covered with putty on wood.

Eliminate floor squeak

We will tell you what to do so that the floor does not creak in most cases. After performing these operations, you will lose 90% of the sounds. At the same time, the price of such or a house will cost only 400-600 rubles for the purchase of fasteners.

We fasten the floorboards

Previously, all boards were nailed, and in almost every old apartment such floors have been lying for several decades without repair. Naturally, the nails have become loose, and it is required to replace them with a more perfect mount - self-tapping screws.

Floor scrolling instruction:

First of all, determine the thickness of the lag, for this, drill a hole in the floor, and measure the distance to the base. Or temporarily remove 1 floorboard. Self-tapping screws will need to be taken about 1.5 cm shorter than the thickness of the floorboards and the log (combined) so that they almost completely scroll through them.

Advice!
To scroll you will need a powerful screwdriver with a good battery.
Cheap models will not be able to screw long screws into a tree, or they will quickly sit down.

If your screwdriver does not take self-tapping screws, try pre-drilling holes for them. Old nails can not be removed if the caps do not stick out much.
The logs themselves are approximately 60 cm apart. To calculate the number of screws - multiply the number of lag by the number of boards in width. That is, at each point of contact of the log with the board there should be a tight mount.
Then everything is simple: we fasten all the boards tightly so that the heads of the screws do not stick out. We mark the places where the creak remains, with a marker, in order to additionally fix this place later.
After that, you can level the surface by laying plywood. It will also need to be tightly fixed with self-tapping screws, in increments of about 15-20 cm. If screwed less often, it will hang out.

gaps between boards

If there are gaps between the boards, the next thing to do to prevent the floors from creaking is to fix them with wooden wedges.

For this:

Cut the wood into strips of suitable sizes.
Coat them with glue and drive them tightly into the slot.
When the glue dries, cut off the excess flush with the surface.

But the rail will constantly need to be sharpened to fit the gap so that it fits snugly into it, so this method is not very good.

A more convenient option is to use a cord instead of a rail.

To do this, it is desirable to purchase a braided synthetic cord. It must be well impregnated with wood glue or PVA. Using a doboynik or core, you need to insert the cord between the floorboards, approximately ½ of their thickness.
Seal the remaining gaps from above with homemade putty from a mixture of sawdust and PVA. The consistency of the mixture should be similar to thick sour cream.
The putty is applied to the cracks with excess, and when it dries, the excess is cut off with a knife flush with the surface.

Repair of conventional floorboards

What to do if the floors in the apartment creak not from a special grooved board with a spike and groove, but from an ordinary one? In this case, the floorboards bend strongly under load, because the adjacent elements do not support them in any way.

To fix this problem, you will need to link the boards together.

You will need a long drill and wooden dowels.

Drill a hole in the floorboard with a drill at a high angle so that it reaches the adjacent board.
Lubricate the dowel with PVA glue and drive it into the hole. It should go into each of the boards by about half.
We drill the second hole in the opposite direction in the adjacent board after about 20-30 cm. This is done so that the dowels support the boards, like grooved ones.

Temperature gap

We check the presence of a temperature gap of 10 mm around the perimeter and near pipes and doors. If we find driven wedges under the skirting boards, be sure to remove them. If there is no temperature gap or it is small, you need to dismantle the extreme boards and cut them in width, and then fix them in place.

Loose lags

If you find that your logs are unstable, then most likely you will need to re-lay the entire floor covering of the apartment or house again. If the problem occurs only in one place, then it can be solved locally - by removing the sheathing and placing new gaskets under the logs or the boards themselves.

Note!
The logs should lie freely on the linings, they should not be nailed or fixed to the floor.
So you only worsen the sound insulation.

The thickness of the boards and the step of laying the lag

Perhaps the sounds come from excessive bending of the boards when walking. This can be caused by too small thickness of the boards and a large step of laying the lag.

Measure your dimensions and compare with the data in the table. With large deviations, it will be necessary to completely redo the coating, make intermediate boards to ensure the normal rigidity of the structure.

But you can temporarily solve the problem by screwing additional supports between the lags.

To do this, you will need to buy screws with a large thread that will securely hold the floorboards.
Their length must be greater than or equal to the distance from the finish surface to the concrete base.
A hole is drilled, smaller in diameter than the screw. The distance to the concrete base is then measured and the screw is cut to that length.
Then the self-tapping screw is screwed in until it rests on the concrete floor. Thus, it will support sagging boards.

Conclusion

Please note that it is pointless to do a top coat with creaky floors. Even a thick laminate will not save you from these sounds, and then they will only increase. Also, simple flooring will not help either. The video in this article shows in practice what to do so that the floors do not creak." width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

The larger the footprint of the screw, the longer it will last. No need to screw in sharp tips, they will quickly wipe the concrete.

Conclusion

Wooden floors, whether parquet or boards, begin to creak over time. There may be several reasons for this, one thing is clear: the creak is annoying and needs to be eliminated. Let's try to figure out why the floors creak and how to get rid of this problem.

The reasons for this phenomenon are as follows:

Violations of lumber drying technology. Over time, the residual moisture evaporates and the wood changes its shape. As a result, cracks and gaps appear. During operation, the floorboards rub against each other, a creak occurs.
Excessive spacing between plank floor joists. The load on the floorboards causes the boards to sag, and as a result, they rub against each other.
When constructing the floor, thin boards (thickness of which is less than 40 mm) were used, which were not able to withstand the load on them.
Depreciation of the lacquer coating of the parquet can cause the parquet to dry out and destroy the glue. Subsequently, the parquet joints become less durable.
When laying panel parquet and sheet floor material did not leave a compensation gap along the walls. Expanding with increasing air humidity, the wood material warps and creaks.
The nails used to nail the floorboards no longer hold them in place due to the drying of the wood.
Wear or swelling of the floorboards from dampness.
There is no layer of heat and sound insulation between the lags. Mineral wool slabs can significantly reduce noise.

What to do if the parquet floor creaks

There are two ways to repair a parquet floor. The first involves the complete re-laying of parquet in compliance with all the rules. But this method will require large physical or material costs (if specialists are invited). The second method is simpler and is performed as follows:

First, the parquet is examined, and the places where the creak appears when walking are marked with a marker. Most often, such places are visible: the parquet rises, and when walking on such areas, a creak occurs.
Parquet floors are drilled through in several places using a drill operating at low speeds.
Self-tapping screws with a diameter of at least 6 mm are screwed into the holes. Screwing must be stopped immediately after reaching the concrete base: the floor must not be allowed to rise even more. This creates additional props that will reduce or completely eliminate squeaking.
The caps of the self-tapping screws are not cut off: after a few days they will need to be tightened a little. After that, the screws are cut flush with the surface of the parquet, and then masked with putty, matched by color.

A slight creak may disappear after sanding and filling the cracks with a putty mass mixed with fine sawdust. Lacquer will additionally fix the surface. As a result, parquet floors will lie closer to each other.

Another way to eliminate parquet creaking involves the use of a cement or plaster mixture. The step by step process can be described as follows:

In the parquet, which "sags" when walking, we drill through hole with a diameter of 6 - 8 mm.
Cooking liquid cement mortar or plaster mix. Their consistency should be such that the composition can be drawn up and squeezed out through a medical syringe.
Pour the solution into the hole, allowing air to escape. It is necessary to fill until all the voids under the parquet are filled.
Allow the mortar to dry completely before continuing to use the floor.
The hole must be masked with putty on wood of a suitable color.

Important: before drilling and filling the voids under the next elements of the parquet with mortar, it is necessary to verify the effectiveness of this repair method by observing the first plank. It is possible that the parquet will have to be completely redone.

If the wooden floor creaks from the boards

This is usually arranged in country houses. If the wooden floor creaks, what should I do? First of all, you should stock up on the necessary set of tools. For work you will need:

drill or screwdriver with drill function;
jigsaw;
hammer;
self-tapping screws;
sawdust;
nail puller.

It is necessary to establish the reason for which the creak is heard. It often helps to replace nails with self-tapping screws. The latter are screwed next to the holes left after the removal of the nails.

The number of screws may be more than the number of nails. If the floors in the apartment creak even after the work done, then there are other reasons. Consider ways to eliminate defects.

The logs are located at a great distance from each other. Optimal distance is in the range of 0.4 - 0.6 m, despite the fact that the thickness of the boards is at least 40 mm. In order to eliminate the creaking of the floorboards, it is necessary to lay additional ones between the main lags. You will have to dismantle all the floorboards, and after installing the lag, return them to their place, replacing the nails with self-tapping screws.
Thin boards were used for the floorboards. Such a defect can be corrected by flooring sheet material in several layers. Moisture resistant chipboard, plywood, OSB is used. Between adjacent sheets, as well as along the wall, a distance of 5 mm must be observed (compensation gap). The joints of the sheets of the upper and lower rows should not coincide.
Gaps between floorboards can occur when poorly prepared boards shrink. To eliminate them, it is recommended to pour talc or graphite powder into the crack. It is effective to use wooden wedges: they are hammered into the gap, and then the gap is eliminated with putty mixed with sawdust.
The boards are damaged by dampness, and that is why the floor creaks. How to eliminate such a defect? Find out the cause of dampness. Probably broken waterproofing technology. The boards must be dismantled and sheets of roofing material laid on top of the lag with a slight overlap on the wall. After that, the boards (if they have not rotted) can be laid in place, treated with an antiseptic.
All installation rules are met, but the floors creak. What to do in this case? Perhaps the logs and boards are made of different types of wood and absorb moisture in different ways. Lay the fabric between the lags and boards. Such a "damper" will help either reduce the creak, or completely eliminate it.
You can eliminate the creak of one floorboard with the help of mounting foam: it is squeezed out into a through hole drilled in the place where the board “walks” the most. It is important not to step on the floorboard until the foam is completely dry.
Thick boards can be fastened together with self-tapping screws screwed in at an angle at the junction of the floorboards. If there is a lag at the junction under the boards, nails can be used instead of self-tapping screws.

How to fix floor squeaks in an old house

Previously, they often used such a scheme for flooring: on top hardwood floor slag was poured from thick boards (in the form of a filler), on which (at a distance of about 1.5 m) brick pillars were installed. Above the posts - roofing felt or roofing felt in two layers, then - logs and boards of the finishing floor.
It is impossible to pull the finishing floor board to the ceiling with anchors: the length of the anchors is not enough. To get rid of the squeak, proceed as follows.

We purchase sheets of large format plywood with a thickness of at least 15 mm in the required quantity.
We lay a polyurethane foam substrate on top of the floor: it will not allow the plywood to knock on the boards while walking.
The area of the floor that is subjected to the greatest load is covered with a large sheet of plywood.
We fasten the plywood to the boards of the finished floor with a large number of self-tapping screws screwed in at a distance of 100-150 mm from each other. At the same time, one longitudinal row of self-tapping screws is screwed in at the place of the deflection of the plank base, and two rows of self-tapping screws located on both sides of the crest are screwed in the convex place. In the same way, plywood is attached along the walls of the room.
Self-tapping screws must be recessed into the plywood sheet so that their caps do not interfere with laying laminate or other flooring.

In case of further flooring ceramic tiles use GVL - gypsum fiber sheet. This material is laid in two layers using a special adhesive. Elastic adhesive is applied and distributed with a notched trowel, after which the laid GVL sheet attract with screws. For the second row of GVL, longer self-tapping screws should be used.
This method is cheaper than a complete replacement of the plank floor, in addition, it eliminates the need to dismantle the lungs. interior partitions mounted on boards.

What to do if chipboard floors creak

This phenomenon is manifested in the case of laying sheet material without gaps between the sheets and along the walls. Gaps should be widened with care. circular saw. In this case, it is necessary to make sure that there are no nails and self-tapping screws in the path of the saw.

Another cause of chipboard floors creaking may be insufficient thickness of the material. Another row of chipboard or plywood should be laid. It is important that the distance between the lags does not exceed 600 mm. Otherwise, you will have to disassemble the floor (in whole or in part) and lay additional logs.

Locally, the repair of chipboard floors can be carried out as follows.

We determine the area where the floor sags the most and remove the floor covering.
With an electric jigsaw or a circular saw, we cut out a square with sides of 0.5 - 0.6 m.
Under the chipboard, we tightly wind the bars so that its edges remain in the area freed from the sheet material.
We install the chipboard fragment in place and fasten it with self-tapping screws.
We fill the seam in the place of the cut with putty.
Laying the flooring.

It is quite possible to eliminate the creaking of the floor while walking on your own, if you correctly approach the solution of this problem. People have been using wooden floors for a very long time. It is wood that has been competing with many new flooring materials for a long time. Moreover, it should be noted that, despite the fact that there are modern methods for production finishing materials, it is the tree that is chosen in order to make your home elegant and luxurious. It is impossible not to pay attention to the fact that wooden floors bring beauty to the house. However, in certain moment before each owner of a wooden floor, the question arises, how to eliminate the creak that has appeared?

How to remove the creak of a wooden floor in an apartment: one reason out of six

It is very easy to answer this question. If you start with a logical reasoning, then the floor is the central part of the overall structure, and sooner or later, this structure begins to naturally shift. This is what causes mechanical stress. In addition, there are a number of reasons that affect the occurrence of squeaks.

As a rule, the wooden floor begins to creak due to improper operation or prolonged use.

There are 6 main factors:

Improper operation;
High indoor humidity;
Loose nail joints;
Lack of necessary distance from the walls;
Drying of the material;
Long operating time.

Wooden floors from boards are laid on logs, which, after long-term operation start to rumble and creak. This becomes especially noticeable at night, when you need to walk quietly around the room, but as a result, everyone can wake up. In order to fix this problem, you need to analyze the reasons why a creak may occur. In the main cases, the answer to the question is hidden in the constructions themselves.

The floor creaks in the apartment: how to fix it in a few steps

You need to start with the most radical and effective step that will help get rid of squeaks, this is a complete replacement of the floor. new material will be able long time perform the task without requiring additional repairs. However, this method cannot be called budgetary. A complete replacement of the flooring will require the owner not only a lot of time, but also extra expenses for the purchase, delivery and, of course, if necessary, payment for the work of the masters. Even the most inexpensive options will require large financial costs.

You can get rid of the squeak in the old floor if it is completely replaced with a new one.

Another well-known method to get rid of the squeak is to replace the floors with a screed. On top of this material, you can put ceramic tiles, laminate, wooden parquet or linoleum.

This solution is more profitable, but if there are children in the house, then such an organization will need additional insulation.

Expanded clay or polystyrene can act as an additional material as a layer. Materials for insulation are not budgetary, and their operation will require a sufficient amount of time and effort.

by the most inexpensive option in the fight against creaking is the renewal of plywood sheathing, which is attached to self-tapping screws. But if the logs look bad, then you will have to dismantle them. In this situation, the coating will still need to be completely removed, but even in this case, it is possible that the new floor will not start to creak.

Experts identify several specific methods that can eliminate the problem of a creaking floor. This is not an easy task, however, absolutely anyone can cope with it. The main task is to choose the necessary option that will lead to a positive result.

To prevent the wooden floor from creaking, you can use cement mortar or talcum powder, which should cover the cracks

Here are the main troubleshooting steps:

The first thing to do is to think not only about the problem of creaking, but also about appearance material. Squeaking can be easily eliminated with graphite powder. It contains talc, falling asleep in the cracks, you can eliminate the creak. You can also drive wedges into the cracks, if there is no result, then the boards should be strengthened with screws.
The second method is more time consuming and requires more effort. If there are no funds for global changes, then pins will come to the rescue. In those places where a creak is heard, holes need to be drilled at the joints with a diameter of 10 to 12 cm. The distance between the holes must be at least 30cm. Using high quality PVA glue, the pins are pressed. After the floor is cleaned, the creak will be eliminated.
In order to eliminate the creak on wooden floor, the boards are attached to the logs with rounded type screws. They help to tighten and fix the surface without tearing it off. A drill that has the speed control function enabled can make the job easier. If the creak is not eliminated, then the holes are made larger in diameter, and mounting foam is suitable for fixing.
The oldest and simple method is to eliminate the squeak with a wedge. For this purpose, wedges are cut out of the required material, lubricated with glue and driven into the holes.
A more durable way to get rid of creaking, which in any situation gives a positive result, is the use of metal anchors. The method is the most reliable, but here you have to spend the budget and effort. The work consists in the fact that the anchors are installed in the wooden floor, resting against the concrete. An outer shell is prepared for it, which is made of metal. Thanks to this method, the lags are strengthened. The anchors will not be visible from the outside, as the holes are created in accordance with their parameters. If you follow the rules, the distance between the anchors should not exceed 1m, but experts say the smaller the distance, the better.
And last but not least effective method is the replacement of screws and nails. This method is not only reliable, but also time-consuming, due to the fact that the floor undergoes a complete modernization without dismantling. During the repair process, each section of the floor is carefully checked, and old fasteners are replaced with new parts. Of course, exclude nails, this the best way, as they rust over time, causing floor deformation and creaking. Before screeding, check all boards. Poor-quality elements should be removed and replaced with new ones. After the work is done, you can play it safe with construction foam.

If you approach the work competently and carefully, you can make the creak quiet, or even remove it without opening it, even at the oldest floor. Your finish will become quiet, as if the work was made from cork material. Each of the methods of opening, parsing can be found in the training video. Thanks to them, you can learn how to repair creaky chipboard boards with your own hands without dismantling the parquet.

Why the floors creak in the apartment: the final stages

No matter which method you choose to deal with squeaks, the final step should include carefully examining the floor surface for cracks. They must be sealed with wood mastic. Make sure the coating is reliable, it is impossible for the boards to sag, in this case we eliminate them.

The places where the repair was carried out need to be sanded. Then the floor is covered with drying oil, which also helps to get rid of floor squeaks for a long time.

Additionally, the wooden floor can be sanded and covered with drying oil, which will help get rid of annoying squeaks.

And the last thing to do is to visually process the floor. If it consists exclusively of boards, then it can be varnished or painted, and if there is another coating, then we lay it down. The same applies if the floor needs to be tightened. Through these methods, your wood floor can gain extra life.

Floors creak: what to do without disassembling (video)

What conclusion can be drawn from this article? The creak that is heard from your wooden floor is not a sign that you will need to carry out global installation work. Thanks to the tips listed above in our article, you can extend the life of your coating without much effort and financial investments, it is enough to approach this matter correctly.