Can anyone help answer some questions? We just had our 60 year old hardwood floor ripped up. It had been sanded too many times and could not be salvaged in our house renos. I heard that it’s best to add screws to the subfloor so that the new hardwood does not squeak. Does anyone know how close or far the screws need to be from each other? Does the flooring company do this? Is it part of a quote. My husband wasnt to go around and do it himself but I’d rather get an expert’s opinion. ALso, our subfloor is in bad condition as it has holes, would a flooring company repair that too? Any help is greatly appreciated. THANKS! |
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I would go with your husband's idea and set him up with a good cordless drill and some 2 to 3 inch torx screws. We usually go about a foot apart./ That way you get acceptable coverage regardless of how many nails are still in good holding condition. As he screws he may see some nail heads creep up. I would pull them rather than hitting them back down because you now know that they are loose and will move again and squeak.
The new hardwood would be layed over tar paper or rosin paper so it won't squeek against the subfloor anyway.
To keep the subfloor boards from squeeking against the joists, screws are a good idea. The best type of screws have a smooth shank as long as the thickness of the subfloor so no threads engage the subfloor, only the joists below. That way, the subfloor will draw down tight. If your screws are fully threaded, it will be acceptable, but the threads will bridge the gap and the boards won't be drawn together. It's definitely a good do it yourself job. You could save a little money by doing it yourself, but it truly is only a half hour of work, so the contractor probably won't even bother to knock off $25 from the price.
Holes in the subfloor won't matter at all. Unless they are so large that you won't be able to get the flooring adequately nailed, they can be left alone.
If you still end up with a squeek or two, chalk it up to the charm of an older home. There are worse things that can happen.
thank you both for great advice. We are first time home renovators and really appreciate your knowledge!