Although not usually a major problem, squeaky stairs are undeniably annoying.
You don’t want to be woken up at 3am by your teenager sneaking up the stairs after a night out or have your film night ruined by extra sound effects from your creaky staircase.
Squeaky staircases are usually caused by loose treads or risers.
These stair parts can come loose over time because of the amount of footfall on your stairs.
The tiniest amount of weight on these treads creates movement and friction because of the lack of support. This causes the squeaky noise.
Before you start to think about ways to silence the squeak you need to identify where the noise is coming from – it’s unlikely to be every step, usually just one or two.
Once you’ve identified the offending treads, it’s time to start fixing them.
Stair part experts, Wonkee Donkee, have put together their top tips for fixing squeaky stairs.
Table of Contents
Screw the tread down
Although it might seem too good to be true, simply screwing your tread down could be the solution.
Because squeaky stairs are caused by loose treads, screwing them down ensures they’re as secure as possible. This means there’s no room for movement and, therefore, no more squeaking.
Three screws per tread usually does the trick – one at each side and one in the middle. Drill these screws through the tread and into the riser to secure.
This solution works best when the tread will be covered, otherwise the screws will be on show, creating an unfinished look.
If you use this method, but want to leave your steps uncovered, you may wish to cover the screw heads with wood filler. Not only does this improve the look, but it also makes the step more comfortable to walk on.
Use a moulding
Mouldings are a great option for treads that are on show and not covered by carpet, tiles or cladding.
They’re a piece of wood – the same length as your tread – that’s glued to the underneath lip of your tread and the connecting riser.
Mouldings provide extra stability to your steps, as well as a new, discrete detail which can enhance the look of your staircase.
If you use a moulding to prevent squeaking, it’s better to add mouldings to every step to keep a consistent look.
Try a glue block
If you’ve got access to the underside of your staircase, you could use glue blocks for discrete added support.
Glue blocks work in a similar way to mouldings and can be made at home with ease, simply saw a small wooden block in half diagonally.
These small triangular wooden blocks can now be glued to the underside of your staircase in each corner, connecting the tread and riser. Once you’ve glued these on, you can then screw them into place for extra stability, taking special care not to go fully through the step.
Because these are added underneath your staircase, they won’t affect the style at all, therefore you only need to add them to the noisy treads.
To conclude, whether you choose to screw down your treads, use mouldings or glue blocks, silencing your squeaky stairs is usually a straightforward process that takes no longer than a few hours.
