Q imported from our old site, Face Lift Floors: My stairs are creaking a lot and I want to fix this. I have taken up the carpet but can’t find any nail heads to get an idea where I should put in wood screws. I also do not know where the joists are. I can’t access the stairs from below. Help! What should I do?
A: Generally, there is a wedge hammered into the bottom of the tread along the stringer, and this has probably come loose. To actually fix this, I believe you have to get access to the underside of the staircase.
I suppose you could try drilling and countersinking a screw through the tread and into the stringer, on an angle. But I always like to go to the source, if possible.
Original / moved link https://faceliftfloors.com/q-and-a/joists.php
Noisy stair treads
Q imported from our old site, Face Lift Floors: We have beautiful oak hardwood floors on the stairs in our 3-family home. The problem is they are very noisy. Other than carpet, which gets very dirty, and vinyl or rubber which need to be installed with adhesive, is there anything I can put on the stair treads to lessen the noise?
A: If you had access to the rear of the staircase, you could tighten up the wedges that hold the treads in place or if need be, put in a few of your own.
Original / moved link https://faceliftfloors.com/q-and-a/wedges.php