Squeaky wood floors

[JTip]

Silly question perhaps.

Vacant home, 100ish year old. So I am walking through the house, passing through the dining room. Every step squeaks from wall to wall, echoing through the house. Not select high traffic areas, actually every corner of the room(s) squeaks.

Imagine walking on a frozen pond, the sound it makes every step you take, this is what the first floor sounded like. A 40lb kid would create the same effect walking on this floor.

Did I fear for my life that I may fall through the floor? No. But the sound was overwhelming, it made me laugh in every first floor room. I can see having heavy furniture on a floor for 20 years and then removing it can cause some new squeaks to appear but this is crazy, carnival funhouse crazy squeaks.

I'm not sure how to handle/address this issue. Thanks for any comments.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Any visible ceiling / wall joist cracks (even spackled over) especially in the extreme 4 corner rooms? Any original wood sliding "pocket doors" which do not close easily or all the way? Visible floor sloping or bulging? While some "Vintage Home" buyers expect, and sometimes desire some "period settling ambience".......structural engineers quite often disagree. Fieldstone foundation walls? Crawl or basement? Any Wood, Fieldstone, or Red Brick Joist supports under first floor visible? Any visible timber dust (vibration or termite related)? Any recent flooding problems?

IMO, abnormal floor creaking described in Op warrants Conditional Value Opinion based on EA "normal settling" (with detailed description above) subject to expert S.E. inspection.

 

[Calvin the Airedale]

Silly question perhaps.

Vacant home, 100ish year old. So I am walking through the house, passing through the dining room. Every step squeaks from wall to wall, echoing through the house. Not select high traffic areas, actually every corner of the room(s) squeaks.

Imagine walking on a frozen pond, the sound it makes every step you take, this is what the first floor sounded like. A 40lb kid would create the same effect walking on this floor.

Did I fear for my life that I may fall through the floor? No. But the sound was overwhelming, it made me laugh in every first floor room. I can see having heavy furniture on a floor for 20 years and then removing it can cause some new squeaks to appear but this is crazy, carnival funhouse crazy squeaks.

I'm not sure how to handle/address this issue. Thanks for any comments.

Sounds like part of the charm of vintage housing. Look at it this way, when the owner is asleep in the upstairs bedroom he can rest assured that no one will be sneaking up on him.

 

[JTip]

Mike,

On the second floor there are some substantial cracks in the plaster (which will be noted) but nothing on the first floor. The floors appear to be relatively flat. The basement stone foundation has been recently repointed, an impressive job I might say. While not in a flood zone, the home is across the street from an active creek and the fronting properties are in a flood zone. I did not see signs of infestation, wood beams looked solid underneath.

I'm thinking after the removal of some pretty heavy furniture that the floor 'relaxed' making the squeaking very, VERY prominent, but I am not an expert.

Good thoughts, thanks.

 

[CANative]

Liberal application of baby or talcum powder will probably stop the squeaking.

 

[redfish]

My wood floors squeaked when I bought my house, I told the seller I was deducting 5% from what I was willing to pay because the floor squeaked. Use this for your adjustment when you compare the home to other 100 year old homes with wood floors that squeak less.

 

[TEL2002]

Find 3 comps of similar age, that sold within the last 90 days, that have very squeaky floors on the first floor.

Problem solved.

I suspect the wood has dried and shrunk somewhat...causing the problem. UNsqueaking the floor could be a costly situation.

 

[Rich Heyn]

In unoccupied homes, tongue and groove hardwood floors can squeak when first used after an idle period. It usually goes away after a little use.

We installed such flooring in a new lake cottage. When we would be gone for some time, especially in the winter months, and then returned, the floors would squeak like crazy until we walked around some, then it would quit. Evidently due to expansion and then contraction of the wood.

 

[Vermonter]

Around here....I'd be suspicious if they didn't squeak.

 

[Mr Rex]

Rich prolly is right. Alot of hardwood floors require humidifiers in the winter and dehumidifiers in the summer to help minimize he the expansion and contraction.