What is the best filler/sealant/adhesive/glue to fix squeaking floorboards?

[Ship69]

Hello

What is the best filler/sealant/adhesive/glue to fix squeaking floorboards?

Screws & nails are not an option because it is for a rental property and so there is no option of ripping up the floorboards to see where any gas/water/electrity lines are. The floorboards are either painted or varnished.

It needs to:

A. Be slightly flexible to allow for expansion/contraction of wooden floorboards

B. To minimise the visual impact it needs to be wood-coloured/semi-transparent when dry

C. In order to get deep it needs to flow well into cracks

D. It mustn't shrink much when it dries

E. It is going between PAINTED floor boards (yes, nuts - don't ask!) so it shouldn't dissolve paint & varnish finishes.

I have tried "Gorilla Wood Glue", which seems to bond very strongly albeit only after 24 hours. It also dribbles (albeit v slowly) deep into the cracks which in some ways is helpful. BUT it dissolves the paintwork and varnish in a matter of seconds if it lies on the surface of the floorboards.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

J

 

[GravyMonster]

There's really no substitute for hard-fixing with screws. Gluing boards together laterally isn't going to help with vertical movement. I've heard baby powder between the gaps can help for a short time, though.

 

[Ship69]

1. I posted here because someone had posted something slightly similar here before.

2. House is rented. Buying a house new is an expensive solution to this problem.

3. Wrong. Gluing of the worst offending planks has already helped solve the problem. But I can't do the same to them all as the glue is quite solid/rigid/brittle when dry, and will fail to cope with seasonal expansion/contraction of wood.

4. Incorrect. Losing weight won't solve the problem. Even a child makes them creak.

[5. Can the administrators move this thread for me, or should I start again?]

EDIT: I have now started again in the home/gardening forum.

 

[zophiel]

i use a couple of old cd i never used for piracy then screw the board down over the top through the hole being a tech forum

 

[Hades]

Clear bathroom silicone sealant. It flows. It's clear. It sets like glue. It peels off easily if needed. It can be painted on when set. It creates a 'rubber' (silicone) flexible seal between two surfaces.

Edit: But really only screwing or nailing them is going to fix it properly. Everything else is a bodge.

 

[touch]

Get a rug.

 

[Caged]

If it's creaking because the boards are moving on the nails then you can't do anything without addressing that. Can you drive the existing nails in further and see if that does anything?

 

[Abyss]

I'd just install some screws right next to the nails (e.g. within 10mm of the nail). Will pull the board in tighter to the joist and unlikely to hit any cables/pipes if you go with existing positions.

Glue is a rubbish solution and will be a complete pain for whoever needs to take the boards up for maintenance in the future.

 

[Ship69]

If it's creaking because the boards are moving on the nails then you can't do anything without addressing that. Can you drive the existing nails in further and see if that does anything?

No, it's creaking mainly because planks of wood are tight against each other and are rubbing as they passing as one bends more than it's neighbor.

> Clear bathroom silicone sealant. It flows. It's clear. It sets like glue.
Yes definitely worth a try. I think I have some somewhere too.
The reason I haven't tried it is that I think it would be better to get something that is actually wood coloured.

On reflection, it may well be that I need two different sealants. One for planks that are quite close to each other and which need to be bonded hard. And one for where there is a larger span to fill in. The latter are gaps of up to 5mm. Anything too liquid would just disappear into a bottomless void below the planks.

I know that nails & screws are the only REAL answer but if I can just quieten the darned things down I could live with the problem.

 

[Ship69]

I'd just install some screws right next to the nails (e.g. within 10mm of the nail). Will pull the board in tighter to the joist and unlikely to hit any cables/pipes if you go with existing positions.

Glue is a rubbish solution and will be a complete pain for whoever needs to take the boards up for maintenance in the future.

All good points. Although much of the floor already has these MASSIVE gaps (c. 5mm wide?) between planks, so whoever does the maintenance will already have a bit of a problem. But lifting planks that are nailed down will be pretty difficult in any case.

I will have a look again in the morning but the area where the planks squeak most is also the area where the planks have been painted with a pale green paint. And hammering in any nails into this layer of green paint will be very obvious to the landlord that I have been messing about, whereas dripping a bit of sealant/glue between the planks would be more covert.

 

[Ship69]

Get a rug.

No - not good hygiene. It is in a kitchen.

 

[a1ex2001]

Have you asked the landlord if he minds you fixing the floor? He might not care about a few screws or nails?

 

[eviled]

Knock the existing nails in tighter using a centre punch?

Try and dribble wood glue in the gap by the joists and weight the board down hoping it sticks down?

 

[ANDARIAL]

You could try cutting the squeaky joints with a saw i.e. making the gaps bigger so they don`t rub
Also knocking in the existing nails further is a good idea
As always it is a risk unless you `know` there are no hidden pipes or cables

 

[Kiyoshi]

If I rented to you and found you'd squirted sealant between all my floorboards, we'd be having words and you wouldn't be getting your deposit back.

 

[Sin_Chase]

This thread is ridiculousness. You ain't fixing squeaking floorboards with only glue. Silicone Sealant.... Don't be daft.

Even if using a VERY strong glue to stop the boards moving it would be temporary as its going to crack / break down. Anything flexible won't solve the problem..... It's flexible!

Do it properly or leave well alone.

 

[Simon42]

I simply pull the existing nails out with a nail puller and replace with screws of a suitable size relative to the nail which generally leave a very narrow hole when removed. This avoids hitting any (poorly fitted) cables and pipes with new locations for screws and avoids further holes in the boards.

I use a Priory nail puller with the built in hammer out slide and it's amazing how fast and cleanly nails can be removed.

 

[sdavlaws]

Is it traditional timber floorboards or the more moden chipboard ones? New floors are only installed with glue, egger D4 been one of the main ones

 

[DarrenM343]

Why bother? It's a rented property.
Either get the landlord to fix or leave alone. At least make sure you inform the landlord of your actions. As a landlord myself, tenants carrying out DIY without permission and then without inspection of the work done is a big no-no. I've just taken back a flat I've rented out and it's now a load of **** I need to put right.

 

[Transam]

Ask the neighbours nicely to complain to your landlord - he'll be round with the Gorilla Glue in no time if he is decent. The stuff expands, a huge amount judging by the mess I made of my front porch - a little goes a long way!