Replies

1. 
   alecs | Mar 31, 2003 02:44pm | #1

   the previous owner of our house apparently had this problem, his solution was to dump about 200 drywall screws into the floor in each room in the house in an attempt to stop the squeaking.  (then they wall-to-wall carpeted over it).  The realtor who sold us the house (the seller's agent, not our agent) told us that "there might be a few screws here and there, but that the floors were otherwise in good condition and could be refinished"

   Yeah right!!  We had to rip up the floor and start over.  In doing this, we found that the squeaking was actually caused by the subfloor on the joists as much as it was the floor on the subfloor.  We ended up using drywall screws (many of them recovered from part A) to secure the subfloor to the joists before the new floor was installed. 

   My advice to you is don't go nailing all willy-nilly around the floor if that's what you are going to end up doing.  Find the joists somehow (deep sensing stud finder?  look from below?) and only nail through where there are studs and use longer nails.  if you just nail into the subfloor with nothing else underneath, the new nails will work themselves out just like the old ones. 

   They make some screws for this purpose that come in a kit with a tool that breaks off the head below the surface so you get the holding power of a screw without the ugly head.  The screws are hardened, and pre-scored below the head so they tend to snap when you torque the head from side to side.  I didn't end up trying this because we ended up ripping up the whole floor.  Maybe someone else can comment on this approach?

   good luck..

   alec

   also, to the guy who was wondering if you can recover old hardwood floor, we ripped ours up with out any attention to saving the existing red oak, and I would say that at least 50% of the boards came up whole and undamaged.  New floor is 3 1/4" T&G wht birch, which has been very satisfactory.

2. 
   Floorman | Mar 31, 2003 04:20pm | #2

   5/16" strip flooring is always face nailed in its entirety. It is not a blind nailed product. There are millions of feet of it in San Francisco. Call Golden State Flooring in S.F. and get the spec's on the proper installation. They are the major supplier/distributor for that region. GW

1. 
   rickshort | Apr 07, 2003 08:36am | #3

   Thanks for the input.  Upon closer look, the floor is 1/2".  Never seen a 1/2

   ' oak floor before.  I'll probably face nail into joists, not happy about putting all those holes in(the oak is 1 1/2").

   thanks again

3. 
   RussellAssoc | Apr 07, 2003 05:18pm | #4

      Use a nail set on the existing, you'll be suprised at how much that alone helps, face nail the rest to joist as needed.   You may find your wife doesn't want it renailed, the easier to keep track of you, don't you know.