|
Squeaky
stairs have been known to be a good burglar
deterrent but more times they are annoying. The
reason for squeaky or noisy stairs has to do with
the parts used to assemble. House settling, wood expansion and contraction
are
all results of these conditions. Nails loosen
from framing members that includes treads, risers
and the underlying rough
stair stringer that supports everything.
What's
The Easy Fix?
It could be as simple as inserting some thin wooden
wedges under the stair tread or nosing providing the
treads
themselves are not the retrofit type.
How do you know which type may be on your stairs?
Often stairs that don't have this characteristic may
have a decorative piece of cove molding installed
under the tread (photo right). By removing the
trim you're able to insert a wedge or shim under the
tread that will provide it more stability.
Can
You Get Below The Stairs?
Being
able to access the stairs from below would be the
next easy solution. Once again our shims could be
the easy fix. By having a partner stand on the steps
above locate the annoying sounds, tap wedges into
place in between the tread and stringer.
For
stair treads that may be bowed it may present
another option. By fastening a block to the back
side of the riser below the offending tread will
help push up the tread eliminating the noisy sounds.
Other materials used for this repair are angle
brackets. Fasten one side into the riser from the
rear and into the tread above it with decking
screws.
Last Choice Charlie
The
final option is one we prefer to stay away from as
it requires fastening into the surface of the stair
tread into the rough stringers that help support the
staircase system. If you're an artistic type and
don't like lousy looking nail holes in your stairs
one can opt for fastening all treads with deck
screws. These can be covered by decorative plugs
after they are screwed in. For
stairs that annoy you to death and the area is dry
walled removing the wall could be an option. |
