Another squeaky subfloor

12 years ago

The main floor of our old (1975) house has 5/8" plywood subflooring, over joists at 16-inch centers. In the kitchen & adjoining dining room, this was covered with vinyl flooring. About six years ago, we wanted to change the flooring, and since the subfloor beneath the vinyl had always squeaked quite a lot, I asked the local building supply from which we were buying the new linoleum what to do to prepare.

They recommended putting extra screws in through the subflooring and into all the joists - at the rate of a screw every six inches. I did that. We followed this by applying half-inch MDF above, and then the lino went down onto that. Absolutely no squeaks.

We're likely to change the wall-to-wall carpeting in our living room this year, and so I wonder about the process for getting the squeaks out there too. I could simply follow the former advice (a screw every half foot), but it's a tedious job and I've wondered if it is actually overkill?

Opinions?

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Comments (4)

snoonyb
12 years ago
The process has been made much easier, as time goes by, by specially adapted screw guns, which operate at or from a standing position.
joel_bc
Original Author
12 years ago
snoonby you wrote: "The process has been made much easier, as time goes by, by specially adapted screw guns, which operate at or from a standing position."

Okay. Well, I don't own one of those, and my tool would require being on my knees. Not sure if my nearest tool rental has one, either, plus the rental agency is an hour's drive away (hence 2 hours of driving).

Anyhow, what I asked is whether the rcommendation would be a screw every six inches into the joists (or is this overkill?)
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insteng
12 years ago
I would think it is overkill. You should be able to get away with a screw every 18 - 24 inches I would think.
snoonyb
12 years ago
"Anyhow, what I asked is whether the rcommendation would be a screw every six inches into the joists (or is this overkill?)"

My answer did not offer an exception or elimination of screws, ergo, acceptance as well as a less," tedious job", solution.

I guess you could order the screws delivered, so you would not have to leave the house, to save your knees and back