Floor Maintenance: The Sound of Silence
- On November 21, 2016
Nothing beats the feeling of moving into a new apartment. You take your keys, open the door, and step on a squeaky wood floors? That’s not the sound a new tenant wants to hear when waltzing through their apartment and neither does the neighbor below you. So how do you silence the squeaks? Well, without doing heavy carpentry work, there are two things you can do as a tenant.
The first thing you can do as a tenant that doesn’t require your landlord’s consent is lubricating the floorboards. Pour talcum powder, powdered soapstone or powdered graphite between the floorboards. Brush the powder into the grooves of the floorboards or walk on it to insure the powder gets in-between and under the floorboards. Doing this reduces the rubbing between the planks which causes the squeaks. Afterwards mop up or vacuum up the remaining powder and enjoy the silence.
The second thing you can do (but requires your landlord’s consent) is to buy a product called “Squeeeek No More”. This $20 product provides the consumer with a stud finder, tripod tool, bit and screws. You use this product by locating the squeaks in floorboards. Then take the tripod tool and the bit to drive the screw into the joist underneath. The screw will tighten the joist and make it more secure so that the squeaking stops. The screw has a 1 inch lead at the top so that it can be snapped off and kept from being an eyesore or a hazard to barefoot visitors. The great thing about this tool is that the screws are coated with wax so they can be inserted through carpets, vinyl and linoleum floors.
Just because you have a swanky vintage apartment doesn’t mean you have to live with squeaky floors. Now you have the “know how” and the tools to enjoy wood floors and a little piece and quiet. Floor maintenance is key when you have wood floors. If you would like more information on how to maintain your wood floors feel free to contact us.
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