i see a lot of advise on how to eliminate or prevent squeaking in hardwood floors. is there an actual mechanical reason for this or is it merely an aesthetic? me, i think squeaks and pops (as long as they're not overdone) are part of the charm of having a wood floor. part of this is i'm hearing impaired - i hate jumping out of my skin because i didn't hear someone walking across the carpet behind me - and part of it is i grew up in a century home (a schoolhouse built in the mid-1850s) and the floors were rackety indeed. i just finished a hardwood floor and it has some squeaking areas like the old one, they're just nowhere near as bad - i took measures to alleviate the noise but didn't go all the way out to completely remove them (again, just bec i like the sound).

the other question is the nose for the stairs: conventional instruction is to match the flooring - but would it be too awful if i used a heavily contrasting strip for visibility instead? i'm thinking safety for an elderly parent with visibility and mobility issues - i know myself, i have stubbed my toes many times because i couldn't see the edge of the stair clearly enough. it'd be very bad for my dad to do that and take a tumble, as he's recovering from a car accident that left him with fractured vertebrae.

Personally I do not mind a squeak here and there either. Floor fasteners loosen up over time so it is completely normal. On the other hand it drives some people batty. In your case it is psychologically comforting as it reminds you of your childhood. It reminds me of my grandpa's house in Pennsylvania, neat old house.

The stairs, well it's always dangerous for old people.