My very old floor (~ 50 years) is in good condition (having been scraped and refinished 20 years ago). But it creaks badly. Can something be done to fix that?

Thanks. ... wdc

Can you access the underside of the floor from an unfinished basement, or crawl space?

Thanks for your interest.

No, I cannot get to the underboard. Floor is on second floor, above a room with a finished cieling.

The noise is either the oak flooring or the subflooring, or both. Outside of removing the floor and re-installing it ( or installing new flooring ) and fixing the subfloor squeaks, not much can be done from above.

Thanks. I suspected that was the case. I'll live with the squeaks (and cherish them).

Not that it will help but I love squeaky old hardwood floors. It's like music to my ears.

I'm glad someone likes squeaky floors. I pulled mine and re-installed it because of it ! (It was a loose plywood) First floor turned out great ! The second is another story..

Well when ever I hear someone complain about squesky floors it always reminds me of the story I heard about Nightingale hardwood floors in Kyoto Japan. Google it. There was one site that actually showed how they purposefully constructed the floors to sing when walked on. That was over 400 years ago.

If the squeaks are from the hardwood being loose due to old age, there are a number of "home-remedies" that you can try. Somw work better than others.
Use some talcum powder on the floor between the boards, along with a rubber mallet to sift it down between the nails and nail holes. Eventually this vacuums back out but I have heard of it working for months at a time.
Baby oil will also lubricate the nails to reduce squeaking.
Get the humidity up to 50% or so to swell the floor somewhat.
I have always told my clients that it is better to live with the squeaks, so she will know when her husband is sneaking in late from the bar.

That is absolutely the worst thing you could do. You will be fine, until it comes time to refinish and that talc is into the wood grain from the heat of sanding back to bare wood.

Ever see what water does when dripped on something talc has been applied to?? It ain't pretty when you go to put your seal coat on and it beads up, and pulls.

Maybe if you can find talc anymore. They stopped using it in baby powder because it is a carcinogin. Might be able to find some in a hardwoare store.

But really, I think people most likely wipe down the surface Perry Austin man. Sure some might lift through the gaps when sanding but I seriously doubt it. Thats got to be the silliest industry myth I ever heard of. Some guy that was sanding a floor prolly poured it all over the floor then freaked cus his finish wouldn't stick.

Never believe anything you read on the net...rule number one

Rule number two....never listen to floorguys from austin. hee hee

Seriously!

Talc has greasy properties. The heat from sanding just spreads it as it sticks to the sand paper. Surface tension plays a very important role, that effects adhesion.

Ever get baby powder on your hands and try to wash them??

Dude, the floor is fifty years old maybe its got a couple more finish jobs in it who knows but besides that i think the people will wipe off any excess off the floor and prolly by the time anyone sands it it will be so far down in the cracks it will not matter.

What does the age of the floor have to do with anything, if they spread baby powder on it tomorrow??

That was a way out there twist, to try and make a point. You ought to go into politics, Charles.