Squeak eliminated!

Since the subfloor sheathing proved to be tongue-and-groove, I had to cut along the joists and across the center (the fact that I had driven in several flooring nails didn't help either!).

Once I removed the subfloor, I immediately noticed that the squeak persisted. The cause became obvious.

The framing around the ductwork down below, running perpendicular to the joists, was formed from 2x2s. The 2x2 directly below the joist was separated by about an inch. A 16d nail through the bottom of the 2x2 into the joist barely penetrated. Obviously, stepping on the joist worked this nail up and down from underneath!

I used bolt cutters to cut the nail in two. The nail was so loose that its point simply fell out of the joist; instantly the squeaking stopped. Hallelujah!

I installed three-inch screws through the joist and adjacent joists into the 2x2 framing to hold it in place and prevent future squeaks. I then built framing to reinstall the subfloor panels.

The wood flooring installation is well underway. Again, thanks for your help!

Glad to hear it. More than once, a loose nail has been the cause.



I will use a "cat's paw" to pull the nails, normally only about 6 nails and 2.25" long. Screws are backed out with a screw gun. Nail or fastener problem eliminated.

I didnt mean to suggest there was anything wrong with your method of exposing an offensive joist. Just that we do it a little different because we have found it to be faster, and when im paying these guys an outrageous hourly rate, faster is better than a bit of material savings, lol.

in these situations, faster is usually better. Do you find that cutting alongside the joist and adding blocking ( cutting 2x stock to length and firmly attaching it to existing joist ) faster than pulling a few nails? Shoot, it maybe. Since we're both cutting through the width, that's the same amount of time. I guess IF the subflooring is glued as well as nailed, it could be harder to remove it when over the joist as opposed to alongside.