Stairs creak: why and what to do

Recommendation points

• When the stairs creak
• What to do to eliminate squeak
• Prevention of the appearance of a squeak

The creaking of stairs is not only an unpleasant phenomenon for the ear, but also a sign of a structural problem. offers to figure out what causes squeaky sounds, how to eliminate them, and also prevent their occurrence.

When the stairs creak

Most often, unpleasant sounds are emitted by stairs created with the use of wooden elements. It is these parts that begin to dry out, crack and creak under the influence of loads during operation. The most susceptible to squeak are the following places (see figure):

1. Riser joints with treads.
2. Boltsev joints.
3. Areas for attaching balusters to steps, handrail.
4. Joining of wooden elements to stringers, bowstrings.

Squeak-prone places on stairs

The main reasons that lead to the appearance of squeaks:

• ill-conceived connection of parts to each other (poor gluing, use of unsuitable fasteners) – gaps appear between the elements, which lead to squeak;
• non-observance of operational recommendations (high air humidity, use of aggressive agents) – the wood dries up, deforms, dangerous places appear in the structure leading to creaks, bending;
• the use of low-quality wood – elements can change shape over time, crack, which leads to the occurrence of not only unpleasant sounds, but also to danger in the use of such structures.

What to do to eliminate squeak

If the creak of the stairs appears, then you should find out the cause of its occurrence, and then eliminate it in a suitable way, namely:

• in case of poor-quality gluing, poor tightening of wooden elements – use good glue, tighten the connecting threads;
• when using self-tapping screws, screws – either change wooden parts for new elements and use threaded connections, or simply use suitable fasteners (in the case of the integrity of the wooden parts);
• in case of improper operation of the wooden elements of the stairs, in case of their deformation, replace them with new elements, and if they are preserved, treat them with special compounds and adhere to the tips for use;
• if the wooden parts are cracked, then they must be eliminated, and instead of them, high-quality materials that have passed the necessary protection against deformations should be installed.

Prevention of the appearance of a squeak

1. Use threaded connections, avoid screws, self-tapping screws (they can chip, crack).
2. Reliably connect critical wooden joints, leaving the necessary gaps between adjacent parts.
3. Use high-quality, durable adhesives that will last a long time.
4. Use excellent wood that has passed all the necessary processing stages.
5. Adhere to the required temperature regime, observe the optimal air humidity in the room, do not use chemicals for wood care.

A staircase with wooden elements is a beautiful attribute in a house that requires proper attention and care. It is necessary to correctly mount the parts of such a design, use suitable fasteners, and also properly operate the ladder – in this case, it will serve for a long time and without unpleasant phenomena!