Noisy stairs

Frank 5 · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:48 am Post Subject: Noisy stairs

My wood staircase squeaks with every step, the boards being about 20 years old. I have lifted the carpet and they look sound to me. I was thinking of having a go at it myself, using screws. I’m wondering if glue is also appropriate in addition, to seal along where riser and tread meet, or other products such as silicon or wood filler would be better.

Cheers

big-all · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:45 am Post Subject:

heeelllooo frank5 and welcome

you shouldnt have any gaps between the steps and the risers !!!!! unless its open tread.
gap means something has worked loose filler wont solve the problem in the long term.

can you get to the back of the stairs !!!!!!
this is the only way to do it properly could be the wedges need tightening
check the screws are tight between the bottom of the riser and the back of the step.

if everything seems tight or you cant get at the back try talcum powder in all the joints[it acts as a lubricant]

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Frank 5 · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:18 am Post Subject:

Thanks,
I will apply talcum powder. By joints, I understand you mean borders of any kind between wood boards.

There’s no access to the back of the stairs.

There are some small cracks on some treads, but they do not seem to be the cause of the noise; instead, the noise appears to come from the joint between riser and tread, which is why I was thinking of having it screwed. Will glue/silicon/filler be of any use then?

big-all · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:02 pm Post Subject:

if theres a gap best to tighten if possible.
if the gap is just shrinkage in the wood and the wood has,nt broken in two
i would use wood filler as silicon cannot be panted stained or sanded

eeehhh just curious how did you intend to put screws in without access to the back
there is a good chance that the riser is being forced or come loose at the nosing[front edge of the tread]getting talk in there wont be easy

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Frank 5 · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 3:31 pm Post Subject:

I was intending to put screws accessing the stairs from the exterior, in every step, close to the edge of the step. The screws would go down vertically, to fix the horizontal board to the vertical one. They would effectively be fitted close to the lip of the step, the edge, but there's about 2cms where the horizontal board extends beyond the vertical one, beyond the point where I would screw.
Does this make sense?
Thanks

chappers · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:16 pm Post Subject:

that does make sense but the riser(vertical board will only be 6mm thick so yo will fid it nearly impossible to screw down into.

big-all · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:32 pm Post Subject:

Frank 5 wrote:

I was intending to put screws accessing the stairs from the exterior, in every step, close to the edge of the step. The screws would go down vertically, to fix the horizontal board to the vertical one. They would effectively be fitted close to the lip of the step, the edge, but there's about 2cms where the horizontal board extends beyond the vertical one, beyond the point where I would screw.
Does this make sense?
Thanks

mmm makes sense your description but as chappers says not much meat!!!!!!!
i would think the only chance without taking the back of the stairs wold be to put screw under the noseing at about 20 or 25% angleup towards the bottom of the tread
but this could be touch and go you would have to be carefull if the riser has dropped there may not be much meat left

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Frank 5 · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 6:41 am Post Subject:

Thanks again,

I had assumed that the vertical boards would be as thick as the horizontal ones (1 inch). Why do you infer 6mm only?

big-all · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 7:08 am Post Subject:

i personaly think its likly to be nearer 12mm as the risers main forces are being s-t-r-e-a-c-h-e-d it dont need much thickness

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masona · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 9:54 am Post Subject:

Frank 5 wrote:

I had assumed that the vertical boards would be as thick as the horizontal ones (1 inch). Why do you infer 6mm only?

Depend who and how it's made, I used to knock up 40 staircases a week and have use 6mm plywood for the risers.

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Frank 5 · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 9:59 am Post Subject:

That's fast replying, 'big-all'...

I thought of using the method pictrured in the second drawing in this page:

http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/nflash/building/CreakingStairs/CreakingStairs.htm

I take it that your advice is not to do it that way, and have the screws at an angle, going slightly upwards, from riser to tread, and close to the edge.

masona · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 10:13 am Post Subject:

Frank 5 wrote:

There’s no access to the back of the stairs.

Do you mean plasterboard underneath or have 2 wall on both side side?

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Frank 5 · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 10:55 am Post Subject:

The staircase is U-shaped, with walls in each of the 3 sides of the perimeter, and a screen of thick wood in the middle of the U.

Frank 5 · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 10:56 am Post Subject:

... And there's plasterboard underneath the stairs, preventing access to them.

masona · Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 11:24 am Post Subject:

Are you prepare to remove the plasterboard? It will be a better job as you can get right at it and renew the blocks with glue again.
If you do, make sure a new plasterboard is under the staircase is replace again as it's part of the fire risk.

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