Repairing Creaking Stairs

[thomp1983]

Evening all,

Our 1970 staircase creaks badly and the wife's got the hump over it.

I've seen YouTube videos similar to the below,

They all show what can be done from above. I've no issue cutting the plasterboard out below the staircase as the whole hallway will be getting redone, so am I better attempting repairs from below?

I've also seen numerous types of brackets for sale that you can screw between the treads and risers from behind, is this a way to go?

Basically having never repaired a creaking staircase so I'm looking for the best solution and advice?

Thanks,
Chris.

 

[Wayners]

I'd fix from underneath then.
Glue blocks of wood. Brackets.
You can add legs up the walls off floor if required and out of sight. Use common sense

 

[slawit]

I lot will depend on which part of the tread is creaking.

 

[thomp1983]

So I got home early today and decided to have a look at the job.

Decided to both cut the plasterboard out under the stairs and remove all the carpet/underlay from the top to so I can get a full picture of what's going on.

From the top I've gaps between the treads and risers and some splitting of the rear edge of some treads.

from below I've multiple support blocks that are no longer touching either the treads or risers or in some cases both.

I've a couple of risers that are split all along the lower edges where they were screwed to the treads.

With someone walking up and down you can also see both treads or risers flexing.

To repair I'm thinking of multiple solutions, as the repair video I linked to from the top I'm going to screw down from the front of the tread into the risers.

Below I'll remove all the screws from the risers into the treads, open the gap up and fill with pu wood glue then rescrew and allow the glue to go off, once the glue has gone off fit some decent angle brackets screwed to both the riser and treads to reinforce the glued joint.

The risers split fully along the bottom will be the same as above but first I'll pu glue the spilt part of the riser back on first.

With the risers and treads hopefully all secured again I'll buy and fit more support blocks, I'm thinking 3 or 4 per step glued and screwed into place.

Does the above sound like the right way to go or would you suggest a different method?

Thanks
Chris

 

[catlad]

I would try gluing kingspan/cellotex with exanding foan about 2" thick to the underside of the stairs, as you have access.

 

[slawit]

It sounds to me like your on the right track with your approach, I do wonder why your gluing and screwing before moving on to fitting brackets and blocks, personally I'd do it all at the same, not sure if it would make a difference it's just the way I would do it.

 

[thomp1983]

It will all be done in one go, I just needed to space out each job above so it read ok instead of being a big block of text

 

[slawit]

 

[mrrusty]

Personally, if the treads and risers are split, they are shot. You could try gluing, but they take a lot of stress. Now you are where you are, you could cut out the wedges with a multitool, take out the damaged treads and risers, and cut some new ones. Clean out the wedge slots, and cut new wedges to wack and glue in. Screw the new risers to the new treads, and glue and nail new blocks. A few more screws between riser and tread wouldn't go amiss either!

If the tread-riser joint at the back is shot because the wood has split, you are not going to repair it just with glue!

 

[cdbe]

Just throw wood, screws, glue and some angle iron at it - they're only made the way they are to use the absolute minimum of materials.

 

[thomp1983]

Personally, if the treads and risers are split, they are shot. You could try gluing, but they take a lot of stress. Now you are where you are, you could cut out the wedges with a multitool, take out the damaged treads and risers, and cut some new ones. Clean out the wedge slots, and cut new wedges to wack and glue in. Screw the new risers to the new treads, and glue and nail new blocks. A few more screws between riser and tread wouldn't go amiss either!

If the tread-riser joint at the back is shot because the wood has split, you are not going to repair it just with glue!

You may be right about replacing the damaged treads, I'll know more when I start undoing some of the fixings and see what moves/doesn't move once my new blocks and brackets have arrived,

I've it pencilled in for Friday if everything arrives.

 

[mrrusty]

Just throw wood, screws, glue and some angle iron at it - they're only made the way they are to use the absolute minimum of materials.

you heathen .... but you're right! If you don't want to "do it properly", some fairly significant bracketing, bracing and reinforcing will surely work - especially as it will all be covered up!