Creaking stairs

[jacoscar]

My staircase is around 60 years old and it’s a bit creaky

I removed a piece of plasterboard on a side to have a look below the staircase

I don’t know if the wedges between risers and treads are original or if someone tried to fix it in the past

What I noticed is that there is some vertical movement of a tread where it joint the following riser (circled in the 3rd picture)



I have only got access to these first three steps, everything else would involve removing other pieces of ceiling and reskimming

Is there any chance of driving more screws from the outside?

 

[sircerebus666]

You can where the tread meets the riser but that's about it and that's not guaranteed to fix the squeaking

To do a proper job you need access to under all the stairs where you can refix the wedges nice and tight and pop in some screws

 

[jacoscar]

The staircase is going to be covered by engineered wood planks, so I was thinking of fixing 18mm MDF strips on the riser, just below the tread nose and then screw the nose to the MDF strip (see picture)

I also tried to fix the tread to the next (going upwards) riser using lost tite screws and it seems to hold

Where still in place I can also add screws to existing wedges like this (at the moment they are simply nailed and glued, but I can see some have detached)

 

[big-all]

dont even think off screwing at an angle from the front into a thin back this will at best give you a very"lumpy " weak joint at worst a vey lumpy splintered bottom ply riser with no grip
always thin material into thick
can you remove the nails or screws already fitted and get a screwdriver or chisel in the gap without force ??
and 4 or 5 glue blocks[triangles] and 5 or six screws would be my suggestion across a normal width stair more for a wider flight
and as that looks like foaming pu glue to me its a recent addition

 

[jacoscar]

dont even think off screwing at an angle from the front into a thin back this will at best give you a very"lumpy " weak joint at worst a vey lumpy splintered bottom ply riser with no grip
always thin material into thick
can you remove the nails or screws already fitted and get a screwdriver or chisel in the gap without force ??
and 4 or 5 glue blocks[triangles] and 5 or six screws would be my suggestion across a normal width stair more for a wider flight
and as that looks like foaming pu glue to me its a recent addition

Do you mean adding glued wedges from the outside between tread and following riser so that the wedge is vertical?

 

[big-all]

talking about as it is looks like 3 blocks and perhaps 3 screws across the back not enough in my opinion

 

[jacoscar]

what's your suggestion?

 

[big-all]

as above can you get a screwdriver in the gap without breaking the glue bond between the back off the tread and riser??

 

[jacoscar]

as above can you get a screwdriver in the gap without breaking the glue bond between the back off the tread and riser??

I can get it in some of them, but I don't think there is any glue

 

[big-all]

get the screws or nails out the back if you can
hold open with a screwdriver tape underneath the gap glue in the gap
remove screwdriver re secure with new screws remove tape and clean up excess glue

 

[jacoscar]

I only have access underneath to the first 3 steps

That’s why I asked about fixing it from above

What about some angle brackets and normal screws to the tread and anchor fixings (like the ones used for plasterboard) into the riser’s plywood?

 

[big-all]

where you cant get access screwdriver in pump in foaming glue remove screwdriver
https://www.toolstation.com/polyurethane-wood-glue-750g/p52489?searchstr=wood glue

 

[jacoscar]

where you cant get access screwdriver in pump in foaming glue remove screwdriver
https://www.toolstation.com/polyurethane-wood-glue-750g/p52489?searchstr=wood glue

I see, does it need pressure to cure and hold? Is it the same as gorilla glue?

 

[big-all]

exactly the same as gorilla

 

[jacoscar]

tried the gorilla glue on one of the steps and it's still creaking; I guess there is still movement between the round edge of the tread and the riser below