Roman shades can help prevent squeaky hardwood floors

Peter Hotton, a handyman writing for The Boston Globe, recently shared some methods of keeping hardwood floors from squeaking. He claims that these noises often occur when the surfaces have dried out, and repairing them is a matter of tightening the boards against the beams of the floor.

Homeowners with access to the underside of their floors should attempt to drive wood shingles or tapered shims of wood or plastic between the boards to stabilize them and keep the floor from bending. Since the squeaking is from the wood rubbing against nails, stabilizing the floor can effectively eliminate the sound.

If it's too difficult to fix the bottom of the floor, Hotton suggests inserting brass screws between the floor boards, which can help keep them in place. Having someone stand on the squeaky spots can also help this process.

Talcum powder or WD-40 can be temporary fixes for the noise, but the boards should be adjusted for a permanent solution.

Experts claim that overexposure to sunlight can make hardwood floors age prematurely and, as a result, dry out faster and start to squeak. By hanging a pair of roman shades on windows, homeowners can protect their vulnerable surfaces.