That time I tried to fix a squeaky floorboard for 3 hours and it turned out to be a 10 minute job

My bedroom had this floorboard near the closet that squeaked every time I stepped on it. I spent like 3 hours one Saturday pulling up carpet, looking for loose nails, even bought a special kit from Home Depot on Main Street. Turns out it was just a dried out piece of wood rubbing on the subfloor, and all I had to do was sprinkle some baby powder in the gap and step on it a few times. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that turn into a whole project?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles4d ago

Honestly I'm gonna push back on this a little because sometimes the deeper fix actually lasts longer than the quick hack. Baby powder works great for a few months but eventually it dries out again and you're right back where you started. Ngl I'd rather spend the three hours once putting in screws or shims than have to reapply powder every season for the next five years.

morganmartinez5d agoMost Upvoted

Baby powder is a lifesaver for that exact kind of squeak, I've done it three times now in my own house and it works every time. The thing that gets me is how much time I wasted hammering shims and drilling screws before someone at work told me about the powder trick. You basically just puff it in the gap and walk around on it for a minute, the powder acts as a lubricant and stops the wood from rubbing together. I still catch myself overcomplicating simple fixes around the house and it drives me nuts.

morgan.jason4d ago

@morganmartinez you and me both buddy. I once spent an entire Saturday ripping up a section of floor in my hallway, bought a new subfloor, the whole nine yards. My wife still brings it up whenever I grab a tool now. Finally broke down and used baby powder on a different spot last month and felt like the biggest idiot on the planet when it worked in about 30 seconds flat.