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boymom23

Would you buy a house with squeaky floors?

boymom23
14 years ago

Just wondering what buyers will think...We bought this house with squeaky floors. Should clarify - squeaky on the carpeted floors, NOT the hardwoods we have all downstairs. Anyway, the carpet looks fine, but the only way we know how to fix squeaks is to remove carpet, screw into floor joists and put carpet back down. With five bedrooms upstairs (where we all currently SLEEP), this kind of project would be very disruptive. We are ready to list and the house is perfect other than this. Many updates -- new kitchen, new pool, etc. BUT all the rooms upstairs have squeaks. Would you buy a house like this, or would it make you reconsider?

Comments (19)

  • Billl
    14 years ago

    I would overlook as squeak here and there, but if it sounded like a mouse stampede as I crossed the floor, it would raise red flags.

  • Carol_from_ny
    14 years ago

    What's under the carpet upstairs? If it's hardwoods why not just remove the carpeting. The hardwoods would probably be a great selling point!

  • boymom23
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    No, there are not hardwoods beneath the carpet. Just typical subflooring you find under carpet and pad. Wish there was hardwood! Anyway, I guess we have to try putting screws thru the carpet to silent the squeaks, but that worries me! I could see really messing up the carpet! Thanks for the replies.

  • kelpmermaid
    14 years ago

    I remember seeing something about squeaky floor fixes on TV a while back -- I think it was on "Ask This Old House." You might want to have a look there. It didn't look too bad, really.

  • worthy
    14 years ago

    If you're selling the house, you try to remove as many buyers' objections as you can beforehand.

    I'd say excessive squeaking will be really offputting in a house less than fifty years old. After that, houses--and people--show increasing signs of wear.

  • sweeby
    14 years ago

    Screws through the carpet? Is this really considered OK?

    As a prospective buyer, I'd be TICKED when I found out about that. And if I happened to find out before the sale had closed, I'd back out in a hurry. To me, that kind of 'repair' is worse than duct tape, and signals the kind of seller that probably cut corners everywhere possible.

    My advice? Do it right! Peel back the carpet, screw down your flors, put the carpet back down.

  • sue36
    14 years ago

    You don't screw through the carpet, you have the carpet pulled back and then restetched. Please don't screw through the carpet.

  • deanie1
    14 years ago

    No, I would not buy a house whose whole upper floor squeaked. It'd make me very uneasy and give me the feeling like the builder wasn't very good.

  • western_pa_luann
    14 years ago

    " Anyway, I guess we have to try putting screws thru the carpet to silent the squeaks, but that worries me! I could see really messing up the carpet!"

    Don't do that!

    Do it properly, or prospective buyers will wonder what other half-@ssed fixes have been done throughout the house.

  • Billl
    14 years ago

    Yes, you can fix he squeaks without removing the carpet. Below is a link from this old house explaining how to do it. You shouldn't just start driving screws through the carpet though.

    Here is a link that might be useful: this old house

  • worthy
    14 years ago

    Good link.

    Here it is. Available from Amazon etc.

  • sweeby
    14 years ago

    Cool Tool! Who knew?

  • boymom23
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Calm down, people! Of course I would do it the proper way, and I was referring to the method shown on the link posted above by Worthy. Someone on the flooring board referred me to this tool a few weeks back, and YES, you do go thru the carpet. Their tool trims off the nail/screw head so it doesn't damage your carpet. And as I mentioned in my original post, the other option is for us to pull it back, put the screws in, and then have the carpet put back down. Thanks to you guys who are truly trying to help me, and thanks Worthy for posting the link. Interesting tool... Some others are so quick to judge and think that every seller is out to take shortcuts and cheat the buyer -- but that's definitely NOT the case here.

  • sweeby
    14 years ago

    I think the point is that a repair that seems to be half-a$$ed will turn off prospective buyers by making them think the sellers were out to take shortcuts.

    That video shows how the repair can be done well, even through the carpet -- so it would no longer qualify as a 'duct tape job.'

  • tsunami
    14 years ago

    You can cut down on the squeeking, but you can't be squeek-free! It's guaranteed, just like cracks in concrete.

  • brickeyee
    14 years ago

    "You can cut down on the squeeking, but you can't be squeek-free! It's guaranteed, just like cracks in concrete."

    Funny, my early 30s house does not have any squeaks.

  • sue36
    14 years ago

    "Thanks to you guys who are truly trying to help me."

    Why are you being a jerk? People were trying to help you. Maybe you should learn to write more clearly. Re-read your own posts. You never mentioned you were going to use a special tool, you said you thought your only option would be to screw through the carpet since you didn't want the disruption of removing the carpet. The vasy majority out their would assume you meant what you said. You know, when you hear hooves think horses, not zebras.

    I think you should look around at the rest of the house. If the subfloors are that squeeky the subfloors were likely not screwed to the joists. The house was probably cheaply built.

  • clg7067
    14 years ago

    Here is the product that was on This Old House.

    Here is a link that might be useful: squeek no more