Squeaky floors are a common problem in homes of all ages featuring hardwood flooring. The high-pitched noise can be frustrating for the occupants of any home as it pierces the atmosphere every time a person or a pet walks from one end of the house to the other. Will a rug help fix the problem?
A rug won’t fix a squeaky floor. However, it can help significantly muffle the noise. Rugs with heavy padding can absorb all kinds of sounds, which means you can use them to suppress the noise from a squeaky floor. To solve the problem permanently, you will have to repair the problem area.
The rest of the article will look at how rugs can help deal with a squeaky floor and the best ways to permanently deal with the problem.
How Rugs Help a Squeaky Floor
Rugs appear to help a squeaky floor because they’re sound dampening or insulating materials. These materials trap sound waves and limit the impact of foot traffic.
If the rug is very thick, it’ll break the impact from footsteps on the floor, reducing the weight on the affected floor area. When that happens, the floor won’t creak as much.
Think about how the floor creaks a lot louder when an adult walks over it than when a child or pet is moving across the area. A thick rug reduces the weight on the floor, such that an adult walking across the squeaky area won’t exert the full force of their weight on the floor.
The result is weaker squeaks.
Since rugs dampen sound, the weak squeaky sounds won’t make it off the ground giving the impression that the squeaky sound is gone. However, the reality is that the sound remains. It’s just been muted. If you remove the rug from the floor for any reason, the squeaky sounds will start up again.
The Best Rugs for a Squeaky Floor
If you’re looking for an excellent rug for a squeaky floor, you should go for wide, fluffy options. They’ll cover more surface area, and the extra fluff can help provide the sound dampening effect you’re going for. You may need to buy multiple pieces of the same design if the affected area is very wide.
Below are some good options you can go with if you want to buy one right now (all from Amazon.com).
GKLUCKIN Shag Ultra Soft Area Rug
The GKLUCKIN rug boasts a velvety design that’s soft to touch. The dense sponge layer is very comfortable to walk on, and children can comfortably play on it. The dark color of this rug means that it will be able to seamlessly fit most contemporary décors. The underside of the rug has anti-slip properties to prevent slides.
Oudian Soft Fluffy Rug
The Oudian rug is made of high-quality microfiber. It doesn’t shed or fade, making it the perfect option for a high-traffic area in your home. The ultra-soft velvet surface ensures every step you take is in comfort as it dampens the noise from your squeaky wood. The product is also easy to maintain – running a vacuum over it at low power will do the job.
Amdrebio Navy Blue Area Rug
With this area rug, you get a design that features tens of thousands of 1.7 inch (4.32 cm) plush fibers, which means you’re sure to enjoy a soft landing with each step. Like other top products in this category, it also has a rubber backing to ensure it stays in place. Don’t like the blue color? You can choose from seven others instead. Furthermore, the manufacturers also have a generous 30-day exchange policy so you can return it if it doesn’t meet your needs.
DweIke Super Soft Shaggy Rugs Fluffy Carpets
The Dwelke shaggy rugs come in fun, interesting colors that help them stand out from competitors. It’s made of eco-friendly material that’s non-hazardous to both children and pets. The back of the carpet has non-slip points, and the non-woven fabric lining won’t damage your floor. The carpet is machine washable, which makes maintaining it extremely easy.
Arbosofe Fluffy Soft Area Rugs
The Arbosofe area rug is another design featuring fluffy velvet. Made of durable microfiber, this rug is great for homes with kids and pets and will last for a long time. It’s easy to maintain and is machine washable, so you don’t need to take additional time out of your busy day to clean it. Furthermore, it’s dryer safe, so you’ll have it back on the same day you popped it in your washing machine.
Should You Ignore a Squeaky Floor Covered Up With a Rug?
Since rugs can significantly mute squeaky floor sounds, it might be tempting to just throw the heaviest one you can find over the problem and ignore it. However, it’s not the right approach to go with.
You shouldn’t ignore a squeaky floor covered up with a rug. In most cases, the squeaky sound is an indicator of an underlying structural problem. It’s best to find the root cause and correct it instead of ignoring it.
If you don’t fix the problem, the squeaks will only get louder over time. In severe cases, the floor may cave in around the affected area.
Tips for Repairing a Squeaky Floor
You can repair your squeaky floor by either repairing the loose floorboards or ensuring that the plywood subfloor is adequately attached to the joists. Here are a few things you can do:
Plug Gaps With Shims
If you have some crawl space beneath your floor, you can go under it and have someone walk around the affected area. Trace the sound and look at the spot for gaps between the underside of the subfloor and the top of the floor joist. If you find any such gap, smear some glue on a piece of wood shim thin enough to fit in the gap and plug it by hand.
Fill Wider Gaps With Adhesive
It’s unrealistic trying to plug long gaps with multiple bits of wood shim. If you notice that the gap under the affected area is too long to be covered by a single shim, it’s best to plug the gap using construction adhesive. For the best results, apply the glue with a caulking gun to ensure you get the gaps fully.
Final Thoughts
A rug can help dampen the noise from a squeaky floor, but to truly fix the problem, you’ll need to find the gaps in your floor and plug them. You can use adhesives or wood shims to solve the problem or tighten the floorboards with some screws.
If you elect to use a rug to dampen the sound instead, be sure to choose one that’s fluffy enough to allow comfortable walking while fitting in nicely with the rest of your interior décor.
Thanks for the tips!
I have a house built in 1885 that is squeaky and creaky!
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