- 1). Fix squeaks from the crawl space or basement below your wood floor. One of the primary causes of squeaks is cross-bracing that is rubbing together. Look for X-shaped beams between floor joists. Anywhere the cross braces are touching, use a chisel or sandpaper to create a space between them.
- 2). Make sure the floor is supported properly. Some squeaks and creaks are caused by gaps between the subfloor and the floor joists. While in the basement or crawl space, fill these gaps with wooden shims and use nails to secure them to the subfloor.
- 3). Repair squeaky floors from above. If you can't access the area below your floor, look for a squeaky floor repair kit at your local hardware or home improvement store. These kits contain nails with breakaway heads, allowing you to re-attach wood flooring to the subfloor without disrupting the look of the floor. If you have some carpentry experience, you may be able to use regular flooring nails to complete this step without a kit.
- 4). Fill holes and small cracks with wood filler. Choose a filler that's similar to the color of your floor. Apply it to these voids using a putty knife, being sure to quickly wipe away any excess material. Sand the patched areas once they dry and use stain or varnish to touch up the area.
- 5). Fix large cracks or discolored areas by removing and replacing an entire plank. Cut down the center of each damaged board using a circular saw; then use a pry bar and chisel to remove it from the floor. Take the board to a wood floor supplier and buy matching replacement flooring. Slip them back into the openings in the wood floor and use flooring nails to secure them in place. It may be necessary to sand and stain the new boards to help them blend into the floor.
- 6). Refinish the entire surface to brighten and refresh the surface. Rent a floor sander and sand the surface to remove existing finishes and scratches. Repeat with a finer grit of sandpaper, and then clean the floor to remove all sanding dust. Apply stain, wax or varnish using a paint brush or roller.
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