What’s included
- Squeaks traced and marked while someone walks the floor
- Subfloor shimmed and screwed to joists from the crawlspace
- Hardwood fastened from above with small, filled screws
- Carpeted floors quieted with screws that snap off under the pile
- Stair treads glued and screwed
- Floor registers and thresholds that rattle reset
What we don’t do
- Installing new flooring through the whole house.
- Subfloor rebuilds or self-leveling pours.
- Sanding and refinishing hardwood.
In Alhambra homes
About 77 percent of Alhambra’s homes were built before 1980, according to a city housing report, and many older bungalows sit on raised floors over a crawlspace. That makes most squeaks reachable from below, where the fix leaves no mark on the finished floor.
Get a quote in one text
Send a short video walking the squeaky spot, and tell us if there’s a crawlspace door. Our number for photos is (310) 628-9399, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
Why floors squeak
Wood shrinks and swells with the seasons. Nails that once held the subfloor tight loosen, and boards rub against each other or slide on the nail shank.
Fixing from below
In a crawlspace we find the gap between subfloor and joist at the squeak and close it with a glued shim, blocking, or a screw that doesn’t reach the finished surface.
Fixing from above
On slabs or where there’s no access, small trim screws go through the board into the joist and the heads are hidden with matching filler.
Carpet
Through carpet we use screws with a scored shank that snap off below the pad, so nothing shows.
When to look further
Floors that slope, bounce or feel soft across a room point to framing or moisture problems. Those are outside our scope.
In older Alhambra houses this job often turns up next to vinyl plank and laminate repair, drywall repair, door repair and adjustment and baseboard and trim repair, so mention those when you text and we can price them together.
Sources: City of Alhambra, housing needs report (age of housing stock).
Squeaky floor repair questions from Alhambra homeowners
Why does my wood floor creak in one spot?
A loose nail or a gap between the subfloor and the joist lets the boards move. Fastening that spot stops it.
Can a handyman fix squeaky floors?
Yes. Most squeaks are fixed in place with shims or screws, without lifting the floor.
How much does it cost to fix squeaky floors?
It depends on the number of spots and access. Send a video for a free estimate before anything is booked.
Repair guides for this job
- Reading the cracks in a 1920s Alhambra plaster wallWhy plaster cracks in Alhambra's 1920s Spanish and Mediterranean homes, which cracks are cosmetic, how we patch them, and when to text us a photo.
- Touch-up painting that actually blends in on old wallsHow we touch up scuffs, patches and chipped trim in older Alhambra homes so they blend in with the color, sheen and texture around them.
- Five-minute checks before you call usFive-minute checks for dead outlets, a running toilet, a leak under the sink and a stuck door, so you know what you are dealing with before you call.
- Getting an older house ready for the first rainA fall checklist for older Alhambra houses: doors and windows, caulking, drains, outdoor outlets and the small leaks that turn into big repairs after the first storm.
Looking for a handyman in Alhambra for more than one job? Send the whole list and we’ll price it together.
We serve Alhambra first, plus Monterey Park, San Gabriel and other nearby cities. Have a question? See the handyman FAQ.