Introduction

Carpeted stairs that squeak can be repaired from above in several easy steps—without destroying the ceiling below the steps.

Squeaky stairs are easy to fix from underneath—provided they’re exposed. A simple fix is to tap shims into voids between the treads and the stringers and add some glue. Then, you just screw the stringer to each stud. But most stairs are finished on the underside with drywall or plaster, in which case squeaks in these stairs need to be fixed from the top. That’s why the perfect time to fix them is when you’re replacing the carpeting—you can remove the treads and get at the squeaky culprits. (If you’re not replacing the carpet, but you have a squeak that’s driving you nuts, see below for how to fix tread squeaks right through the carpeting.)

Here are four easy steps to permanently fix the treads that squeak and keep the rest from ever starting.

Note: Your stairs will be out of commission for a couple of hours, so let everyone in the house know about the repair. Ensure you cordon off the top to keep someone from tumbling down the steps while you’re working!