Save my marriage. With pictures

I would go with the hardwood wedges as well, but I would also consider a screw and plug from the outside of the stringer. A bit of work, but it would be a long term fix. Only problem is that you can only get to one side. That said, I would pull them apart and start again. I don't think it would take more than a weekend.

The other option is to use a pocket hole jig underneath each tread and use two screws from each side. Again access wont be too easy on the lower treads but the pocket hole method is very strong, quick and easy. The jigs are cheap enough.

It's not as if it would take that long, and a packet of nails/screws wouldn't cost any more than a can of lube/baby powder, if you've got a hammer and a saw to cut wedges out of some scrap. It's probably only a few of the treads that are squeaky anyway.

Fair enough, I agree with the "Correct" methods but Cam originally asked for a marriage saver. I'd hate for the poor guy to be in the doghouse for pulling the staircase apart to fix a squeak when a quick, cheap and simple solution was on offer.

KISS principle.

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Originally Posted by Make it work

Fair enough, I agree with the "Correct" methods but Cam originally asked for a marriage saver. I'd hate for the poor guy to be in the doghouse for pulling the staircase apart to fix a squeak when a quick, cheap and simple solution was on offer.

KISS principle.

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You mean like a divorce

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Originally Posted by wheelinround

You mean like a divorce

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EXACTLY!!

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Originally Posted by Make it work

Dry lube silicone spray works on everything and lasts for a while too.

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Yep!!!

Watch the OVERSPRAY!
That Silocone is Slippery stough [Stuff].
Not good on the Step Treads.

Else someone might go 'A Over' :-:-:B

Mick is absolutely right, fix it the way he suggests and be done with the problem. Squirting silicon about timber is not really the best way.....

It looks like we've got two distinct camps going here:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...ske/1377-1.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...yOveralls1.jpg

edit: A picture tells a thousand words. :wink:

1) squeaky stairs are bad
2) wooden stairs squeak
3) new steal staircase FTW
:)

I think we scared Loosescrew (Cam) away and he's not playing with us any more.

Edit: maybe he doesn't have a computer in the dog house.

Here's an excellent link Loosesrew http://www.diydata.com/carpentry/sta...rs_repairs.php

I'd be more worried of why she HAS to have them squeak free who's sneaking around the house.

Unfortunately that's a closed riser staircase and wouldn't help much in his situation.
Good advice there otherwise though.

I like the wedges. You could get your Japanese saw open it out a touch for the wedge which you have planed to fit like a glove and drive it in.

Back to people that haven't spent too much of their time mucking around with timber what about one of those expanding glues that fills the gap? Squeeze it in and then just shave the top off with you chisel or even a stanley knife should do it?

Studley

[quote=journeyman Mick;620531]
You may also need to tie the two stringers together at one or two points, this will make the whole assembly more rigid and thus less likely to creak. There's two ways I can think of to do this, one way is to use threaded rod, the other is to tie some of the treads to the stringers with timber blocks and screws (on the underside obviously).

Agree with this one. The pictured housing joint has opened up (maybe the cleaner dissolved the glue) and the tread is coming away. If there is any way of getting at both sides a threaded rod would pull this together.

Carry Pine

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

Unfortunately that's a closed riser staircase and wouldn't help much in his situation.
Good advice there otherwise though.

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I guess it would be hard to use on risers that aren't there but between the stringers and tread no problem.