4 HOME GUIDE February 2010 Do-it-yourself tips on silencing squeaky floors NAPSI — The next time you are looking for a way to give a noisy floor the "silent treatment" there's good news. With a little bit of effort and the right equipment, eliminating squeaks can be the type of home-repair project that responds to the do-it-yourself approach. Experts say most squeaks are often caused when the subfloor rubs on the top surface of the floor joist and/or on the shank of regular nails. Begin by locating the squeaks. Once they are located and marked with painters' blue masking tape, find your joists and the direction in which they run. Next, check to see if the squeaks you marked are in the same area as the floor joists. If they are, you are ready to begin attacking them directly. Here's where floor hardware designed specifically for the task can make all the difference. Fortunately, there are repair kits created to eliminate floor squeaks whether they're found under carpeting, in hardwood or softwood floors, or in stairs. In the past, getting rid of squeaks usually required getting direct access More — that contains a plastic molded alignment and depth control fixture, 50 specially scored 3-inch by 1/8-inch diameter screws, a customized driver bit to regulate the depth at which to drive the screw, and a joist-finding screw to locate the joist from above. In addition to eliminating unwanted squeaks, it also offers the added convenience of not having to crawl around under the floor to get the job done. When the squeak is in a hardwood floor, a different product designed specifically for that kind of project may help. Called Counter Snap, it was created to help repair squeaky hardwood floors and stairs. Each kit includes 30 screws, the Counter Snap fixture, a No. 2 recess square-head driver and instructions. Another product, called SqueakEnder, pulls the subfloor securely to the joist to help fix squeaks between the bottom side of the subfloor and the top of the floor joist. The bracket slips over the bolt and slips around the joist and the nut is tightened. underneath the floor to get at the joist. Not anymore. When the squeak is under a carpeted floor, there is an innovative repair kit — called Squeeeeek No