Fixing Creaking Floor Boards

We moved into a new house earlier this year and some of the rooms upstairs have very creaky floor boards. They are square edged floor boards (in good condition still) but the nails are rubbing causing the creak.

Im wanting to do this job myself and I was going to buy a detector to help me locate pipes/wires under the floor boards before inserting screws. However, ive heard they arent that accurate and can give confusing signals?

As the nails dont have a head on them (making them difficult to pull out), if I drill a pilot hole within 5mm of an existing nail and insert a screw, is this a good way to work round it (assuming a nail wouldnt be put there in the first place if pipes/cables are there)?

I have a small box room which I applied this theory to and it worked but I may have ridden my luck, so wanted to check before I do the big rooms!

Any advice appreciated.

We moved into a new house earlier this year and some of the rooms upstairs have very creaky floor boards. They are square edged floor boards (in good condition still) but the nails are rubbing causing the creak.

 

Im wanting to do this job myself and I was going to buy a detector to help me locate pipes/wires under the floor boards before inserting screws. However, ive heard they arent that accurate and can give confusing signals?

 

As the nails dont have a head on them (making them difficult to pull out), if I drill a pilot hole within 5mm of an existing nail and insert a screw, is this a good way to work round it (assuming a nail wouldnt be put there in the first place if pipes/cables are there)?

 

I have a small box room which I applied this theory to and it worked but I may have ridden my luck, so wanted to check before I do the big rooms!

 

Any advice appreciated.

If they are the old cut nail type try punching them in a bit further to tighten them.

New house or old house? If your house pre-dates electricity and central heating look for any floorboards that show signs of having been lifted. If they have, check what's underneath before drilling. Boards that have been lifted may be more prone to creaking. If it's a newer house the services could have been put in without disturbing the floorboards, so don't make any assumptions.

Creaking floors can also be caused by rotten or inadequately supported joists, allowing movement.

Thanks for the input ttparsons, I will take it into consideration.

The house is a semi-detached, built around 1975. Im not very experienced at identifying if the current floor boards have been lifted, so I can't comment on that.

Ive also received some advice that if I am to drill pilot holes and fix screws close to existing nails, then I should put the screws to the outside of the existing nail as tradesman generally run piping/wires in line with the centre of floor boards.

I appreciate that this wont be the case for every house, but all advice is welcome and taken on board.

Lift one or two floorboards which have been previously lifted. Then use a torch and mirror to work out where the pipes and cables are. Once you've mapped them out draw on the floorboards so you'll know for next time....