The floor of your home consists of the floor joists, beams, subflooring, and flooring. Some of today’s cheaply-built homes don’t have subflooring. It is the initial flooring installed over the floor joints. The finish flooring is what you walk on. It could be hardwood, carpet, or linoleum. Floors are known for creaks and squeaks. The noise comes from one floor member rubbing against another. In most case, creaks and squeaks are a result of the subflooring not being properly secured to the floor joists.

As you inspect your floor, take notice of any soft or spongy spots. The subflooring tends to rot more than any other component of the floor system. If your floor gives more than it should, chances are you’ll soon be replacing the subflooring and possibly the joists.