Thanks for taking your time to read our information on the best screws for floorboards. In many homes up and down the United Kingdom, you will hear the sound of creaking floorboards.
Just like us, floorboards will age and dry out, and become a great deal more loose than they once were. Some people may have also had to remove their floorboards for something like a rewiring of the home, or for something like installing radiators or even underfloor heating.
A great time to replace old floorboards is when you are getting a new carpet or installing a new wooden or tiled floor.
Whatever the reason, at some point, you will need to be able to screw the new floorboards down. I would highly recommend a cordless screwdriver or a proper impact driver for jobs like this. Really you wouldnt want to do this type of job without one. I have a Makita magnetic bit holder that i use when I am putting in a lot of screws and I can't recommend this type of accessory highly enough. Everybody should have one of these tools. Just makes any job so much easier.
What Types of Floorboards Are There?
Most homes will have one of three types of floorboards:
- A basic softwood (whitewood, pine or spruce usually) that is about 18 mm thick and around 2 to 2.1 metres long (Around £25-30 a square metre)
- A redwood of some kind which is usually thicker at around 22mm
- Sheets of chipboard and is some cases plywood
Now that is not an exclusive list, but these are the most common. In older homes it will most likely be the softwood option.
The biggest problem most people encounter is trying to match the depth of the floorboards being replaced to those that exist in the room. Also trying to find the right length can also be a bit of a pain.
DIY Store or a Builder's Yard?
If you need to buy new floorboards then there are a couple of choices:
- DIY stores such as B&Q or Screwfix will have them in packs and they are handy, convenient and will likely be open at a time that suits you. That is why they remain so popular.
- It is probably a better idea to take a sample board down to a builder's yard, and ask them to match the size. Builders yards are not always open at a time that may suit you, and some people just don't like this type of yard, as the employees are used to dealing with the trade, and many treat DIY people with disdain. If you get a good one though, that is going to be a better option and usually much cheaper.
Best Screws for Floorboards - Heco-Unix Floorboard Screw
- These screws get the highest ratings and reviews online
- It stops floorboard creaking due to a very firm fixation with the Heco-Unix full-thread screw.
- They also help tighten gaps as these help the floorboards tighten
- They also are countersunk in the spring with reduced expansion effect.
- You can tighten and fix the boards with only one screw
94% buyer satisfaction based on 100+ online buyer reviews
Best Screws for Floorboards - Lost-Tite Tongue & Groove Floorboard Screw
- Some buyers do prefer these screws and the manufacturer sells that as "The Only Screw For Tongue & Groove Floorboards"
- They measure 3.5 X 32mm
- They have what is called a "Tri-Lock Threadform" and this design stops the screws from working loose
- The head design of the screw gives a semi concealed neat flush fix
- The extra thread stops screw extrusion if the timber shrinks
94% buyer satisfaction based on 50+ online buyer reviews
Best Screws for Floorboard Repairs - GBW Squeeeeek No More 3233 Kit
- These screws for floorboards are the biggest seller online as you can see from the number of reviews
- These can be used directly on carpeted floors
- They are designed to eliminates squeaks between floor boards and joists
- The kit comes with a special tool, 50 scored screws, and a drive bit.
- They key to using these however is making sure that you can find the joists underneath
85% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
Best Screws for Chipboard Flooring- Fixman Goldstar
- Some people prefer to use sheets of chipboard when it comes to laying a floor. It is faster than doing individual floorboards for sure. You can buy this in small packs or in sheets depending on your preference.
- Some people prefer to use plywood, which we also think is better and tougher for floors. Irrespective of which type you prefer, we have shown what we believe the best choices for both are just below.
- Ideally you should use 60mm wood screws for this type of sheet flooring. These will be screwed in evenly spaced across each joist. The screw should be inserted to the tongue part of each tongue and groove joint.
92% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
Best Impact Driver
There are so many different tools now for putting in screws and the choice you have in impact wrenches alone is massive. As always we try to help and we have reviews on pretty much them all. I have the Bosch model you can see to the right and it's a great tool at a very good price. Though you can click below if there are any other makers you prefer.
You will find something in these reviews that will suit your needs and price range.
92% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
FAQ
When we were doing our research, we came across a number of questions that are asked quite a lot. We have listed those below, most importantly, with the answers.
People tend to have different view points on this. In older homes floorboards will be nailed down. The simple reason for that is that it is much faster and easier to do, rather than individually screwing each and every board down. It is also cheaper.
The difficulty is if you ever need to replace them, then removing nails without breaking the boards is close to impossible to achieve. If you plan on leaving the floorboards exposed, then covering up nails is quite difficult. Covering up screws is much easier using a wood filler or a gap filling resin.
The first thing you should try and do, is to understand why the floor is actually squeaking. In most cases it could simply be a couple of loose floorboards. You can use any of the screws we have listed above.
Just be aware in some cases though that there could be a deeper problem such as rotted boards, or a faulty joist. Try screwing the boards down first, and if that doesn't work, then you probably need to get advice from a registered builder.
We would recommend 50mm screws. The reason for this is that you want to avoid hitting electrical cables that may be running under the floorboards. There are strict rules for electrical contractors as to what depth they should drill holes through joists.
That said, it depends on the age of the house, and it also depends how strictly any contractor stuck to the rules. Better to be safe than sorry and 50 mm is a good length.
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