Went round all the joins (sides, middle and under) on my stairs today with this exact glue and my previously very squeaky stairs are now 100% silent. Thanks very much mate.
thanks for the guide it was great! really helped me decide to hire a joiner to do it for me lol your guide was simple and easy to understand.... im just too lazy for that lark lol
I've bought the same pocket jig to help do this job. I tried glue and blocks from under the stairs and improved noise a bit but hopefully this sorts it completely.
If you can get access to the underside of the stairs then you can push the wedges in further and screw in extra blocks for support. Decent wood glue will definitely help! Let me know how you get on!
@@FixitwithFowler I used blocks and expanding glue. Didn't use wedges as very old stairs and hammering wedges in felt like might do more damage than good. Putting these pockets in the treads and risers and also into the side stringers should do the trick
Hi. Great videos thank you. Can you tell me which size drill bit you use for any particular screw? Should they be exactly the same? I.e. 6mm dia bit for 6mm dia screw? Thanks.
Hi, it depends on the type of screws and what you are trying to achieve. If you want a really tight join, then I would suggest going through with a small pilot bit maybe 2-3 mm. A lot depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Excellent. I don't have any carpet yet. Stairs squeeks like a nutta. I do have access under the stairs from the cupboard so I am thinking....... Screw throught the riser into the tread from the underside. Or should it get myself that jig and do it all from on top ? Or both ?
If you can access the underside of the stairs, then this job is so much easier. There are normally wedges you can tap back in and also wooden blocks you can tighten up. I would always recommend glueing as well as screwing. Try just fixing from underneath, then if you still have movement, consider buying a jig.
@@FixitwithFowler Thank you so much. I have seen the wedges. Glue 100% from above and why not get the jig in order to make it all totally fast. Stair is over 70 years old. We are also getting a stair case for access to the loft and it might be worth doing a bit of extra work myself to make sure that doesn't start to squeek in the future. Thanks again. I have spent the past 3 months watching pretty much nothing but building channels. I built a kitchen (prefab from WREN), I have tiled floors, I have done plumbing and soldering and all because of people like you sharing the knowledge. Very much appreciated I can promise you!
@@FixitwithFowler I am sure I watxched one where you drilled a core into a cast iron soil pipe. I need to do the same. I am working on an old upstairs bathroom as I type this. I need to core drill the cavity wall brick under the floor for the shower tray and would like to run a new PVC pipe from that into the down pipe. I will check out all your videos 100%. I am sure I watched you do exactly that.
Great vid! I've tried these techniques this morning: glueing between back of step and riser gluing along edge of step and skirting/side of steps screws (40mm) down through front edge of step into riser and angled screws through below step into riser behind And I'm still getting squeaks... 😅 Any other advice of what I could try, bearing in mind I don't have access to the underneath? Cheers!
It's a nightmare, to be honest. Since this video, I have done the top half of the stairs, and I used expanding gorilla glue. I put extra screws through the sides of the treads into the stringer, and that fixed one of them. In an ideal world, you really need access to the underside of the stairs.
@@FixitwithFowler I ended up scoring the gaps with a Stanley blade to remove any paint/debris at the back of the step and along the sides before squeezing gorilla glue (was only PVA the first time) along the gaps and where the 'nose' meets the wall, whilst pushing it into the crevice with an old paint brush. Left it a couple hours and... Complete silence going up/down the stairs!!!! Tidied up the expanded glue with a multi tool scraper and it's ready to have it's gripper rods refitted. Thanks again for the video, gave me loads of pointers and helped me rid the stairs of squeaks!
Thanks for the videos, very helpful. Do you think Wood glue works better then watered down PVA ? Ive seen other videos use the PVA method on floorboard.
Hi, i think neat woodglue is better as it's stronger than pva glue. Once wood glue has cured, it becomes stronger than the wood itself! Hope that helps?
Hi, I've been using makita 18v battery tools for over 10 years and found them amazing. I've even got a big mitre saw that runs off two 18v batteries. Really impressive tools, in my opinion
@@FixitwithFowler Had some corded for decades, and my dad even longer. 3 years ago I got some of the 18 LXT line for an industrial setting. They are well made and very ergonomic. I show my coworkers a dewalt xr and mil fuel in comparison. The smoothness of their tools can not be stated enough. This doesn't matter when you are 25 years old and a 300 Kg gorilla, but when you get on the backhalf of life those small adjustments are vital to a full working day with as little pain as possible. Oh you will grunt and go on, but why when there are better options. Once the other grandaughter gets out of bed, ill do some squeak removal. Have a good weekend.
I couldn't stop the pocket jig from moving! Managed to find a way to keep it still - screw it down with a washer through the top of the adjacent drill channel!
In my experience the hole size in the the 1st piece of wood needs to be just big enough to allow the screw to fit without it biting on the wood. You then need to stop drilling when you hit the second bit of wood, although a smaller diameter drill size is ok to continue drilling into that with for a pilot hole ( if you can find one long enough ) This is so that when you put the scew in, it hits the second piece and and the thread only bites into that piece. This way, the 2 pieces of wood will pull together ok. If the screw is biting in the first piece of wood ( say if you use a drill bit of smaller diameter than the screw) , then when it hits the second piece, of course it will screw into it, but the 2 pieces cannot pull together, they will just remain as they are in terms of the gap and distance from each other. Although this could still stop squeaking, as it will now prevent them from moving against each other, isn't it better if one piece is pulled in tighter against the other piece? So to achieve that, the screw needs to be able to fit and rotate in the first piece and move in and out without it's threads biting on the 1st piece. It only needs to bite into / grip on the second piece, and then, as you tighten the scew up, the 2 pieces of wood can pull towards each other , making a tight fit that shouldn't creak / squeak. That's what i think anyway :)
Thanks for the video: Im not sure about the feedback but I think i would recommend some ventillatjon when hsing the carpet adhesive and eye protection when freehanding the angled screw hole. With softer bits youre ok but i have grabbed harder bits and occasionally theyll shatter with that kind of operation. I dont want to come across as too much here these are just my opinion 😅. I learned new things from the video and dont consider myself an expert on this!
It's the wrong type of screw for pocket screws. The V shape you're using will split the wood, either right now or with time. Pocket screws have a flat shoulder to avoid that, and that's why the drill bit is also special.
you are meticulous. so the screws are 4.5 x 40mm? my stairs are a mess. an old mansion fixer upper. beautiful staircase with messed up steps. there are gaps on some of the steps, 1/2" i'd say, i removed about 80-100 staples, there are large headed nails all over to fix the squeaks i'm assuming. i wish they had watched this video. the last owners trashed the place. a broken spindle. i'm a bit overwhelmed at the amount of work, but i'm chipping away at it. thanks for this invaluable info.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, that's right about the screws but you might need a different length. The best thing to do if you feel overwhelmed is to just break the jobs down into smaller jobs. That way, it will feel like you can accomplish something.
Went round all the joins (sides, middle and under) on my stairs today with this exact glue and my previously very squeaky stairs are now 100% silent. Thanks very much mate.
That's really good to hear, im glad the video has helped you fix your squeaky stairs. Thanks for your comment 😀
Thanks Fowler, you've given me confidence to have a go, I thought I was going to have to take the plasterboard off the back!
It's definitely worth trying without removing the plasterboard. Just make sure you glue and screw them together!
Cheers buddy. Great video - what your video has taught me has saved me the cost of calling in a 'chippy' and carpet fitter. ❤
That's brilliant to hear and even better that it has saved you money. Hopefully, the stairs won't creak now!
Idea with pocket hole jig is amazing, soon I try to fix my stairs. Many thanks for that.
Mine stairs have not made a noise since and that was a year ago!
thanks for the guide it was great! really helped me decide to hire a joiner to do it for me lol your guide was simple and easy to understand.... im just too lazy for that lark lol
Lol, at least you're honest! Thanks for your comment 👍
Great fix! cheers
Im glad you liked the video and thanks for your comment!
This is very helpful Fowler. Just Subscribed!
I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for subscribing 👍
Real good content mate. Gonna give this a try
It's fixed my noisy stairs! You can also go one step further and put screws into the stringers at the side of the treads. Let me know how you get on!
This is super helpful! Quick question what size screws do you use for both of the fixing?
Oh, now you're asking, i can't remember to be honest.
Looking at the side of the box he's pulling the screws from; 4.5 x 40mm 6:22
Thanks for your comment and being observant!
I've bought the same pocket jig to help do this job. I tried glue and blocks from under the stairs and improved noise a bit but hopefully this sorts it completely.
If you can get access to the underside of the stairs then you can push the wedges in further and screw in extra blocks for support. Decent wood glue will definitely help! Let me know how you get on!
@@FixitwithFowler I used blocks and expanding glue. Didn't use wedges as very old stairs and hammering wedges in felt like might do more damage than good. Putting these pockets in the treads and risers and also into the side stringers should do the trick
@boodgebutton yes definitely.The fixings in the stringers will definitely help aswell
Excellent !! Thanks for your video. I will definitely got rid off my problem !
Hi, hopefully that will cure your noisy stairs! Thanks for your comment!
Hi. Great videos thank you. Can you tell me which size drill bit you use for any particular screw? Should they be exactly the same? I.e. 6mm dia bit for 6mm dia screw? Thanks.
Hi, it depends on the type of screws and what you are trying to achieve. If you want a really tight join, then I would suggest going through with a small pilot bit maybe 2-3 mm. A lot depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Thanks for this it’s really helpful! All the best and keep the vids coming👍
Hi, im glad you found the video helpful, and hopefully, you can fix your stairs!
Thank you, I will come back and let you know how mine goes. It would of been good too see your results after too see if it was still squeaky lol.
Hi, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, i had trouble with the top tread, and that took me a few attempts to stop the creaking stairs.
Excellent. I don't have any carpet yet. Stairs squeeks like a nutta. I do have access under the stairs from the cupboard so I am thinking....... Screw throught the riser into the tread from the underside. Or should it get myself that jig and do it all from on top ? Or both ?
If you can access the underside of the stairs, then this job is so much easier. There are normally wedges you can tap back in and also wooden blocks you can tighten up. I would always recommend glueing as well as screwing. Try just fixing from underneath, then if you still have movement, consider buying a jig.
@@FixitwithFowler Thank you so much. I have seen the wedges. Glue 100% from above and why not get the jig in order to make it all totally fast. Stair is over 70 years old. We are also getting a stair case for access to the loft and it might be worth doing a bit of extra work myself to make sure that doesn't start to squeek in the future. Thanks again. I have spent the past 3 months watching pretty much nothing but building channels. I built a kitchen (prefab from WREN), I have tiled floors, I have done plumbing and soldering and all because of people like you sharing the knowledge. Very much appreciated I can promise you!
@Lee.Willcox.Nincompoopery that's brilliant, hopefully you will find some of my other videos helpful 😀
@@FixitwithFowler I am sure I watxched one where you drilled a core into a cast iron soil pipe. I need to do the same. I am working on an old upstairs bathroom as I type this. I need to core drill the cavity wall brick under the floor for the shower tray and would like to run a new PVC pipe from that into the down pipe. I will check out all your videos 100%. I am sure I watched you do exactly that.
@Lee.Willcox.Nincompoopery brilliant, cheers!
Brilliant video thank you
Im glad you liked the video, thanks for your comment 😁
Thanks mate, I had a rough idea but this was very helpful!👍
Hi, im glad you found the video helpful ☺️
@@FixitwithFowler Just couldnt get it right today, the steps are more solid but still a bit creaky!
@Nickpaintbrush have you put in glue in the joints?
@@FixitwithFowler I did put some pva in where I could, I'm going to have a go at screwing some chocs behind the stairs tomorrow!
@Nickpaintbrush that might help, stairs are a nightmare to fix, and the constant foot traffic doesn't help!
Great vid!
I've tried these techniques this morning:
glueing between back of step and riser
gluing along edge of step and skirting/side of steps
screws (40mm) down through front edge of step into riser
and angled screws through below step into riser behind
And I'm still getting squeaks... 😅
Any other advice of what I could try, bearing in mind I don't have access to the underneath?
Cheers!
It's a nightmare, to be honest. Since this video, I have done the top half of the stairs, and I used expanding gorilla glue. I put extra screws through the sides of the treads into the stringer, and that fixed one of them. In an ideal world, you really need access to the underside of the stairs.
@@FixitwithFowler I ended up scoring the gaps with a Stanley blade to remove any paint/debris at the back of the step and along the sides before squeezing gorilla glue (was only PVA the first time) along the gaps and where the 'nose' meets the wall, whilst pushing it into the crevice with an old paint brush.
Left it a couple hours and... Complete silence going up/down the stairs!!!!
Tidied up the expanded glue with a multi tool scraper and it's ready to have it's gripper rods refitted.
Thanks again for the video, gave me loads of pointers and helped me rid the stairs of squeaks!
No problem, thanks for your comments! Please consider subscribing if you've not already 😁
Thanks for the videos, very helpful. Do you think Wood glue works better then watered down PVA ? Ive seen other videos use the PVA method on floorboard.
Hi, i think neat woodglue is better as it's stronger than pva glue. Once wood glue has cured, it becomes stronger than the wood itself! Hope that helps?
Nice makita. Looking forward to when Japan has the DTD173 impact finally get to Canada. Thanks and cheers.
Hi, I've been using makita 18v battery tools for over 10 years and found them amazing. I've even got a big mitre saw that runs off two 18v batteries. Really impressive tools, in my opinion
@@FixitwithFowler Had some corded for decades, and my dad even longer. 3 years ago I got some of the 18 LXT line for an industrial setting. They are well made and very ergonomic. I show my coworkers a dewalt xr and mil fuel in comparison. The smoothness of their tools can not be stated enough. This doesn't matter when you are 25 years old and a 300 Kg gorilla, but when you get on the backhalf of life those small adjustments are vital to a full working day with as little pain as possible. Oh you will grunt and go on, but why when there are better options.
Once the other grandaughter gets out of bed, ill do some squeak removal. Have a good weekend.
@thorinbane thanks for that!
Which glue do you recommend and which store
Hi, I use this glue amzn.to/48YuPMc I use it for most indoor wood projects and find it really strong.
great video. was wondering how to secure down the back of the staircase step and your video was the 1st video that showed exactly how to do it 🙂
Glad it was helpful! Please consider subscribing for more great videos!
Many thanks. Have mine as a project.
Good luck! They are a pain but I recommend getting really good wood glue!
Great tips .
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing ,it looks so simple when you doing it 😅
Yeah, it's always easy to watch someone else, lol. It is quite straightforward to do, but the key is to take your time and use decent glue!
Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!
I'm glad the video was helpful, let me know how you get on fixing your noisy stairs
Are the treads installed after the risers?
Originally they would be installed together
I couldn't stop the pocket jig from moving! Managed to find a way to keep it still - screw it down with a washer through the top of the adjacent drill channel!
Im glad you got the pocket jig to work. That's a good idea to screw it down.
Thank you!!
Hopefully, you have managed to sort your stairs out.
Great video Steve. Are gripper rods sharper than insulation spikes? Use the correct gloves please
The gripper rods are definitely sharper! Can you send me some gloves, please 🙏 🙂
In my experience the hole size in the the 1st piece of wood needs to be just big enough to allow the screw to fit without it biting on the wood. You then need to stop drilling when you hit the second bit of wood, although a smaller diameter drill size is ok to continue drilling into that with for a pilot hole ( if you can find one long enough )
This is so that when you put the scew in, it hits the second piece and and the thread only bites into that piece.
This way, the 2 pieces of wood will pull together ok.
If the screw is biting in the first piece of wood ( say if you use a drill bit of smaller diameter than the screw) , then when it hits the second piece, of course it will screw into it, but the 2 pieces cannot pull together, they will just remain as they are in terms of the gap and distance from each other.
Although this could still stop squeaking, as it will now prevent them from moving against each other, isn't it better if one piece is pulled in tighter against the other piece?
So to achieve that, the screw needs to be able to fit and rotate in the first piece and move in and out without it's threads biting on the 1st piece. It only needs to bite into / grip on the second piece, and then, as you tighten the scew up, the 2 pieces of wood can pull towards each other , making a tight fit that shouldn't creak / squeak.
That's what i think anyway :)
good stuff, perfect.
Can I ask, do the risers sit on the step, or does the step sit against the riser?
The step sits against the riser, hope that helps!
I have stairs where the riser sits on the step. The riser is MDF 😢
Any tips?
Is that the point where there is movement?
@@Sarah-Collen have you tried using a really good wood glue like this? amzn.to/3ONlTC7
Fantastic !!!
No problem, thanks for your comment 👍
Thanks for the video:
Im not sure about the feedback but I think i would recommend some ventillatjon when hsing the carpet adhesive and eye protection when freehanding the angled screw hole. With softer bits youre ok but i have grabbed harder bits and occasionally theyll shatter with that kind of operation.
I dont want to come across as too much here these are just my opinion 😅. I learned new things from the video and dont consider myself an expert on this!
Hi, thanks for your feedback. Yeah, you're right about the eye protection. You should have thought about that!
You may have said it, but I can’t find it. What size screws did you use with the pocket holes?
Oh, sorry, I don't remember, it was a while ago! You need to select the screws to match the thickness or depth of the stairs.
no carpet stairs .. I have the same problem how can I stop the noise thanks mill
Do the stairs squeek?
You are a smart cookie
Thanks for your compliment, I'm glad you found the video useful 👍
Ii would have been nice if you proved that it didn't creak, and revisited after a month to show it still worked.
That was filmed 6 months ago and still ok 👍. I think the key is decent wood glue.
It's the wrong type of screw for pocket screws. The V shape you're using will split the wood, either right now or with time.
Pocket screws have a flat shoulder to avoid that, and that's why the drill bit is also special.
Awesome
Thanks 😊
you are meticulous. so the screws are 4.5 x 40mm? my stairs are a mess. an old mansion fixer upper. beautiful staircase with messed up steps. there are gaps on some of the steps, 1/2" i'd say, i removed about 80-100 staples, there are large headed nails all over to fix the squeaks i'm assuming. i wish they had watched this video. the last owners trashed the place. a broken spindle. i'm a bit overwhelmed at the amount of work, but i'm chipping away at it. thanks for this invaluable info.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, that's right about the screws but you might need a different length. The best thing to do if you feel overwhelmed is to just break the jobs down into smaller jobs. That way, it will feel like you can accomplish something.
Show us how to put the carpet back too.
That's on the video mate!
I always screw my gripper on, especially on risers.
Cheers for your tip!
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
Thanks for your comment 👍
Why even take the tack strips off?
To gain access to the back of the treads
Did you watch the video?
We've got an armchair carpenter here!
What an idiot watch the vid first lol
Lol