---
title: "What should I put on a squeaky floorboard?"
description: "Talc, graphite or powdered soapstone worked into the joint as a stopgap — the real fix is screwing the board down to the joist. The ranked options, the technique tha"
url: https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-squeaky-floor/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What should I put on a squeaky floorboard?

**What should I put on a squeaky floorboard?: Talc, graphite or powdered soapstone worked into the joint as a stopgap — the real fix is screwing the board down to the joist.**

A squeak is a symptom of movement: either two board edges rubbing, or a board lifting and dropping on a nail as weight passes over it, or a joist moving against a plate. Powder addresses only the first, which is why it works instantly on some floors and does nothing on others. Locating the source is the useful step — have someone walk while you listen from below or with an ear to the floor — because a nail squeak needs a screw beside it and a rubbing edge needs powder or a shim. Never use a liquid lubricant: it penetrates the timber, migrates through the finish and permanently contaminates the surface for any future refinishing.

## The options, ranked

*Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.*

| Option | Good at | Bad at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Talcum powder or powdered graphite | Works into the gap between boards and separates the rubbing edges, silencing the squeak in minutes. | Temporary; it works its way out and the squeak comes back in weeks or months. |
| Screws into the joist | The permanent fix, because the squeak is movement and a screw stops movement. | Visible fixings, and you must know where the joists, cables and pipes run. |
| Shims and adhesive from below | Invisible from above, and the best option where there is access to the underside. | Only possible with a cellar, a crawl space or an accessible ceiling void. |
| Oil or spray lubricant | Nothing. | Soaks into the timber, stains, wicks through to the finish and makes any later glue or finish fail. |

## Technique that changes the outcome

1. Find the exact spot first: get someone to walk while you listen
2. Work talc or graphite into the joint with a brush, then wipe the surface
3. Screw through the board into the joist, countersunk and filled, for a permanent fix
4. From below, drive a screw up through the joist into the board, or glue a shim into the gap

## What goes wrong

- Any oil or spray lubricant on floorboards
- Driving a nail — nails work loose again, which is what caused the squeak
- Screwing blind without checking for cables and pipes under the floor

> Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

## Other lubricant questions

| For | Use |
| --- | --- |
| A bike chain | Wet lube for wet conditions, dry lube for dry and dusty ones, wax if you want the cleanest and lowest-friction option — and not a general penetrant. |
| A lock | A dry lubricant — powdered graphite or a PTFE spray. Oil and general penetrating sprays gum locks up and are the classic way to ruin one. |
| A squeaky door hinge | A drop of light machine oil or a smear of white lithium grease on the pin — and lift the pin out to clean it, which is usually the actual fix. |
| A seized bolt | A dedicated penetrant or a 50/50 acetone and automatic transmission fluid mix, plus time, heat cycles and shock — and anti-seize on reassembly. |
| A sticky drawer | Paraffin wax or beeswax on wooden runners, dry PTFE on metal ones — and never oil on wood. |
| Rubber seals | Silicone grease on most rubbers, and a PTFE or fluorosilicone product on silicone rubber itself — petroleum products swell and destroy natural rubber and EPDM. |
| A garage door | White lithium grease or a garage-door lubricant on rollers, hinges, springs and bearings — and not on the track, which should be clean and dry. |

## Common questions

### What should I put on a squeaky floorboard?

Talc, graphite or powdered soapstone worked into the joint as a stopgap — the real fix is screwing the board down to the joist.

### What should I avoid?

Any oil or spray lubricant on floorboards Driving a nail — nails work loose again, which is what caused the squeak Screwing blind without checking for cables and pipes under the floor

## Related pages

- [Which lubricant should I use on a bike chain?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-bike-chain/)
- [Which lubricant should I use on a lock?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-lock/)
- [Which lubricant stops a squeaky door hinge?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-door-hinge/)
- [Which penetrating fluid frees a seized bolt?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-seized-bolt/)
- [What should I put on a sticky drawer?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-sticky-drawer/)
- [Which lubricant is safe on rubber seals?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-rubber-seal/)
- [Which lubricant should I use on a garage door?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-garage-door/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)