What makes your house squeek and creek?

Question

Do you find it interesting how your house can make such loud noises? What causes your house to scare the living daylights out of ya!?

Answer 1

The most common sources of noises in homes are joists, settling, and pipes.  If it's creaking of stairs and floors, it's most likely the joists have moved away from the subfloor, and when you walk across it, the nails or screws make that squeeking noise.  If you're hearing a cracking noise or poping, it is most likely settling, which happens in most newer homes.  Much like earthquakes, houses have weak lines that just happen in drywall, tile floors, foundations etc. and almost every home "breaks" a little at some point during the frist five years.  Pipes are preventable.  If you have a piping system that allows you to vent it, do so... or just run the water full blast from every faucet for a while... it will get the air out of the lines.  If the banging or rattle is only when you use hot water, it may be because your water heater is just set to darn high... If you have steam in your pipes, water takes 1/1000 the volume of steam, so if you're constantly flashing and colapsing, you're going to generate a lot of noise, plus if you have kids, i doubt you'd want them exposed to more than 140 anyhow.. (140 is hot as h**l when it comes to people, but never turn your water heater below that because of bacterial risks)  as far as creaks moans and what have you, take the time to look at where they really come from.  Laminate wood flooring can be a big cause of false headache due to hollow spots after installation.  if you have that type flooring, roll a golf ball across it, if you have hollow spots, you'll hear it.  If it's just an older house, if you have a crawlspace or basement, look at adjustable steel supports (not overly expenive).  If you're in a traditional victorian home... the nails are old as h**l... remove the nails magnetically and replace them with inset screws and cover the s***w countersets with real wood plugs (if it's a teak floor it's almost priceless)

Some strange noises are mis diagnosed as well.  When I moved into my apartment i accounted the constant water noise in the master bedroom wall to the heatpump system.  a few monthes later I was peeved about cleaning toilets and added the little biscuit things to the tank, and a week later I never heard the flow noise again.  Come to find out that annoying heat pump noise was actually my toilet leaking by.  Unless you're sure what the problem is, don't zone in on anything, and keep an open mind as what it could be.  look at the ceiling every now and then, make sure you're never getting the "shaft" from above, and look down to make sure the "backup" isn't up yours.

As far as what scares me where I live... very little.. I'm armed, and a darn good shot.  Beyond paranormal (which I don't belive exists) there's not a lot I can't get above and beyond.  

Answer 2

well if its an old house they just do that wind all kinds of stuff if its a new house it might just be settling houses creak its freaky but it happens

Answer 3

the floors make this weird sounds and so does the walls sometimes

uhhhg i hate when i get sent down stairs at nigt it gives me the CREEEEEEPS

Answer 4

Changes in pressure.

Answer 5

Floors tend to squeak as you walk across them then what your hearing is the wood flooring rubbing together, as for your house it will expand and contract as the seasons change, all wood has moisture in it. it will never dry out, also as humidity goes up wood soaks some of it up so the boards expand and in the winter it contracts cause there is less humidity.

Answer 6

it doesnt scare me but wut squeeks and creeks around my house are the doors, doorknobs, windows, fridge, a really old trunk that looks like a treasure box thingy (LOL), closet.. i think thats it LOL

i've seen worse tho :]]

Answer 7

houses are built with wood and nails, generally.

wood has somewhat of an elastic property in that it shrinks and swells, sometimes to the point of pushing the nails that hold it all together slightly out.

stair and floor creaks are most likely loose nails in boards and plywood.

Answer 8

central heating, pipes heating up and cooling down makes the floor boards expand