Have a staircase that would make for a great horror movie? If your steps are creaking, squeaking and screeching, it may be time to silence those suckers for good. Although quieting your stairs is more than just your average quick fix, it's much easier than it sounds -- and anything sounds better than those squeaks, right?!

Creaky steps are generally a problem for older homes, but newer staircases can also suffer a squeak or two if wood has dried and shrunk over time. The problem is usually caused by a loose tread rubbing against a riser (the tread is the horizontal part of the stair where your feet land; the riser is the vertical member of the stair). Squeaky stairs aren't as problematic as they sound. For the most part, they're just a major annoyance -- especially if you love to raid the fridge at midnight!

Here's how to silence those squeaky stairs and sleep soundly:

Materials:

• Wood glue
• Dowels
• Wood Screws
• Tack Hammer
• Drill (preferably a Variable-Speed or Electric)
• Finishing nails

Directions:

1. Track down the squeaky culprit in the staircase. Carefully pull up any carpet and/or sub-flooring that covers the stair, leaving only exposed wood underneath.
2. While putting weight on the tread, drill two pilot holes near the squeak, making sure the hole runs through the step and into the riser .
3. Countersink a screw in each pilot hole.
4. Apply wood glue generously to the dowels and fit into the top of each screw head.
5. If necessary, cut the top of the dowel to ensure it's even with the floor level. Sand smooth.
6. Place the carpet and/or sub-floor over the staircase and re-attach using a finishing nail and tack hammer.

If you can access the staircase from below, it may also be a good idea to screw two shelf brackets to the riser and the bottom of the step. Easy enough, right?

Of course, a quiet staircase will make it that much easier for your teen to sneak out of the house, so repair wisely!

Recommended reading:
How to Build Your Own Stairs in 3 Easy Steps
How to Install a Stair Runner
Paint Your Own Stair Runner