Dear Angie: We need help with our squeaking floors. Our house is about 29 years old and has carpeting over all of the floors except the kitchen, foyer and some bathroom areas. The first and second floors have areas that squeak and there seem to be more squeaks every day. What can I do about this problem? – Mary Jane P., Overland Park, Kan.

Dear Mary Jane: I would recommend contacting a flooring company to help with this repair. The squeaking you hear is likely sections of subfloor rubbing against each other, or the floor joists, where nails have come loose. These squeaks, creaks or groans occur over time because the wooden subfloor naturally swells, warps and dries with humidity.

There are 4-inch screws available on the market for the purpose of fixing squeaky floors. These can be screwed right through the carpet to secure the subfloor to the joists without having to pull the carpet up. That will usually eliminate the squeak, but it can be a bit of a process, which is why you might consider bringing in a professional for the job.

For noisy hardwood floors, the process is similar. The more intrusive method is taking up the floorboards, locating the joists, and screwing in the floorboards more tightly. A less intrusive method is to drive screws directly through the floorboards lower than the walking surface; then, cover the holes with wood filler. Since both methods disturb the floor's appearance, consider having floors refinished after the repair to produce the most attractive results.

Squeaking stairs are a different scenario. In that event, you have to get to the backside of the stairs, using a wood shim to fill the gaps between the stair tread and riser.

If a major repair is involved and the carpet needs to be removed, you’ll want to talk to your service professional about the best options for reinstalling or replacing the carpet. It could impact the overall cost of the project.