Creaky stair fix in Exeter
Professional creaky stair fix services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60
Typical Duration
20-30 mins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Creaky stair fixed properly - no more loud squeaks when you're trying to be quiet. Treads secured from above or below depending on access.
That One Stair That Announces Your Every Move
You know the one. Third stair from the bottom. Creaks like a horror film. Impossible to sneak downstairs for a midnight snack without waking the entire house.
Or worse - multiple creaky stairs. Sounds like you're tap dancing just trying to get to bed.
The fix is straightforward - secure the loose tread so it stops moving and rubbing. Takes 20 minutes, stairs are silent.
Why Stairs Creak
| Solid Stair | Creaky Stair |
|---|---|
| Tread firmly attached to risers | Gap developed, wood moving |
| All fixings secure | Nails worked loose over decades |
| Silent when you step on it | CREEEEAK |
| No movement | Slight flex/bounce |
Old houses = old stairs = lots of creaking. It's just what happens.
The Fix Options
🔧 From Below (Best Option) If there's access under the stairs:
- Screw tread to riser from underneath
- Screw tread to string (side support)
- Add wooden blocks/brackets for extra support
- Invisible fix - no marks on stairs
📦 From Above (If No Access Below)
- Countersunk screws through tread
- Fill screw holes to hide them
- Or use decorative screws/plugs
- Visible but neat
💡 You Get
- Silent stairs
- Secure treads
- No more creaking when stepped on
Pricing
| Job | Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Single stair | 20-30 mins | £60 |
| Additional stairs (same visit) | Add 10-15 mins each | £60-£110 |
Price assumes reasonable access. Fully boxed-in stairs with no access are trickier.
💡 Pro tip: While I'm fixing one stair, test all the others. If several are creaky, worth doing them all in one visit rather than calling me back for each one.
Why Choose Us for Creaky stair fix in Exeter?
Silent stairs - no more creaking
Treads secured properly
Quick fix, lasting result
Works from above or below
What to Expect
Step 1: Identify The Creak
Walk up and down, find exactly which tread/s are creaking. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes you need to test each one.
Step 2: Access Check
Can we get underneath through the cupboard? Or do we need to work from above?
Step 3: Secure The Tread
Screw it down properly, add support if needed, test it's stopped moving. No more creak.
🔧 DIY Tips
This is doable yourself if you've got access underneath:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Drill with appropriate bit
- Wood screws (40-50mm usually)
- Torch to see under stairs
- Someone to walk on stairs while you watch from below
📐 Fixing from underneath
- Get under the stairs (crawl into cupboard)
- Get helper to walk slowly up stairs while you watch
- Identify which tread moves when stepped on
- From below, screw tread to riser - 2-3 screws per tread
- Screw tread to string (side support) if there's a gap
- Optional: glue and screw small blocks in the internal corners for extra support
- Test from above - should be silent now
Fixing from above (if no access below):
- Identify creaky tread
- Drill pilot holes through tread into riser below (angle toward back of tread)
- Countersink so screw head sits below surface
- Drive screws until tread stops moving
- Fill holes with wood filler, sand smooth
- Touch up with stain/paint if needed
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Screws too short (don't reach riser properly)
- Screws too long (come out the front of the riser - embarrassing)
- Not checking tread is pulled tight before final tightening
- Splitting old wood by not drilling pilot holes
- Using too many screws (overkill and risks splitting)
💡 Pro trick: Squirt some wood glue into the gap before screwing. It'll fill any spaces and help keep things quiet long-term. Don't use too much or it'll squirt out everywhere when you tighten the screws.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🎨 Old solid wood stairs? Victorian and Edwardian stairs in Exeter are usually solid wood construction - they can be fixed properly. Modern stairs (especially cheap ones) are sometimes chipboard which doesn't hold screws well. I'll work with whatever you've got.
Carpet or bare wood? Makes no difference to the fix - I can work under carpet if needed (through the understairs access). If it's carpeted stairs and I'm working from above, I lift the carpet edge, do the fix, tuck it back.
Multiple creaky stairs? Very common - tell me when you book. More efficient to do them all at once than keep coming back.
Boxed-in stairs with no access? Some modern stairs are fully boxed in with no cupboard underneath. These have to be fixed from above. Still works, just means visible screw holes (which get filled and touched up).
Really bad creaking? If every single stair creaks and the whole staircase feels bouncy, you might have a more serious structural issue - strings have pulled away from walls, or major movement. I'll assess when I see it and advise honestly whether it's beyond quick fixes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes stairs creak in the first place?
Usually the tread (bit you step on) has worked loose from the riser (vertical bit) or the string (side support). Wood shrinks and swells with changes in humidity, creating gaps. Then when you step on it, the wood rubs against itself - that's the creak. Very common in older Exeter houses with solid wood stairs.
Can you fix it without taking the stairs apart?
Yeah, most of the time. If I can access from underneath (through the cupboard under the stairs), I can secure the tread from below - invisible fix. If there's no understairs access, I work from above using screws that get hidden or filled.
Will it creak again in the future?
Properly fixed, no. But if it's a really old staircase that moves a lot, it's possible other treads will develop creaks over time. Wood expands and contracts with the seasons - that's just life with old stairs. The ones I fix stay fixed though.
Is one creaky stair anything to worry about?
Not dangerous if it's just a creak. It's annoying, not structural. But if a tread feels bouncy or actually moves when you step on it, that needs sorting sooner rather than later - that's getting unsafe.
I've got about 5 creaky stairs - can you do them all?
Yeah, tell me when you book. If they're all accessible the same way (all from underneath or all from above), I can usually do multiple in one visit. Each additional stair adds about 10-15 minutes.
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