Stairs in a 100 year old house are squeaking, and I'm looking for a way to repair it.
The squeak comes from a single nail that is connecting the tread and the riser, vertically, in the middle.
There is a gap between the tread and the riser, and I can see the nail. When someone is walking on the stairs, the tread flexes and rubs on the nail.
I've seen suggestions to use glue blocks and shims to support the tread from below, but since its a single nail – does it just make sense to remove or cut the nail under the tread, since it doesn't seem to be providing any more support?
Best Answer
Remove the nail and replace with a long deck screw and then patch over the hole to match the oak.