3 Annoying Floor Problems Fixed in Minutes

Carpet corners that curl up, hardwood floors that squeak as you walk across them, and gaps that appear between your vinyl plank flooring can be annoying, to say the least. Luckily, fixing these issues are repairs that typically take minutes. Best of all, these quick repairs require almost no tools and products you can get for less than $10. You might even have everything you need lying around your house. 

Related: How to Fix Blotchy Wood Stain on Pine, Maple, and Other Softwoods

1. Quick Fix For Squeaky Hardwood Floors

If you have squeaky floor boards that are driving you nuts, then try this easy fix involving baking soda.

• Locate the squeaking spot then spread some baking soda over the cracks between the floor boards. 
• Use a broom or your hand to spread the baking soda all over the floor to work it into the cracks. 
• Vacuum or sweep up the remaining powder.

Why it Works

The squeaking noise is caused by the boards flexing and rubbing up against each other as you walk over them. The baking soda eliminates that friction, quieting your boards. 

2. Ice Cube Carpet Corner Repair

Corners of rugs on hardwood floors have an annoying habit of curling upward over time. This happens usually as a result of “memory” from being stored rolled up, low humidity that causes the fibers to contract, or heavy foot traffic from feet kicking up the corners. Luckily there’s an easy fix for this that only requires some ice cubes and a heavy mug. 

• Hold down the corner with a glass or other weighted object.
• Place four or five cubes on the offending corner.
• Wait several hours for the ice cubes to melt then remove the weight. The “repair” works best on low-pile synthetic rugs. 

Why it Works

The ice cube hack works because it uses the slow release of moisture from the ice cube coupled with the weight of the object holding the corner down to help relax the fibers, allowing them to flatten.

3. Vinyl Planks Gap Repair

Floating vinyl plank flooring is great, unless the planks themselves begin migrating, causing gaps to appear between the planks. You don’t need to rip up a section of the floor in order to close these annoying gaps, all you need is some double sided tape, a hammer, and a section of 2x4:

• Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust from the gap. 
• Cut a section of 2x4 to about 20 inches long. 
• Adhere two strips of tape that are about the same length as the 2x4 to one of the planks that adjoins the gap.
• Adhere the 2x4 to the double side tape by pressing firmly down on it. 
• Use the hammer to tap the end of the 2x4 to close the gap. Don’t tap too hard or you can cause the floor to buckle. 
• Moving the board will open up a gap on the other side, so you’ll need to move to the next board and repeat the process until you reach the wall. 

Why it Works

Vinyl plank flooring is floating (unless it's installed on a slab), which is why the gaps are opening up in the first place. Since the flooring is loose, it's relatively easy to manipulate using this method.