Last updated: July 2, 2021 at 12:42 pm
I need a good night’s sleep. I’m sure that’s not a revelation, we all do, but I really do! If I don’t sleep well I turn from an upbeat, cheerful person into something you’d find in a Japanese horror film. I need three things to get a good night’s sleep: a comfy bed, darkness, and quiet.
So you’ll understand that a squeaky bed is one of my worst nightmares. Nothing is more annoying than starting to drop off and being woken by a loud squeak from your bed.
In this article:
We’ll go through 12 ways to stop a bed from squeaking, from the outright obvious to the DIY ways that might just fix that squeak for good.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Find Where the Squeak Is Coming From
Before we can fix anything we need to figure out where the noise is coming from in the first place. There are a few options and if it’s an old bed the noise may be coming from many locations. Take the mattress off and lay it flat on the floor. You may need to do this another room if you don’t have floor space.
Once it’s on the floor, lie on it and move around to check for squeaks. If there are none then great! One thing ruled out. If it’s squeaking you’ve found a least one culprit.
Next move on to the bed frame. For a divan, test it in the same way as you did with the mattress and note the results.
Finally, take hold of your frame and push and pull it, moving it around within reason, making sure you move it in as many directions as possible. If the frame is squeaking when doing this, try to pinpoint exact where it’s coming from to deal with it in the next steps.
What You Might Need
Below is a list of tools/products you might need depending on where the squeak is coming from, and how you decide to tackle it:
- Plywood
- Old books
- Replacement screws or bolts
- Oil or lubricant
- Washers
- Bed risers
So:
Now you should know where the squeaks are coming from (and what you might need), let’s get started with our 12 different ways to fix it.
12 Different Ways to Fix a Squeaky Bed
Get a New One
1. You might think this should be at the end of this list. Going to the expense of buying a new bed should be a last resort. You’re partially correct. The reason I’m suggesting it upfront is that a comfy bed is vital in sleeping well. If your bed is more than 10 years old it may not be supporting you as well as it could.
This can lead to back and neck pain as well as disrupting your sleep. While you were checking the parts of the bed for creaks you may have noticed worn or more rickety areas. Think back over what you saw and decide if it needs a little TLC or if it’s too far gone.
2. If your frame and/or box spring seems fine then you could replace the mattress only.
Ways To Fix a Squeaky Mattress
3. Try rotating the mattress. This is something you should do every 6-12 months anyway. You’ll always be lying in roughly the same place on your mattress. This will create pressure points in the places that take most of the weight. This could mean the mattress degrades more or less in different spots.
You might end up having to replace it even though most of it is fine. If you rotate your mattress 180° or even flip it over entirely you prevent this problem. It also means you’ll be putting pressure on a different part of the mattress than usual which eliminates the squeak.
4. If it’s still squeaking in one particular place then try slipping something hard underneath the area. A thin piece of plywood or a book is ideal. These two things together should be all you need to stop the squeaking. If not then I’m afraid replacing the mattress is your best option.
Ways To Fix a Squeaky Divan
5. Like the mattress, you can try rotating the divan and see if this helps. The majority of body weight will on the top half of the divan from the hips upwards, so rotating could solve the squeaking.
6. If the above step doesn’t work, then you can cut a hole in bottom of the fabric. This will allow access to add oil or lubricant to the springs as well as anything attached to the frame. Once you’re done then close up the hole. No one will see it on the bottom so you can do this any way you like. Neatness doesn’t matter.
Ways To Fix a Squeaky Frame
7. Tighten up all the screws and bolts that hold it together. Over time they’ll slacken and the movement in the frame could cause the squeaking.
8. Replace any damaged bolts or screws. If they won’t tighten properly they’re damaged so replace them. It’s quick and cheap and will likely prolong the life of the frame.
9. Oil all the bolts and screws to ensure they move freely and tighten leaving no space.
10. If you can’t get the bolt to tighten flush with the frame then add a washer so everything holds together.
11. Finally, pad any gaps you can’t remove by tightening the bolts. You could even try using padding on the slats if your bed has them.
Ways To Fix a Squeaky Floor
If you’ve done all of these things and the squeak is still there, then the final place to check is the floor. The only way to be sure is to move the bed and walk up on down on the area where it usually sits. If it squeaks then that could be your problem.
12. Short of screwing down or replacing the whole floor the best thing to do is ensure the pressure on it is even. Put padding under the legs or even a coaster to keep the bad level. Alternatively, if there’s room and it’s only one floorboard you could shift your bed’s position so it no longer rests on it.
Another way to spread weight is with bed risers. These are generally used to raise the height of the bed, but also work well to spread the weight of a frame
Conclusion
That’s it. 12 ways to fix the torment of a squeaky bed. I know we’ve went over lots of different ways, but none of them should take that much time or cost you much money… unless you decide the replace the bed.
Please follow the Quiet Living mantra… take your time on each stage and be thorough. Rushing will either not fix the problem or make it even worse. If you take care though you’ll be sleeping soundly before you know it.
