Some folks think a squeaky floor is a good thing; it lets them know when someone is in the house. But to most, it's an annoyance -- something they could live without. No matter what type of floors you have, hardwood, tile, sheet goods or carpet, unless it's directly over a concrete slab, it's installed over wood sub-flooring. Thus, chances are that over time a nail somewhere will loosen due to moisture loss as the wood dries. It will start to rub back and forth making noise when pressure is applied -- as in walking over it. Step No. 1 in correcting this is to find the squeak. We suggest using a short length of garden hose to serve as a stethoscope as someone walks on the floor. Once pinpointed, if accessible from below, it can be glued and tightened up by driving a shim; or with a grabber-type construction screw driven directly through the flooring and into a joist from above. Hardware stores offer many solutions. And that's the On The House tip for today.