ᐅ Squeaky Wooden Staircase – Defect or Normal? Rights & Solutions

Hello dear forum members,

I have a question and would appreciate your advice. We moved into our semi-detached house last year. The house was completely renovated under construction management. Overall, we are very satisfied with the result. As part of the renovation, a new wooden staircase was installed. It is a staircase with mortise-and-tenon joints between the treads and stringers (I have attached photos). Visually, it is really very well made.

Unfortunately, there is a problem:
Each individual step creaks with every step, even when walking very slowly and carefully (almost tiptoeing; I have an audio file but unfortunately cannot upload it). It is not an occasional crack, but a clearly audible creaking. I weigh about 80 kg (176 lbs), so it is not due to excessive weight. Quiet use of the staircase is not possible, which is especially unpleasant when children or guests are sleeping.

We have addressed this issue with the construction manager several times. His response is basically that wooden stairs inevitably creak, everyone has a different "tolerance level," and he doubts whether this qualifies as a defect. As a goodwill gesture, however, we were offered two options: a discount of 900 € or tightening the braces, but without any guarantee that the creaking would improve.

For us, this is not primarily about the money, but about having a quiet staircase. So here are my questions for you:

• Are we being too picky, or is persistent creaking unacceptable in a newly and professionally installed wooden staircase?
• In your opinion, does this count as a defect?
• If yes: To what extent can or should we insist on remedial work?
• What is considered a reasonable effort?
• Based on your experience, are there effective measures to significantly reduce or eliminate the creaking?

Thank you in advance for your advice and best regards
Henning

You should not simply accept a new staircase where every step creaks right from the start. The creaking can have various causes, such as the fitting of the stringers, the fitting of the treads, or the lack of decoupling between them. Since the creaking does not appear only after some time, I assume the problem is not due to the wood being too fresh.

Can you tell whether the treads or the stringers are creaking?

Hi Henning,

In my opinion, a newly installed staircase that makes noise on every step is more likely due to excessive play in the joints or lack of decoupling, rather than your supposed pain threshold—especially since 80kg (176 lbs) is really not an extreme test. It’s quite an interesting approach that the construction manager himself has doubts but still offers €900 anyway; maybe he realizes there is a structural issue. Simply tightening the connections often only provides a short-term fix because wood-on-wood friction remains; it usually becomes quiet only through structural adjustments, which of course nobody likes to hear. The real question is why every step reacts the same way and not just some individual ones, right? Even more interesting: was the staircase adequately acclimatized before installation, or was it rushed again due to time constraints?

What is the current indoor humidity level in your house, and has there been creaking throughout the rest of the year, or is it just starting now?

In our split-level RH 5 "half" house, we have wooden stairs like these. Not a single step has creaked or squeaked in 19 years.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your quick responses! I cannot clearly determine whether the squeaking comes from the treads or the stringers. I think the stairs have some play because the squeaking is somewhat less when walking along the sides of the treads (near the stringers) instead of in the middle. When walking down briskly, I feel that the treads bend slightly, but this is hardly visible to the naked eye.

@Nauer: What conditions need to be met for acclimatization? Is this about residual moisture? I would need to find out. I will also ask our construction manager for an explanation. So far, he owes us one. How exactly would the treads and stringers be decoupled?

@Jesse Custer: The squeaking has been there since day one. At first, we were told to wait until the moisture levels stabilized. However, I already regarded that as a delaying tactic back then. The indoor humidity is usually between 45-55%. In summer, when humidity is higher, we run a dehumidifier.

One general question – the construction manager seems to have a fundamentally different opinion than we do. He has emphasized this several times. I would like to cover myself in case of disputes. Do you have any recommendations on how to obtain an objective, additional opinion, for example from a chamber of commerce or similar body?

Thanks for your support!

Best regards,
Henning