It's almost always the subfloor
Beneath your finished floor is a structural layer called the subfloor, usually plywood, fastened to the wooden joists that span your home. When that subfloor lifts even a millimetre away from a joist, it flexes as you step and rubs against the nail holding it — and that scrape is the squeak.
Humidity and the seasons
Wood is hygroscopic — it takes on and gives off moisture with the air around it. Toronto's dry, heated winters shrink the wood and open gaps; humid summers swell it. This constant movement is why a floor that was silent in July starts creaking in January.
Loose fasteners and settling
Homes settle. Over years of foot traffic and seasonal movement, nails back out slightly and connections loosen. Older homes and brand-new builds both squeak for this reason — one from age, the other from framing that's still drying and settling into place.
When it's structural
If the floor feels bouncy or moves across a wide area, the cause may be the joists themselves — deflection, loose blocking, or hangers that have worked free. That's a structural fix, not a surface one. Either way, the solution is to re-secure the movement so nothing rubs. See our guide on how to fix squeaky floors for the methods that work.
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