Why are my new-build stairs creaking?
Usually because the timber is moving. The NHQB says you may occasionally hear creaks, pops and clicks in the settling-in period, usually the first 12 months, as timber and other materials expand and contract. Stairs are mostly timber, so they are one of the first places you hear it.
Creaking can also mean the stairs weren't fixed well. LABC Warranty's technical manual says stairs should be built so they don't vibrate and make excessive noise, and fixed to keep creaking and squeaking at the joints to a minimum. So creaking isn't automatically normal. It depends how bad it is.
Is a creaking stair a snag?
It is if the treads move, or the creaking is excessive. The official inspection checklist says treads and risers should be even and securely fixed, with no movement or excessive noise. There is no number for "excessive". It is a judgement, so record it.
A trick we used we recorded a short video on a phone, walking up the stairs. It was much easier to show the builder than to describe.
Under NHBC's Buildmark, in the first two years the builder has to fix stairs that don't meet NHBC's standards, if you report them in that time. From year three, NHBC's cover still includes staircases and floor decking, but only for damage caused by a defect in how they were built.
Why have my stairs suddenly started creaking?
Often it is the heating. The NHQB says timber and other materials expand and contract with changes in temperature, and when the heating is used. So a stair that was quiet all summer can start creaking once the heating goes on.
Note when it started and which treads, and report it. NHQB says to contact the builder if the noise is persistent, unusually loud, or linked to another problem. A tread that has started to move is a snag whatever the season.
What about creaking floors on the landing?
The same idea applies. LABC Warranty's own checklist asks whether timber floors "creak excessively", which accepts that some noise is normal. Its tolerances say that drying and shrinkage can make floor materials squeak as they move, and that this may not be possible to remove entirely.
But it treats bad cases seriously. LABC Warranty says noisy, squeaky floors have been the subject of several claims, and its fixing guidance asks builders to glue tongue-and-groove boards at the joints and to the supports, to reduce creaking.
Can I fix a creaking stair myself?
Not in the first two years, if you want the builder to stay responsible. NHBC's Buildmark doesn't cover work done to the home after completion, or by anyone other than the builder. Report it and let the builder fix it. A fix done by you, or by a carpenter you hire, can make it hard to say whose problem it is later.
The handrail, balusters and stair light
The handrail should be secure, reasonably upright, smooth along its length, and at least 25mm from the wall, so your hand fits behind it. Run your hand along it slowly. A rough patch or a loose bracket goes on the list.
The guarding at the side of the stairs and landing should stop a 100mm ball passing through any gap, including the gap at the bottom. It is there so small children can't climb it or get stuck in it.
Stair lights should be two-way switched, so you can turn the light on at the bottom and off at the top. Try it both ways.
Cracks where the stairs meet the wall
NHBC's standards expect some cracking where the side of the staircase (the string) meets a wall. A crack up to 4mm there can come from shrinkage and is allowed. Anything wider, or growing, goes on the list. The year one page covers cracks in more detail.