Repairing Your Floor
Over time, it’s normal for wood floors to become damaged. People constantly walk on them, all kinds of liquids are spilt on them, and they are gouged or scratched by children, furniture or heels. Sometimes, parts of them are broken by accident or mere exuberance. This is especially likely in ‘high spill’ areas (kitchens and dining rooms for example) and ‘high stress’ areas (such as living rooms and passages).
Damage can come in the form of deep stains to the wood, scratches, deep gouges, breaks in the wood floor, misalignments or squeaks. Whatever the case, these things are bound to happen over time; when they do, they will need to be repaired. This can be undertaken by professionals who specialise in such tasks, allowing for an easier solution. However, for those who enjoy tackling their own problems personally, here is a simple guide on how to repair your floor.
Understanding the damage
It’s always important to understand the scope of damage before taking any action. Most people approach repairs with just a vague idea of what it requires, but it’s best to have a firm understanding of exactly what work needs to be done. This includes some knowledge about the type of damage, how to fix it, what will be needed, how much of the floor will require work, and so on.
If the damage comprises scratches and/or stains, it can often be fixed by cleaning and sanding. However, deep stains – especially in wood where the finish is worn – will require replacing. This is also true for deeply gouged and broken planks.
Prepare the workspace
This should be done prior to any work being done. It is relatively simple and will mostly entail keeping the area (that requires work) free from clutter, which will make the actual work go smoother. Suffice to say, it’s a good idea to remove any items that can accrue dust or wood scraps. This in turn will make cleaning easier when work has been completed.
Gather the necessary tools and equipment
It’s always best to preemptively assemble all necessary items; again, this is to ensure everything else goes smoothly. You don’t want to be immersed in the full swing of things and then have to stop because you couldn’t find your pliers or some such item. Below are listed some of the more obvious tools that will be required:
- Eye goggles and kneepads
- Screws or nails
- Drill
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Chisel
- Circular saw or plunge saw
- Chop saw
- Tape measure
Take measurements and cut new planks
It’s now time measure the new replacement boards, taking measurements individually for the sake of accuracy. After each measurement, a mark should be made. This is to ensure that cuts can be made with ease and minimal errors.
You can loosely place any cut planks across the spaces where others were removed; this should give a good idea of how many will be required and how they should be placed. This way, you can avoid cutting too many planks, although a little excess is not a big problem (and is encouraged in large jobs). Each plank should be carefully cut according to measurements made, with the cuts being perfectly square. Two types of saw can be used to cut the planks; a radial arm saw or a chop saw. Either one is fine, as long as it works cleanly for precise cuts. Planks can be cut into two for easy insertion; this will also help to maintain the tongues and grooves.
Remove damaged planks
To remove the damaged planks, it’s best to first use a carpenter’s square to create a new, more visible end seam. You should use your hammer and chisel to define the edges more cleanly. Then, working towards the end seam, create a separation in the wood using your chisel. This should be done by angling the chisel and taking off approximately one-eighth of an inch. Do this carefully to each board to prevent any damage to surrounding boards. To make work more efficient, each board should be tackled in phases.
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Install new planks
Once you have planks that will fit, start laying them down. Turn each plank upside down and chisel off the lower lip of the grooved edge to make it fit more snugly with the planks around that side.
You can fasten using carpenters glue or fit it and then fasten using a nail gun. Nails are better, as they allow the wood to tighten or contract according to the weather, without needing to be removed. For gluing, carpenters glue should be applied to the new plank and surrounding planks, once you’re certain they will fit. If you’re using nails, they should be inserted at a forty-five-degree angle at the tongues. If there are nail holes showing, they should be filled with wood putty. The end seams of each plank should be properly spaced from one another, at least half a foot apart. This is mostly for aesthetics, but it also makes the entire system stronger. The last plank should be inserted with some adhesive, regardless of whether or not you’re using nails.
Sanding and Finishing
Once the whole thing has been fitted and given time to align properly (or dry if you used adhesive), you can begin sanding or finishing. Sanding will help to file down uneven floors and have everything at much the same level. Sanding should be done lightly and precisely, but on both the old and new boards. The previous finish should be sanded according to your current tastes.
Not everyone is interested in applying finish, although it is usually preferred. A good coat of finish gives protection to the floors and makes them look more aesthetically pleasing. If you’re using finish, your chosen one should match that on the old boards still in place. The coating should be applied evenly on all new boards, while a light application on the old boards should be adequate. Coating should then be left for a few hours to dry, free of interference or dust, as these can ruin the coating. Once dry, another two coats of clear polyurethane varnish should be applied on all parts of the floor that had a finish coating.
With this is done, you’re finally finished. You should check during every stage to make sure everything fits smoothly (which they should if you’ve followed the steps correctly). Now, you can sit back and enjoy your new floors.
Reviews
Sanded lounge/diner/hall floors & finished with a white wash. Totally transformed the house. Ben is a lovely guy & very knowledgable. We love the new look & would highly recommend.
Btown Flooring did an incredible job of all the floors in my house - they look beautiful! Ben's considerable expertise reassured me from the first that this was the company I trusted to look after my original Victorian floorboards. He guided me through the options in a professional and friendly m...
Fantastic service from a very professional team. From quoting through to the final product Ben and his team delivered an impeccable service. Have and will continue to recommend to friends. Ben was able to recommend the best type of finish for our particular wood to bring it back to an amazing fin...
Ben and his team answered a last minute pleas to restore our floor whilst we were away for half term. We came back to find an incredible result which we were delighted with. Ben's communication, clarity on pricing and standard of workmanship all first class. Thank you Btown flooring!
We're delighted with our floors. Ben and his team worked really hard and the floors look great. They are polite and courteous and very good value. We would highly recommend Btown floor sanding.
Ben and his team sanded all the floors in my 1930s house including the stairs, replacing and infilling a fireplace where the chimney breast had been removed. They left the house looking beautiful. It took a lot of work as the stairs were covered in bitumen, some of the floors wre covered in rende...
After contacting several companys to sand and varnish our parquet flooring, these was the ONLY one to reply!! After a short conversation, a date was made. Three guys turned up with lots of equipment and set to work.
I can not praise these guys enough. They were polite, hardworking and very...
35sq m of American oak flooring sanded after 25 years of wear. Great job. Professional, polite and we will use again. Highly recommended.
We employed Ben and his team to sand, varnish and stain our living room and kitchen floors. They did a wonderful job. They took plenty of time ensuring that we were happy with the shade of our stain - what Ben doesn't know about wood and how it will react to a stain isn't worth knowing! So please...
We contacted Btown flooring after a few other local companies let us down. And thank goodness they did, because we fell in the hands of a highly capable and professional team! We had taken the carpet out of two bedrooms, the landing and the stairs. The floor boards (more than 100 years old), were...
Ben and his team did an excellent job on our wooden floors. They were polite, responsive and professional throughout, from the initial request for a quote, right through to the extra visit after the job was finished to repair (free of charge) a scratch that we had accidentally caused to the new s...
Ben and his team sanded and varnished our downstairs living areas and hallway. They were very polite, respectful and Ben took as much time as was needed to make sure everything was done to a high standard as well as being happy to explain all aspects along the way as well as allowing us time to m...
I cannot recommend these guys highly enough. In fact I was so pleased I sent pictures to the rest of my street to recommend them!
They kept me informed at every step of what they were doing. They were super family friendly, working around the kids after school, which is amazing.
The...
BTown have just completed 3 days of sanding/renovating our wooden floors. We are absolutely delighted with the finished job. The work was carried out in a timely & organized manner with minimum disruption. Ben & his team were polite & respectful. Couldn't have wished for a better experience. We a...
Ben and his team did an amazing job of sanding, varnishing and lacquering our engineered wood floor. It has totally transformed our home and looks amazing. Ben and the team were complete professionals from start to finish, providing timely visits and quote, clear information and they completely s...
