Hardwood floors can last longer than the house they’re installed in, but sometimes they need to be repaired. They may be in an area of heavy traffic or they’ve spent a long time supporting heavy furniture that’s been removed and has left dings and dents behind. Most hardwood floor repairs are fairly easy to do, however.
Patching
One way to get rid of dings and cracks in a hardwood floor is to patch it. This is especially easy if the wood has been laid down in the tongue and groove technique, where each end of one plank snaps into the top of another. Sometimes all that needs to be done is to pop out the damaged plank and slip another one in its place. If the plank is very long, the homeowner will need to do a bit more work.
The homeowner should use a power drill and fit it with a spade bit. Then, he should boreholes across the ends and the middle of the board. He should then use a wood chisel and split the board down its length between the holes, and use a pry bar to remove the damaged area. Then, any old nails should be pulled out of the subfloor with a claw hammer.
The new plank should be cut for a tight fit. Wood glue should be applied to the subfloor, and the tongue of the board that will attach to the new piece. The groove of the new piece should be snapped into the tongue of this board. The homeowner should then blind nail through the tongue, then tap the new piece into place with a hammer. He should put a hammer block over the new piece to keep it from getting dinged.
Getting Rid of Scratches
To get rid of scratches, the homeowner should use steel wool and mineral spirits. He should rub the mineral spirits in with the grain, rinse and refinish the wood floor. If the cuts are very deep, he should sand the wood with the grain and apply wood filler with a brush. The filler should be allowed to set overnight, and then the floor should be refinished.
Refinishing
Refinishing the floor is a job of work, but it can be done. The homeowner will need to rent a regular drum sander to use on most of the floor and an edge sander to use on the edges. After each sanding pass, the floor will need to be vacuumed, and then rubbed down with a tack cloth to make sure the remaining dust is picked up. Then, wood paste filler will need to be applied with the grain of the wood and left to dry overnight. After that, two to four coats of polyurethane finish will need to be applied with a brush or a wax applicator. The floor needs to be sanded with fine grade sandpaper between coats. Again, a tack cloth should be used to pick up any remaining dust. Floors with a polyurethane finish won’t need to be waxed.
Replace
Another option is to update your timber floor with an acacia hardwood floors from Palmetto Road Floors. They can supply your home with the best looking hardwood flooring solution. Using a local grown timber, they guarantee it will last a lifetime. You can request a quote to get more information.
