Hardwood Floor Repair

Repairs to hardwood floors are not as hard as you think. Besides the right tools, the most important things any homeowner should be armed with when going to repair their damaged hardwood floors are patience, time and a little knowledge. Having these things in their tool box will let the average homeowner make most repairs to damaged hardwood floors.

Where to Start

The place to begin is with the knowledge. You can find many sites on the internet that will give you tips on repairing hardwood floors. Another good starting point is your local hardware store or home improvement center. Not only will they be able to give you tips on repairs to your hardwood floor but they can also suggest the proper material to use. Other great starting points are your local lumber yard or flooring dealer. If your hardwood floor is new enough, you may even have the floor repair kit that commonly comes with new hardwood flooring. At the end of this article you will find a resource list for repairing hardwood floors.

Tools and Material

Some tools and materials you may need for repairs to hardwood floors include:

�· Hammer

�· Nail set

�· Carpenters square

�· Drill

�· Wood chisel

�· Small pry bar

�· Saw

�· Construction adhesive

�· Ring shank nails of various sizes

�· New planking or flooring

�· Sand paper

�· Oxalic acid crystals

�· Stain

�· Color putty sticks

This list is not all inclusive nor is it a list of everything you will need for your hardwood floor repair. It is just a list of what you might need depending on the repair you have to make.

Minor Nicks and Scratches

Minor nicks and scratches can be repaired using a simple color putty stick. These can be found at hardware stores or home improvement centers. It is as simple as cleaning the area to be repaired and rubbing the area with the putty stick. Use a soft cloth to wipe away the excess. If your hardwood floor is full of scratches and nicks, you might want to consider a total refinish since putty sticks are just a simple cosmetic repair.

Replacing Strips or Planking

Sometimes the staining or damage to an area of flooring is deeper than a cosmetic repair can handle. This is the time you want to consider replacing strips or planking. While a moderately difficult task, the average homeowner, armed with the right tools and knowledge and most importantly, patience, can make this repair to their hardwood floor.

As with other repairs, the place to start is to arm yourself with the proper knowledge and material. A good starting point is your local hardware store or flooring store. Once you have the proper tools and material you will;

�· Use a nail set and drive any nail in the damaged section as far as you can through the floor

�· Next, use a carpenters square to mark out the area to be repaired

Ã?· Drill holes along the marked area using a Ã?½ ” drill

�· Use your wood chisel to spit the boards to be replaced

�· Pry out the damaged boards

�· Square the ends up with the wood chisel and pry out any exposed nails

�· Cut strips of new flooring to the proper length

�· Chisel out the bottom of the groove on the replacement pieces so they fit past the tongue

�· Test fit the replacement pieces

�· If the pieces fit, use construction adhesive to hold in place

Ã?· Use 2″ ring shank nails to finish. Set the nail heads with the nail set

Repairing a Buckled Board

Repairing a buckled board is not that hard. You need to place something heavy on the buckled area such as a cinder block. From below, you will place a 1-1/4″ screw through the subflooring. This will pull the warped board down into place. Just be sure not to drive the screws through the floor itself.

Resources for Hardwood Floor Repair

�· WoodFloorsOnline.com

�· Lowes