Many contractors call NWFA's
tech line daily with questions about how to repair a wood floor whether it
is job-site finished, prefinished, satin or gloss finished, natural or
custom stained. It can involve several boards or just one piece of flooring.
There's a big difference between a repair and a patch job. A repair will
blend almost perfectly, not showing any blemishes. However, a patch job can
be spotted a mile away.
PATIENCE PAYS OFF....Take the time to repair a wood
floor, not just
patch it....
When repairing a hardwood floor,
time and patience with the proper tools, techniques and products will pay
off in the end. It's very easy to damage pieces next to the ones that are
being repaired, and if damage occurs, it makes for a long day.
For a 3/4" by 2 1/4"
board, use a circular saw set at the proper depth (3/4 inch), making two
passes approximately 1/2" inch from each side of the board (not cutting
past the end joints). The third cut goes on an angle between the first two
cuts, again not cutting through the side match. Once the cuts are made, use
a sharp chisel to remove the cut pieces. Clean and vacuum the groove and
area around the repair, making sure all debris is removed. After these steps
are complete, select a straight piece of flooring that has a similar grain
pattern as the one removed. Cut the piece of flooring to the exact length to
ensure a tight fit, not leaving cracks at the end joints. (This repair can
also be done with a router and template.) Once the piece is cut to length,
the bottom of the groove will need to be removed. This can be done by
scribing the back of the board with a razor knife, then tapping the piece
off with a hammer. Each end of the board can be beveled with a miter saw or
by using a block plane to bevel the groove-side of the board. Always dry fit
the piece before installing. Now the piece is ready to install, using a two-
part epoxy. With a gun and nozzle, apply the glue in the groove and on the
tongue of the boards adjoining the repair. Also, apply glue to the tongue
and groove on the repair piece. The epoxy will set up very quickly, so time
is limited. The reason for using epoxy is that you can sand the repair
within 10 to 15 minutes after it is properly installed. Other glues will
take longer to set and will require drying overnight before the repair can
be sanded.
When repairing staple- or
nail-down prefinished or job-site finished floors, the repair can be done in
the same manner. However, repairing a finished floor takes more time before
and during the repair to avoid damage to the already finished floor. Again,
it is critical when selecting boards on a prefinished floor repair to match
grain, color, sheen and appearance for best results. When repairing a floor
that has been stained and finished, it takes a great deal of experience,
skill and patience to produce a successful repair. Using an edger and
fine-grit sandpaper (80-100 grit), sand the repair flat. After the repair is
sanded, use a sharp scraper IX inches wide to scrape scratches out and
feather back into existing stain or finish. I call this "chasing the
grain." Using the natural pattern of the grain in the wood flooring,
lightly scrape and blend the area in which you are working. After all
scraping is complete, clean and hand sand with 80- or 100- grit paper. Do
not sand out into the finished area at this time. Then sand lightly around
the repair with a finer grit of sandpaper, mainly where the finish meets the
bare wood. This will smooth the finish so the stain doesn't bond to it and
cause a darker halo.
Repairing glue-down products
takes a different approach. The adhesive used to glue the flooring to the
subfloor (whether wood or concrete) slightly glues one piece to another,
therefore making the repair difficult. However, the basic technique remains
the same. After making two cuts lengthwise and a third diagonally, the
damaged flooring should be removed with a chisel.
Related Pages:
~Installing Wood Floors- Industry Procedures
~Technical Questions - We got answers - FAQ's
Technical questions
answered by NWFA's Technical Director(1994-2000)
Daniel Boone
