Repairing Guides

how to repair wood plank flooring

by Jacquelyn Berge Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Repair Kit

  • Scrape off the bulging dent (If the dent isn’t bulging upwards, continue the steps below)
  • Apply repair putty/wood filler on the dent
  • Use the putty knife to flatten it to level
  • Apply a coat of acetone for further protection if you have it
  • Let it dry

Part of a video titled How to replace a plank in a hardwood floor | Tutorial by Quick ...
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Don't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close toMoreDon't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close to the short end as possible and click in the long side use the tapping block to tap the plank closer.

Full Answer

Should I refinish my hardwood flooring or replace it?

Should You Replace or Refinish Hardwood Floors?

  • Replace or Refinish: Factors to Consider. Should you replace or refinish hardwood floors? ...
  • Refinishing Hardwood Floors. As mentioned, refinishing floors has its advantages. ...
  • When Hardwood Floors Truly Need Replacing. Source: Paradise On Earth/Shutterstock.com Clearly, given a choice, refinishing is a preferred option for many homeowners.

How to replace engineered hardwood floor planks?

  • Washcloth
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Cotton swabs (like Q-Tips)
  • Floor repair wax in a shade to match your floor
  • Plastic putty knife
  • Clean cotton cloth in white, or an old-fashioned style baby diaper

When to replace vs. refinish a hardwood floor?

Should You Refinish or Replace Your Hardwood Floors?

  • Structural Damage. Although a home’s structural damage doesn’t always directly impact your flooring, the process of repairing the structure will!
  • Movement & Gapping. Oftentimes with older homes you can find significant gapping in between floor planks. ...
  • Aesthetic Changes. ...

How to replace damaged areas of hardwood flooring?

  • Wear safety glasses and use a putty knife to remove any molding or baseboards around the perimeter of the damaged area. ...
  • Laminate floors are usually put together via a locking tongue and groove system and “float” above the subfloor. ...
  • Find the groove edge at one end of a room, then lift up that piece to release it from the locking action. ...

More items...

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Can you repair hardwood floor planks?

But try not to fret—you can replace individual wood planks on your own without having to replace the entire floor. Pulling off the project with care comes down to understanding your current hardwood flooring system, gathering the right tools, and protecting the rest of your undamaged boards.

How do you replace one piece of tongue and groove flooring?

0:494:53How to Repair a Tongue-and-Groove Wood Floor | This Old HouseYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt into the tongue on the long side. And you bang it right into place you have a nice tight jointMoreIt into the tongue on the long side. And you bang it right into place you have a nice tight joint and that won't lift out.

How do you fix a broken wooden floor panel?

1:573:15Removing & replacing a damaged hardwood flooring board - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we'll put that in there our boards cut the lengths just put it down in there tap it a little bitMoreSo we'll put that in there our boards cut the lengths just put it down in there tap it a little bit with a hammer. Then we will take finish nail put one on each side.

Can you replace one plank of engineered hardwood?

This is done easily if you have engineered hardwood flooring glued down but you can still do it with solid wood flooring. The replacement board is then replaced carefully using adhesive and as you can see no one would know it had been replaced.

How do you replace individual laminate flooring boards?

0:182:35Repair laminate flooring: how to replace a broken plank - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can always repair small damage to your floor with the Peugeot repair kit. But sometimes a boardMoreYou can always repair small damage to your floor with the Peugeot repair kit. But sometimes a board is damaged so badly that it has to be removed from the floor. No easy feat but this is how you do it

How do you repair laminate wood flooring?

0:422:19How to Repair a Laminate Floor - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhere a damaged piece is surrounded on both sides by good pieces. You'll need to cut the damagedMoreWhere a damaged piece is surrounded on both sides by good pieces. You'll need to cut the damaged piece in half use a circular saw set to exactly the depth of the flooring.

How do you replace a small section of hardwood flooring?

1:323:03How to replace a plank in a hardwood floor | Tutorial by Quick-StepYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDon't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close toMoreDon't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close to the short end as possible and click in the long side use the tapping block to tap the plank closer.

How do you repair engineered wood flooring?

0:2510:15Engineered Wood Flooring Repair | How To Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhat's happening hey today I want to show you something I'm doing a repair on a floor I had aMoreWhat's happening hey today I want to show you something I'm doing a repair on a floor I had a delamination in a veneer - engineered wood flooring.

How do you repair a chipped floor board?

Drill a hole through the chipped part of the floor using a countersink bit. Drop a little bit of water in the hole, then add some polyurethane glue. Drive a screw through the hole, securing the floorboard back to the floor. If you saved the chipped piece of the floor, you can glue it back on the floor with wood glue.

Can you replace part of an engineered wood floor?

Engineered hardwood floors often are "floating floors." These boards are clipped together by tongue-and-groove edges but aren't secured to the subfloor or walls; they merely sit on the floor, held down by the floor trim. You will need to take apart some of the boards to get to the damaged area.

Can you replace just part of hardwood floor?

We are happy to replace sections of flooring but highly recommend refinishing the entire area for a consistent look. For small issues that result in gouges or scratches in the wood, it is often possible to use wood putty to fix hardwood flooring.

How do you replace a section of engineered flooring?

0:208:03How To Repair Engineered Wood Floor - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere's also a couple of scratches on the two boards to their right and we're going to need to fixMoreThere's also a couple of scratches on the two boards to their right and we're going to need to fix those also while we're in here we might as well take care of it all so these are just a few of the

Can you replace a section of tongue and groove flooring?

The process of replacing a single tongue and groove board requires several tools, including a circular saw and a wood chisel. With some tools and expertise, you can excise damaged floor boards to replace a single tongue and groove board or a small section of boards.

How do you replace a single piece of hardwood flooring?

1:323:03How to replace a plank in a hardwood floor | Tutorial by Quick-StepYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDon't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close toMoreDon't overdo it more glue is definitely not better slide your new plank into the opening as close to the short end as possible and click in the long side use the tapping block to tap the plank closer.

How do you replace a single floorboard?

6:329:03How To Replace One Board In A Floor - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSide that you don't press hard and then crack the top side of that groove you shouldn't have to justMoreSide that you don't press hard and then crack the top side of that groove you shouldn't have to just hammer the board to get it in remember this is a thinner floor. So we just want to be real careful.

How do you replace a section of tongue and groove siding?

1:1321:21How To Replace Damaged Tongue And Groove Siding - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI would recommend just cutting it down the middle. And you might even want to cut a couple of lines.MoreI would recommend just cutting it down the middle. And you might even want to cut a couple of lines. So it's going to be difficult to get your saw up into the roof. Area underneath the roof eaves.

What to do if your flooring is rotted?

Badly damaged or rotted sections of flooring must be removed and replaced with new pieces. This involves cutting out or prying up a section of the finish flooring, gluing or nailing replacements to the subflooring, filling cracks to match, sanding the surface, and refinishing.

Why does my hardwood floor squeak?

As it does so, boards can separate or warp and nails can loosen. With expansion and contraction—and movement in general—hardwood floors can develop squeaks.

What is the best tool to cut out wood flooring?

The best tool for cutting out a section of wood flooring is an oscillating multi-tool, as shown in this photograph. For more about this tool, see the HomeTips Oscillating Multi-Tool Buying Guide.

What to do when you tap a replacement into place?

When you tap the replacement into place with a hammer, protect it with a scrap of wood or flooring.

How to set fastener heads?

Set the fastener heads below the surface, using a nailset. Then fill with matching wood putty.

Is wood flooring hard?

Hardwood flooring, by its name, sounds like it should be really hard. But, compared to other materials like tile, stone, and laminate, it is relatively soft and prone to damage such as scratches, gouges, and discoloration. Unfortunately, surface scratches and gouges are the inevitable result of daily wear and tear.

Can you replace hardwood floors that have warped?

If several hardwood flooring boards have warped because of excessive water damage, they’ll probably need to be removed and replaced. In many cases, you can replace only the damaged areas. In order to do this, you’ll need to be able to identify and buy identical replacements. Of course, this isn’t always possible.

What to use on wood floors to get a golden sheen?

If your floor is natural unstained wood: try a few types of floor urethane on your test patch. Water-based urethane will dry clear, while oil-based formulations will impart a slight golden tinge to the floor. See which matches best. Be sure to get the sheen right, whether it be gloss, semi-gloss, or satin.

How long do wood floors last?

And, when you’re shopping for wood floors, be sure to look for quality products that offer an extended warranty—anywhere from 30 to 100 years—on finishes.

Can you urethane over a stain?

Know that the color you’ll wind up with after you’ve applied urethane over the stain will be most similar to the color you see when the stain is first applied and is still wet. Now that you’ve nailed down the stain and urethane, make sure the worn part of your floor has been sanded completely smooth.

Can you sand a gouge in a hardwood floor?

Gouges. If the damage to your hardwood floor goes beyond a simple scratch and moves into the category of a gouge, then you’ll need some type of filler to repair the nick before sanding, staining, and finishing, because it would simply be impractical to sand to the bottom of the blemish.

Is wood flooring durable?

Wood floors are durable and easy to maintain, but they're still subject to accidental gouges, scratches, and heavy wear. Before you call in a refinisher, consider trying some of the easy fixes outlined here. This article has been brought to you by Lumber Liquidators. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Can scratches on hardwood floors fade?

Grit on shoes, overly enthusiastic pets, and heavy items that have been dropped or moved can all leave scratches on our precious hardwood floors. If you have light surface scratches on the floors, all that might be required to make them fade is application of a solution such as Lumber Liquidators’ Scratch Away ( view on Lumber Liquidators ), which cleans and polishes floors while reducing the appearance of scratches. If the scratches are deeper, then you’ll want to follow the instructions above, sanding the floor down to the bottom of the scratch before restaining and/or refinishing.

What to do if your floor isn't fixed to the subfloor?

If your floor isn’t fixed to the subfloor, you could try sliding the boards back into place. What you need to do here is work around the outside, or perimeter of your room and gently manoeuvre the boards back into place.   If needs be you could introduce some wooden pegs to avoid the boards slipping back again.   Where you have an unfixed floor, it’s important not to drag or slide heavy items across the floor because this will exacerbate the risk of gaps developing.

Why do wood floors have gaps?

Apart from moisture and temperature fluctuations, wood floor boards can separate and develop gaps if the flooring hasn’t been properly acclimatised prior to installation or if an insufficient expansion gap has been left around the room.

How much space do you need to lay flooring?

The general rule of thumb is to leave a gap of 10-15mm around the perimeter of your room to allow the flooring to expand and contract without the risk of damage.

What is acclimatizing wood flooring?

Acclimatising your wood flooring is an essential part of your pre-installation procedure. In a nutshell, it means getting the wood ready for its new environment. A well-acclimatised floor board will be spared the trauma of excessive expansion and contraction due to environmental conditions when it’s laid. Once you’ve acclimatised your flooring, ...

What happens when a board expands?

What will happen eventually with boards that are expanding and contracting too much is that they will either develop unsightly and often draughty gaps or they will cup or bow because they don’t have enough space to expand as much as the conditions are forcing them to.   Both of these situations can be avoided by putting the right practices in place both prior to and whilst laying your floor.

Does wood contract with temperature?

Temperature and moisture extremes. Wood is a completely natural product and as such expands and contracts when it comes in contact with moisture and temperature fluctuations. As a general rule of thumb, when temperatures are on the hot side and moisture levels are high in the air, wood takes in the moisture and expands.

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