How To Fix Gaps In Old Hardwood Floors

Try to avoid gaps in the first place.

How to fix gaps in old hardwood floors.

Water logged wood will first swell then shrink as it dries out. Avoiding hardwood floor gaps. For this reason very few floor experts will still suggest using a putty filler. Putty fillers were once a mainstay of hardwood floor repair.

If your wood floor shows gaps in the winter wait until the spring when the indoor environment regains moisture to see if the gaps close up. With older tongue and groove hardwood or even wide plank floors gaps inevitably develop between the boards mostly because the wood shrinks over time as it dries out and loses moisture content. Over time however the putty hardens chips and flakes. Gaps along seams are a common issue with prefinished and unfinished hardwood floors.

This leaves your floor looking even worse and requiring you to dig out the old putty and replace it. Before installing hardwood floors it is important to acclimate the product to your home. Using fillers such as putty powdered filler which is mixed to a putty or paste form or even caulking resolves gaps if done properly. Another exacerbating condition is water damage.

Filling large gaps in old wood floors. Have the installer perform a humidity level test because either very high or very low humidity can cause bowing splitting and warping. If gaps remain or the floor is old it is possible to. How to fill gaps in prefinished hardwood floors.

If you cannot fix the problem by installing a humidifier you may need to take more drastic action when it comes to filling wide gaps. You can fill the gaps in an unfinished floor with a mixture of. The problem is magnified when the boards were not tightly laid in the first place. How to fix old hardwood floors with gaps and cupping.