Hardwood floors are gaining popularity for a reason due to their attractiveness and the latest preservation methods. However, these floors are plagued by problems that aren’t present in other floor kinds. Some of the more frustrating and potentially dangerous problems is cracks that form between or in the boards. This issue can’t only be addressed however, it can also be prevented by regular floor maintenance.
Why do Gaps Form?
In contrast to stone or synthetic flooring, hardwood floors are more susceptible to the effects of conditions. When your home’s temperature gets hot it expands the wood and shrinks when it is in cooler temperatures. The humidity also plays a part as the wood shrinks when it gets dry.
Hands-Free Maintenance
One of the most common reasons for shrinkage in boards is the low humidity. Hardwood floors may dry out over a prolonged period of time. using a small humidifier in the room or in your furnace’s humidifier can help you prevent this issue.
The proper humidity levels within your home can enhance the health of your family So this preventative measure can have multiple benefits.
How to Avoid Wood Fillers
You might be tempted to fill in the gaps with wood filler. It’s not an option for boards that are affected by humidity since the boards remain expanding and shrink. Cracks of this kind are generally accepted as normal for hardwood and any filler will last if the right humidity is kept. Wood fillers aren’t intended for use in huge gaps.
The Reasons to Avoid Putty Fillers
Putty fillers used to be a staple of floor repairs for hardwood floors. However, over time the putty becomes hard or chips off and becomes flakes. This makes your floor look worse and requires you to remove the old putty, and then replace it. Because of this, very few experts in flooring will recommend using a filler for your putty.
Wax as a Prevention
Although it isn’t always the most popular floor wax does have benefits of filling tiny pores of the wood floor, and sealing it from humidity. It not only protects your floors from damages from spills but also helps keep the moisture from drying out.
Floors that are waxed need to be cleaned regularly However, they tend to be less likely become dry than floors that are not waxed. Certain finishes may help decrease the likelihood of drying out your hardwood floor.
Repairing Permanent Floor Cracks
While humidity could impact your hardwood flooring permanently, cracking in the floor is an issue. If the gaps cannot be filled with increasing humidity levels, you’ll require filling the cracks.
There are many ways to achieve this end The method you choose will depend on whether the floor is unfinished or finished in addition to the severity to which the flooring is damaged.
Flexible Gap Fillers
There are a variety of fillers in the market, which maintain some degree of flexibility even after drying. They tend to not be pulled out if the boards expand which makes them a fantastic method of sealing cracks that are narrow. Filler is a straightforward procedure that calls for a caulk gun, the caulk trimmer, or an equivalent removal tool.
- Start by vacuuming the cracks with the hose attachment. This will remove any dust particles that might hinder the filler’s adhesion onto the wood.
- Cut the end of the tube filler at an angle, then put it in the gun for caulk. This angle allows you to control the filler, and prevent uneven application.
- Apply the filler on the crack in the same way as normal caulk. Then, use the trimmer gently to scrape off any excess.
- Follow the directions on the filler tube when you clean it up to avoid leaving marks or other marks on your floors.
Pieces of Wood
A popular method to fill in larger gaps is to use strips made of the same hardwood that your flooring is made of. Be sure that the area is well-ventilated to minimize the possibility of your wood strip getting pulled out when each time the floorboards expand.
Cut the strips in half and apply wood glue on both sides. Then, employ a hammer that has some kind of padding (or a mallet made of rubber) to force the strips into the boards while allowing just only a small amount to remain above the floor.
After the glue is dry then remove the remaining wood with a block plane such that the floor is smooth across the patch area. Be aware that this technique is most effective for boards with square curt and does not work for tongue-and-groove floors.
Rope
A well-known and old-fashioned method to fill big gaps is to use rope. This technique dates back to the early days of Arabian shipbuilding techniques, and comes with the added benefit of providing a small amount of insulation.
If you are the use of pieces of wood You will need to determine the length of rope needed to be able to fit. Avoid synthetic rope and then wedge it in place. As opposed to strips, you’ll want to ensure that your that the fillers of your rope are flush with the boards. The rope could be stained to match the floor.
Floors with unfinished or sawdust
One simple method to fill in gaps on the floor that is not finished is to make use of fine sawdust. The dust that is sanded from wood that is the same species is ideal, as more sawdust can show a texture that is not desirable.
Mix the dust with polyurethane, then fill in the cracks. This method is only suitable for unfinished floors and can interfere with flooring that has been finished.
Whole Floor Replacement
Sometimes, the best way to fix your flooring is to replace it completely. This is particularly true in the case of large gaps and extensive, or there are other indications for damage on the flooring like warping or missing fragments. Although this may be an expensive option, trying to fix a severely damaged hardwood floor may be more expensive in the end.
