Gaps in floorboards

Edz · Post by **Edz** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:12 pm

I want to sand and wax (or oil) my bedroom floorboards. The downside is they are quite old and there are some wide gaps .. like about 10mm!

What is the best way to fill these?

On the last house I had I was told to mix up some of the sanded boards sawdust with some varnish and with a pallet knife put that between the boards. What a waste of time that was. It all got hoovered out over the following 12 months!

Anyone got any ideas? Thanks.

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:36 pm

stick some nice underlay down and then laminate flooring!!!

Well, it's one way and what I did to 1) save the hassle of the work, 2) deal with problem of big gaps & 3) help with noise insulation.

Edz · Post by **Edz** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:41 pm

Sorry, should haven't mentioned that it is a Victorian rennovation, hence not wishing to carpet etc.

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:50 pm

I can see a heath robinson way to do what you want ....

thin slice of wood - about 5mm thick and 30mm wide. attach some wire or string to centre, apply run of glue to the sides of the wood ... then drop in througfh the gap and pull up - that will give you a base to put the sawdust and glue mix onto.

Alternatively and probably a bit better - get some lengths of wedges of wood cut up - maybe from a couple of floorboards in another room that is not so important and you intend to put another surface down on (say bathroom) - and knock them into fill the gap and then plane level?

using existing boards should help the colour matching and wood movements work together better

Edz · Post by **Edz** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:55 pm

Some nice ideas there. I'll try the wedge approach first.

Thanks.

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:05 pm

you may well get some better ideas from proper carpenters this evening as well!

Good luck - this is something that has always vexed me as well and never actually did it (the sanding work always put me off!)

Welsh Decorator · Post by **Welsh Decorator** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:10 pm

The best way that I have ever found, is to get some strips of timber cut, if your bigest gap is 10mm then get them cut to 12mm or 13mm, then with an elec plane plane them in a wedge shape, but leaveing them tight, then when they are ready, use some resin 'W' glue, and tap them in with a hammer untill tight, leave over night, then plane close to the floor and sand the lot in one go

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:14 pm

is there a limit to thin a strip you can go down to, WD? (I have a kitchen floor with same problems as Edz has but I think gaps a bit smaller - but being ground floor - drafty! Brrr)

Welsh Decorator · Post by **Welsh Decorator** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:18 pm

No not realy, if they are cut in a wedge shape, it the top size that really matters, it must be wider than the widest gap, otherwise they just fall in

If they are wider, then they will tap in and with the glue, stay there long after they have been sanded.

dirtydeeds · Post by **dirtydeeds** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:46 pm

ive never yet seen a method that works, ie doesnt have flaw

floorboards contrary to some popular opinions here and elsewhere do move and have to have room to move

i have however heard of a v shaped plastic strip that allows movement, it doesnt however do what most people want

most people want make floorboards smooth and flush with no joints like laminate.

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:30 pm

yep, i saw the gap filler...

http://www.gapseal.co.uk/?gclid=CP7ZtKK ... EAodkjaTsQ

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:31 pm

Evening all!,
Ive used the wedge method in the past and if you use some timber from the house (if possible) then its almost invisible,i cut thin strips of timber slightly thicker than the gap and carefully hammered them in with glue on and when you sand they will all be the same level (hopefully)

Good luck

Joe

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:41 pm

My BIL has the gaps in his floor filled with some kind of sawdust glue mix and to honest, I think it looks sh*te! Very obvious it is.
He is a tradesmen working with granite and been in the building trade for a long time, as have his brothers, so I have up to now thought it is a near impossible job as they should know what they are upto, but the wedges seem to be the best way

Question: why is the ground floor flooring usually T&G and the upstairs not?

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:11 pm

Im guessing because there is normally alot of dirt etc in the void?

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:15 pm

maybe for draft prevention.

As the downstairs should be as warm as upstairs, so heat transfer isnt a problem. where as the under the downstairs boards will be cold, and gaps are not good there!