DIY Network

House Call: Repairing Hardwood Floors From "Complete Fix-It" episode CFI-113

advertisement

Making end cuts

You will need a very sharp chisel for this job; you may need to sharpen it halfway through the project.

1. Plan to remove boards in a staggered pattern, with adjacent end joints at least 6 inches apart. At the end of a damaged board, make a vertical cut with a sharp 1-inch wood chisel, keeping its bevel side toward the portion of the board to be removed.
   
2. Working back toward the vertical cut, angle the blade and drive the chisel at about 30 degrees along the board.
   
3. Repeat this sequence until you have cut all the way through the board. Repeat at the other end.
   

1. With the chisel, make two parallel incisions a little less than an inch apart along the middle of the board from one end to the other.
   
2. Use the chisel to pry up the board between the incisions just enough to split the wood.
   

1. Working on a board at the center of the damaged area, insert a pry bar into the lengthwise crack created with the chisel. Pry the middle strip out, then the groove side of the board, and finally the tongue side.
   
2. Remove the adjacent boards in the same way, working toward the edges of the damaged area and taking care not to harm any good boards. Remove exposed nails or drive them down with a nail set.
   
3. Take a sample of the flooring to a lumberyard to get matching replacement boards.
   

1. Cut a replacement board to fill the outermost space on the tongued side of the damaged area.
   
2. Using a scrap of flooring with a groove that fits the tongue of the replacement piece as a hammering block, wedge the new board securely into place.
   

1. Drive and set 3-inch flooring nails at a 45-degree angle through the corner of the tongue of the replacement piece. Pilot holes are not essential but may be helpful.
   
2. If existing boards around the repair have separated slightly, try to match their spacing by inserting thin shims such as metal washers between the new board and the old one while driving the nails.
   

1. To slide a replacement between two boards, lay it flat on the subfloor and work the tips of its tongue and groove into those of the existing pieces.
   
2. Using a scrap hammering block, tap it all the way in.
   

1. For the last few spaces where you cannot slide the pieces into place, lay a replacement board upside down on a piece of scrap wood and chisel off the lower lip of the groove as indicated by the blue line on the board in.
   
2. Turn the board face up and gently tap it into place from above.
   

1. To fasten the last replacement boards, which offer no access for blind-nailing, drill angled pilot holes every 12 inches about 1/2-inch from the edges of the face. Drive 3-inch finishing nails or trim-head screws into the holes.
   
2. Set the nails or countersink the screws, and cover them with wood putty that has been tinted to match the color of the boards.

   Note: To order the new HGTV's Complete Fix-It book, see Resources, below.

RESOURCES :

HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV