How to Repair Wood Floors

Hardwood flooring is one of the most desirable and durable flooring options available to homeowners. Unfortunately, even wood floors can start to show their age, with scratches, splinters and gaps between floor boards being the most common problems. Repairing these items requires no special training and most homeowners will find it is a simple task to restore their wood floors to like-new condition.

Things You'll Need

• Replacement wood boards
• Utility knife
• Mallet
• Chisel
• Drum sander(Can be rented)
• 20,40, 100 grit sandpaper
• Duct tape
• Clear plastic sheets
• Vacuum cleaner
• Polyurethane varnish
• Varnish brush
• Mop

Instructions

1. Decide which boards might need to be replaced. Pick out any floor boards that are warped, cracked, or severely damaged and purchase boards of similar size, shape and wood species to replace them. Don't worry about the finish. It is very difficult to match new wood finish to existing, so refinishing the entire floor will provide the best results.

2. Use a utility knife, hammer and chisel to remove the damaged boards. Line up the replacement boards and install them just as you would a new floor. Use the tongue and groove option if applicable, or use your hammer to nail the new boards to the subfloor.

3. Remove all furniture and draperies from room. Refinishing a floor creates a large amount of dust that can damage furniture, curtains, or any other materials left in the room.

4. Seal off all ducts, vents, and doors using duct tape or clear plastic. This will keep the dust from sanding from getting into other parts of the house.

5. Use your drum sander to sand the entire floor in a straight line pattern using 20-grit sandpaper. As you complete each pass of the room, carefully lift the sander to move it over.

6. Repeat Step 5 using 40-grit sandpaper, then repeat again using 100-grit paper.

7. Vacuum the entire area to remove all sanding dust. Leaving any dust behind will effect the quality of your finished floor.

8. Apply your varnish or stain to the floor using your varnish brush and smooth, even strokes. After one hour, apply a second coat.

9. Buff the floor using a dry mop after giving the varnish 24 hours to dry. Follow this up with a damp mop and your wood floors will be shiny, smooth and appear brand new again.

Tips & Warnings

• Varnish is available in an infinite number of colors. Most home improvement stores can match any sample you take them, or you can choose from pre-mixed selections.

• Don't skip the second coat of varnish. It helps to seal the floors and protect against future damage.