How to Replace a Hardwood Floor Board
Hardwood floors not only look beautiful, they have the added benefit of being extremely long wearing. Keep in mind though, even the best flooring can sometimes get damaged; for example, if water is left standing on a hardwood flooring board it will leave a black stain you can't sand out. That means the only way you can get rid of the stain is to actually remove and replace the damaged board. This can be an expensive job if you need to call in a flooring company, but it isn't really that complicated, and a competent DIY'er can do it him or herself. If you are that person, here is how to replace a damaged hardwood board (or two) in your floor. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Hardwood boards (same type, same width as boards being replaced)
- Circular saw
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Eye protection
- Straight edge
- Utility knife
- Tape measure
- Nail set
- Wood filler
- Sanding block
- 200-grit sandpaper
- Cat's paw or small pry bar
- Table saw or hammer and sharp chisel
- Finishing nails
Instructions
-
How to Remove a Floor Board
-
1
Understand hardwood floors are installed using tongue and groove boards, and the boards are nailed in place with nails driven at an angle down through the tongue. The groove of the adjacent board is installed over the tongue (and the nail head) ensuring that there are no nail heads showing on the finished floor.
-
2
Replacing a floor board or a section of a board requires cutting the board both lengthwise and crosswise before removing it.
-
-
3
Start by setting your circular saw to cut at the depth equal to the thickness of your hardwood floor boards, then make a "plunge" cut through the middle of the board you are replacing, cutting it lengthwise.
-
4
To cut across the board, start by scoring a line the width of the board with your utility knife and a straight edge, then cut through the board using a sharp chisel and a hammer.
-
5
Once the board is cut lengthwise and crosswise you should be able to pry up a "starter" piece of the board with your "cat's paw," then once it's out of the way, pry up the rest of the board.
How to Install a Replacement Board
-
6
Remove the bottom groove of the board. The easiest way to do this is with a table saw set to the proper height to remove it; however, you can also remove the bottom groove using your chisel and a hammer.
-
7
Once the groove is gone, measure and cut your replacement board to the proper length, then drop it into place.
-
8
Fasten the replacement board by face nailing it (nail right through the board), then ease a nail set to drive the nail head below the surface.
-
9
Fill the nail hole with wood filler, allow it to dry thoroughly, then sand it smooth (along with any damaged edges of adjacent boards) and refinish the area.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To make a "plunge cut," first start your saw, then hold it with the front on the floor and the back end elevated. Slowly lower the back end so the blade cuts into the board being replaced. When the saw is sitting flat on the floor move it forward to finish the cut.
If you are replacing more than one board you will need to remove the bottom groove on each of them and face nail them in place.
Always wear eye protection when working with power tools and using a hammer and chisel.
