Do It Yourself Hardwood Floor Repair of Gaps & Low Spots

Repair gaps and low spots in hardwood flooring on your own.

Problems in hardwood floors are unavoidable, especially when the floors are older. Hardwood floor repair can get expensive quickly if you hire a professional contractor. When your problems are small and don't require the whole floor to be ripped up, repairing the flooring on your own can help you save money. Since gaps and low spots in the hardwood flooring occur in many cases, learning how to repair these problems can solve these issues.

Things You'll Need

• Medium-grit sandpaper
• Latex wood floor filler
• Filler tint
• Putty knife
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Wood stain
• Polyurethane clear coat
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

Repairing Gaps

1. Sand the hardwood floor planks on both sides along the gaps, using the medium-grit sandpaper. You'll only need to sand about ½ inch out on either side of the gaps, but you need to sand most of the existing clear coat off to roughen the surface enough.

2. Mix the latex wood floor filler and filler tint, following the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Apply the tinted wood filler, using the putty knife, into the gap. Keep adding filler until it starts to reach the level of the floor planks; start spreading the filler out to each side of the planks where you sanded. Try to level the filler as much as possible with the putty knife. Allow the filler to harden for the time specified on the packaging.

4. Sand the filler with fine-grit sandpaper, when cured, until it is level with the planks on both sides.

5. Apply stain to the filler, using a paintbrush. You may need to apply more than one coat to closely match the flooring's existing stain color.

6. Apply two to three layers of polyurethane clear coat, using another paintbrush. Allow one coat to dry before you apply another one. Try to match the thickness of the existing polyurethane on the surrounding planks.

Repairing Low Spots

1. Sand the low spot with the medium-grit sandpaper to provide a surface for adherence.

2. Mix the floor filler and tint, following the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Apply the filler to the low spot in layers, allowing one layer to harden before adding another. You are building up on the low spot so that it's even with the surrounding wood.

4. Sand the filler with fine-grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch and the edges are flush with the surrounding wood.

5. Apply stain to the filler in as many coats as needed to closely match the existing stain.

6. Apply polyurethane clear coat in two to three coats, until you reach the same thickness of the existing flooring. Allow one coat to dry before adding another.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply your filler following the direction of the planks for gaps and the direction of the wood grain for low spots.

References

• The Natural Handyman: How to Choose and Use Filler for Wood Floors
• Floor Covering Installer: Repairing Gaps in Wood Floors

Resources

• WoodFloorDoctor.com: How to Repair a Hardwood Floor for DIY's and Contractors