A problem with your hardwood floors doesn't mean that you have to replace or refinish the entire floor. Replace a strip of flooring, fix a buckled board, or remove stains and scratches, and do it all yourself.
Your hardwood floor may be in generally fine shape, with just a damaged spot or two. If you find damage or stains, it may be easier and more effective to make small repairs than to refinish the entire floor. Don't feel compelled to hire someone to make minor repairs. Do it yourself and save some money for bigger projects.
Replacing a strip or plank of flooring
If a strip or plank of flooring is damaged and is beyond being saved by sanding and filling, you have to replace it. Most floors use a tongue-and-groove design for connecting adjacent strips. This design makes replacing a single strip or plank challenging, but not impossible.
First, look for any nails in the damaged board and drive as far through the board as possible by using a hammer and nail set (a pointed tool that you place on the head of the nail and then strike with a hammer, driving the nail into the wood). Carpenters use nail sets to drive nails flush with trim without damaging the trim with a hammer.
After you've cleared the nails, it's time to remove the damaged board and install a new one:
1. Using a carpenter's square, mark a perpendicular line across the section of the board to be removed.
If you're removing the entire strip, skip this step.
2. Drill holes along the marks by using a 1/2- or 3/8-inch-diameter spade bit and power drill.
3. Using a wood chisel, split the damaged board into two pieces.
Doing so makes removal easier.
4. Pry out the damaged board.
If you take a strip out of the middle, you can pry the remaining pieces away from the adjacent boards before prying them up. Remove any additional boards the same way but cut them so the end joints are staggered.
5. Square up the drilled ends with a very sharp wood chisel, and use a nail puller to remove any exposed nails or drive them in out of the way with a nail set.
You want the ends of the good sections smooth and square for easier installation.
6. Cut a replacement strip to the same length as the one you removed.
As needed, cut off the bottom side of the groove on the board.
Removing the bottom groove enables you to install a board between two others by inserting its tongue side first and then lowering its groove side into place. If you don't remove it, you won't be able to get the board past the tongue of the adjacent board.
7. Test-fit the strip to make sure that it fits.
If it doesn't, recut the board.
8. Remove the replacement strip and apply construction adhesive to the backside of the strip.
9. Install the strip and gently tap it into place.
Use a scrap piece of wood to protect the strip's surface while tapping it into place.
10. Nail the board with 2-inch-long ring-shank flooring nails and drive the heads just below the surface with a nail set.
Matching the finish of the new strip to the existing flooring may be difficult, but give it a shot before you refinish the entire floor. Apply stain and sealer or whatever finish the strip needs to match the existing floor.
Repairing a buckled board
Occasionally, a hardwood floorboard buckles, due to humidity levels. When this happens, you need to fix it fast for two reasons:
- To avoid further damage to the floor
- More important, to get rid of a real tripping hazard
To fix a buckled floorboard, you need to be able to access the floor from below. The way to tackle this problem is to put weight on the buckled area from above — a cement block works well. Then install a 1-1/4- inch screw in the buckled flooring from below. Allow the screw to penetrate only halfway into the flooring, or it may come up through the finished surface. Driving the screw through the subfloor and into the flooring pulls the flooring down against the subfloor and gets rid of the buckled spot.
Dealing with stains
Stains are the toughest fix when it comes to hardwood floors. One stain or water ring can ruin the look of the whole floor. Unfortunately, refinishing the entire floor is sometimes the only way to get rid of a stain or ring. But before you rent a sander, try to get rid of the stain. Doing so requires using a gentle touch and the right materials, but it's worth a shot.
Most stains on hardwood floors are very dark, even black. You don't need to try to get rid of the entire stain in one try. Getting rid of the blemish may take several attempts, but you may be successful.
Follow these steps to remove a stain, but remember to always follow safety measures by wearing eye protection:
1. Sand off the old finish.
2. Mix oxalic acid crystals (sold at home centers and paint and hardware stores) in water, carefully following the package directions.
Be sure to wear acid-resistant rubber gloves to prevent injury.
3. Soak a clean white cloth in the acid mixture. Then press the cloth on the stained area and let it set for about an hour.
4. Lift the cloth and check to see whether the stain has been bleached away. If it hasn't, repeat the process.
This step may take several applications, but eventually the stain will be bleached away.
5. After the stain is gone, rinse the area with household vinegar to neutralize the acid.
Wipe away any excess moisture and allow the area to dry completely.
6. Apply a matching oil-based stain lightly to the bleached area.
Use several coats, if necessary, to match. Don't try to match the color with only one application. You can always darken the area with additional coats, but you can't lighten it after it's gotten too dark. If you think the stain is too dark, wipe the area immediately with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. Doing so will remove some of the stain and lighten the area.
After you've achieved the desired color, allow the area to dry overnight.
7. Apply the topcoat finish and blend into the adjacent areas.
Once again, you may not get a perfect match; however, it may be good enough to avoid having to refinish the entire floor. If it doesn't match enough to suit you, refinish the floor.
Getting rid of nicks and scratches
You can usually cover up these little eyesores with color putty sticks. Yes, it sounds like a Band-Aid repair, but it's the quickest and least involved way to handle these problems. Simply clean the nicked or scratched area thoroughly and rub the putty stick over the damaged spot. Let the color dry for a few minutes and then wipe it with a clean cloth. Most of the time, getting color into a nicked or scratched area is all you need to do to make the damage disappear — at least to those who don't know that the area was damaged before. Use the same stuff to fill nail holes in a patched floor after the top coat is applied.
If a nick or scratch is really a dig or gouge, you face a whole different type of repair. It involves using wood filler and stain and trying to match the existing floor color. If your floor is really showing its age, you may need to refinish the entire surface instead of spending time and energy on smaller fixes that really are better handled by redoing the entire surface. You'll like the results a lot more!
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