We can replace damaged, split and missing floorboards for you. Many customers have requested the service of floorboard replacements, some examples of times when a floorboard may need to be replaced rather than repaired are;
- – White ant or Borer trails
- – Larger holes from old gas or water pipes
- – Water damaged floorboards.
Where damage is extensive
The following timber floor repairs can be used where damage is extensive, but cannot be used where the timber is brittle and will split if lifted – even if lifted with great care. It may also be difficult to lift and re-lay boards across a floor that has warped or settled differentially over time. This unevenness may be one of the pleasant qualities of age of a historic building and should not be removed as a matter of course.
- Lift the floorboards over the damaged area. Lifting the first board is the most difficult operation. It is usually possible to cut the tongue off one board as described above and ease it up by inserting a wedge, such as a broad-faced chisel. The adjacent board against which you are forcing the wedge should be protected with some carpet or a thin sheet of hardened steel. A metal cutting reciprocating saw can be used to cut nails when the floorboard has been eased up from the joist, if necessary. Depending on the fixings it may also be possible to ‘punch’ the nails through the boards using a fine punch that has been ground to the nail size for the depth of the floor. Note that either method of treating the fixings will enlarge the nail holes. Additionally, punching nails shouldn’t be attempted unless there are softwood joists.
- Cut off the tongue and groove to the damaged board. If the tongue and groove on adjacent boards are intact,retain these sound boards. Re-lay the boards starting on one side of the room or lifted section. Insert new boards when you run out of original boards. The new boards may need to have the last tongue or groove cut off to fit and it may not be exactly the same width as the remainder. This variation has to be accepted.
- Where multiple boards are to be replaced in a large patch, match the original width and stagger the joints at the end of boards over several joists to reduce the visual impact.
- Cutting the boards between existing joints can be achieved.
- Finish the repair with the same finish as the remainder of the floor.
