Publication date: 09/28/2015

Often during operation wooden floors there is a need to repair them, that is, to eliminate the gaps between the floorboards and get rid of the debilitating squeak that occurs when walking. This can be done different ways, although in most cases it is still recommended to dismantle the old coating and completely resurface it. In our article we will look at several methods on how to seal cracks in wooden floor as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Methods for eliminating unsightly gaps

Wooden floor

Among the methods offered today are a wide variety, but all of them can be combined into two groups:

1. Removal and refurbishment of the floor. All boards are removed using a crowbar and a nail puller, after which whole and strong boards are selected. After this, the floor is laid again, tightly fitting and strengthening the boards to each other. This method is recommended if the cracks are very numerous and large, that is, sealing them with conventional methods is useless and ineffective.
2. Partial repair of a wooden floor, during which all cracks are filled and individual floorboards are tightly fitted. This method is recommended when the number of cracks is small and the floorboards are mostly in good condition. In this case, sealing of cracks is carried out using special mixtures or polyurethane foam. If their width is quite large, then wooden wedges can be used to completely fill the space between the floorboards.

Let's consider individual options that eliminate the dismantling of the entire floor and allow you to quickly and very effectively seal all the cracks and eliminate unpleasant squeaks.

For the first method we need to prepare the usual wallpaper glue and small sawdust, which are mixed until a homogeneous, very thick mixture is obtained. Usually this mixture is kneaded in a large container using a wooden stick.

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Sawdust and glue against cracks

First, sawdust is poured into a bucket, which is poured with boiling water and mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

You need to leave the resulting mass to cool and swell for about an hour and a half, only then carefully add glue to it. The mixture is kneaded until it begins to stick to the stick and acquires a viscous consistency.

Before starting work, all cracks must be cleaned, dust and debris must be completely removed from them. The resulting mixture is applied using a spatula. After this, the surface is leveled. The putty should dry for about two to three days, after which the repair area is sanded until smooth.

The second method involves the use of a more durable mixture consisting of wood glue, cement, and fine sawdust. To do this, you need two parts of wood tile glue and fifteen parts of water, boil until the entire mixture is completely dissolved, after which five parts of sawdust and five parts of cement are added to it. To give the desired color, you can add pigment or thickly ground oil paint to the solution.

All cracks in the floor must be cleaned and lubricated before repair work. adhesive solution. The resulting mixture should be applied only when hot. Once it has completely cured, the surface of the repaired area is polished until all bumps, scratches and roughness disappear. For completely dry This mixture needs about two weeks, only after this period can the floors be thoroughly washed.

The same mixture is used when it is necessary to seal recessed nail heads before covering or to give the floor a smooth, even appearance.

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Paste and bitumen against cracks in the floor

Putty to eliminate cracks can also be made from a paper-based mixture, reminiscent of the papier-mâché technique. The materials used for this are the simplest: old newspapers and paste. The mixture is made in this way: the paper is torn into small pieces and poured hot water, after which a paste is prepared separately with a small addition of simple wood glue.

The paste itself is prepared simply: add flour and starch to boiling water and cook the resulting mixture in a regular water bath.

The paper swells at this time. Drains after cooking excess water, and the remaining mixture is added to the paste. The consistency should resemble thick window putty. The cracks are completely filled with this mass; it does not get wet when washing floors. This method is used so that it is possible to repair large gaps before painting.

To eliminate large gaps in a wooden floor, more complex methods are used:

1. The soft method is as follows: twine is soaked in wood glue. Then it is caulked into the cleaned crack using a wedge and a hammer. As soon as the glue polymerizes (this takes about a day), all irregularities are filled with putty and leveled.
2. The hard method involves the use of wooden wedges or planks that are driven into the cracks. In this case, it is necessary to carefully adjust such strips in size; they must completely cover the gap, without leaving any gaps.

Methods such as filling cracks with hot bitumen or laying sheets of plywood or chipboard over the floor are also often used. These are reliable methods that give a long-term effect, but they are too radical; in most cases, it is much simpler, more effective and cheaper to use the two methods mentioned above.

Traditional floors made of natural wood beautiful in all respects - they are environmentally friendly, easy to install, beautiful and practical. However, from all materials wooden boards most susceptible to various deformations.

Thus, during operation, cracks appear between the boards in almost any wooden floor. These cracks promote rotting and leakage occurs through them. a large number of heat, dust and dirt accumulate in them. If cracks appear, they must be sealed. What's the best way to do this?

Reasons for the formation of cracks

Gaps between floorboards can form due to many factors:

• Temperature deformations. Due to regular temperature fluctuations, the wood dries out and the joints of the covering elements become wider. This can be avoided by material dried at the factory using a special method, in which all water is removed from the wood cells using a vacuum. Ordinary boards dry for several years and during this time they noticeably change in size.
• Rodents that spoil wood. In this case, simply fixing the defects is not enough; you also need to get rid of the mice or at least prevent them from gnawing on the floor by getting a cat.
• Mistakes when laying boards. In this case, you need to securely fasten the coating, and then cover the cracks.
• Poor ventilation, as a result of which the wood quickly rots. Having sealed the joints in this case, it will be necessary to arrange ventilation grille on a wooden floor.

Modern repair methods

putty

The easiest way to cover cracks in a wooden floor is with putty, but this option is not durable. If the boards continue to move during use, the putty will quickly crack and you will have to do everything again. In addition, the putty is very noticeable against the background of the wood texture.

Sealant

If the cracks are dynamic, the material used to cover them must also be mobile and have good elasticity. To ensure this characteristic, sealants based on acrylic or silicone are used. The coating process looks like this:

• the floor surface is cleaned and dried;
• the joints of the boards are filled using a mounting gun;
• The sealant is spread with a spatula.

Silicone sealant can be selected to match the color of the floor. Acrylic-based sealants are also a great option. They are resistant to temperature fluctuations and high humidity, are easy to sand, and can be painted and varnished. The tensile strength is very high - the gap can stretch twice without losing the integrity of the sealant.

Polyurethane foam

It is very simple to close the joints of the boards in the floor using this substance. All you need is a special gun and a soft plastic tube that is compressed and pushed into the gap. The foam should be supplied evenly and with little pressure. You need to act quickly, as the foam hardens almost instantly.

A narrow gap can be sealed not from the inside, but by applying foam from above. You should not spread the foam with a spatula, as the material will stick tightly to the metal. Better to use wet wooden block, lubricated with soapy water. Excess foam is removed with a stationery knife after drying.

The disadvantages of foam are its ability to collapse under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, porosity and attraction of dust. But a layer of polyurethane foam works well as insulation.

Scotch

If there will be additional finishing layer coating, and the attractiveness of the seams is not important, you can simply seal the joints with wide construction tape. Its edges are fastened to the board using a stapler. The tape will perfectly protect the room from drafts and cold entering through the joints of the boards.

Traditional methods

These methods of sealing cracks are time-tested and often turn out to be optimal.

Wood slats

It is very easy to seal the gap with a lath. The technology of the method is as follows:

• The edges of the boards are processed with a hand mill.
• The slats are cut to the appropriate size. It is best to take pine boards, as they are easier to process.
• The edges of the floorboards and the side edges of the slats are lubricated with an adhesive solution.
• The rail is inserted into the slot and securely fixed. The remaining unfilled gaps can be sealed with a mixture of glue and sawdust.
• The resulting surface is sanded with a belt grinder or manually. In this case, you need to protect yourself with goggles and a respirator, as a lot of dust will be generated.
• Masking tape is applied to the joint.
• The repaired floor is painted and varnished.
• Putty from scrap materials

An old putty recipe that you can use to make your own putty is an adhesive composition made from tree resin and sawdust.

You can also mix sawdust with PVA glue. The resulting mixture adheres perfectly to the wood, and after drying it becomes very hard and durable. The only downside is the roughness of such putty, to give a decent appearance you will have to carefully sand it with sandpaper. In addition, this material darkens during use.

A similar recipe is a mixture of varnish and wood dust.

Covering the floor with plywood, chipboard, plasterboard

Other similar materials can be used. It is recommended to seal the joints of boards using this method in case of very wide cracks that cannot be covered with anything. Any decorative coating can be placed on top of a layer of sheets of plywood or other material.

A frame of miniature logs is formed on an old wooden floor. To do this, you need to use timber made of durable wood. The bars are installed in increments of 60 cm, depending on the thickness of the coating sheets. Pieces of linoleum or roofing felt should be placed under these elements to absorb the load on the floor.

It is worth considering that if the distance between the frame elements is made too large, the strength of the floor will decrease. Sheets of plywood or particle board They are attached to the frame using self-tapping screws, the caps of which must be recessed into the material or, at least, made flush with the surface. Instead of self-tapping screws, you can use glue paired with nails, this will also ensure sufficient reliability of the coating.

The gaps in the frame can be filled with insulation - for example, mineral wool. Gaps must be left between the slabs for deformation, otherwise the floor will creak. After installation is completed, all joints and places where fasteners are screwed in are sealed with putty. After it has dried, the floor can be varnished, painted, or a finishing coat can be laid on it.

Cord

This method is the fastest. Its essence is that a simple rope is laid into wide cracks in a wooden floor, which is then filled with a solution of epoxy resin and cement. After the mixture has hardened, you can paint the joints.

This question should be asked at the stage of purchasing the material, because the gaps in wooden house can manifest themselves not only in the inter-crown space, but also on the surface of the raw material. How to choose the right material With least losses and carry out a high-quality process of caulking and sealing gaps, details below. It is worth noting that neglecting this action entails not only the impossibility of comfortable living, but also damage to the material.

Purity of wood is the key to quality

It is possible to buy absolutely smooth raw materials. But the absence of cracks and crevices is more likely a sign of the freshness of the timber or log. This means that the wood carries a large percentage of moisture, which is not good, since when installed in a log house, shrinkage can deform the elements and cracks will inevitably appear.

It is best to purchase dry raw materials with a minimum web of defects, then there is a chance that the aging and drying technology has been followed. How to correct these shortcomings and how to cover up the cracks log house or cracks in profiled timber? Using many means known since the times of our ancestors. Namely:

• Wood glue + wood waste. Exactly this accessible remedy for independent high-quality work.
• Synthetic derivatives – sealants, mastics, resins, polyurethane foams.
• Caulk using jute, flax, tow and moss.
• Decorative sealing.

More information about processes accessible to non-professionals:

• Using carpenter's glue to seal cracks in a wooden house can be done both at the finishing stage and during subsequent regular inspections of the object for damage. The product is accessible, cheap, and brings a lot of benefits. But the disadvantage is only the use in small areas; for extensive lesions, it is worth using something else.

So: the cracks should be cleaned with fine sandpaper so that sawdust and wood dust are collected. Next, a paste is prepared from them - glue is poured into the mixture.

The substance is then placed into the cracks and left to set easily. Afterwards, the areas are processed using a grinding machine.

• Using sealant to seal cracks wooden house, you need to learn one rule - acrylic options not suitable for outdoor use. You also need to be wary of silicone ones - they can delaminate in the cold, so the bottle should be labeled strictly as frost-resistant. Worth picking up suitable color to the general background of wood.

Before applying the product, the cracks must be treated for biological damage. It would be a good idea to go through all sorts of defenses in general. Next, the sealant is placed into the gaps as deeply as possible and compared with the surface.

Sealing cracks in a wooden house with foam for installation purposes is recommended only under the condition of further cladding. It looks unpresentable and even after cutting off the protruding parts, its attractiveness does not increase. In addition, foam is a kind of foam rubber that has cells.

Consequently, moisture that gets there can be retained and have a detrimental effect on the wood. Resins and mastics can play the role of putty, but when sub-zero temperatures they are destroyed.

• Caulking is the most The best way sealing the inter-crown gaps of the finished log house after shrinkage. It is periodic and takes place in three stages. The first - immediately after assembly of the object, the second after shrinkage and the third after 3-5 years of operation.

This process - sealing cracks in a wooden house - is subject to buildings made from all types of raw materials - timber, logs. Sellers of expensive materials - glued or profiled assemblies - do not have the right to say that their wood does not need it. There is practically no such type that can do without the occurrence of gaps and cracks.

The caulking process is as follows:

• First, the surface of the walls is cleaned of wood chips, protruding fasteners, and other things. You can use a grinding machine or vacuum cleaner.
• Then the surface, especially those places where cracks need to be sealed, in a wooden house is impregnated with chemical or natural protection against fire, fungus, moisture and mold. Each layer must be completely dry before applying the next.
• Next, sealing the cracks in a wooden house with the chosen caulk will not be difficult. There are two ways to do this - dialing and stretching. The first is for thread-like materials - tow, rope.

The second one is for tape materials: jute, linen wool. In the process you should use special tools - a pick, a flat caulk and a mallet for careful driving.

The sufficiency is checked with an awl - if it enters the sealed gap with difficulty, the material has been laid with high quality. But you can’t overdo it either - you can disturb the position of the crowns.

• The work is carried out strictly in a circle, from both sides. Regular prevention and freeing the house from old material is the key to making the house airtight.

Decorative caulk is as follows:

1. Decorative cord is used as a material and such raw materials are used to seal cracks in log house looked beautiful with expensive and elite material - laminated veneer lumber, rounded logs.
2. Before laying the twisted cord, the usual manipulations for caulking are performed - cleaning, impregnation. Next, the gaps in the wood are filled with sealant, mastic or resin. This is done just in case the cord suddenly falls out.
3. All that remains is to lay the rope. Using tools, it is carefully driven between the logs, without waiting for the substance laid before caulking to completely dry.

The sealant for the cracks of a wooden house will set together with the cord, and strength will be ensured. When caulking with rope, you should start with the corner joints and then work on the remaining areas.

All photos from the article

During the use of wooden floors, the boards begin to dry out and deform, which leads to the appearance of gaps between them. In most cases, such a defect is not a reason to replace the floors, since it is easy to eliminate. In this article we will look in detail at how to seal cracks in a wooden floor with different compounds.

Sealing cracks

There are quite a few options for how to seal cracks in a wooden floor.

The most common are the following:

• Glue with sawdust;
• Cement composition;
• Putty;
• Paste with paper;
• Cord;
• Silicone sealant.

Below we will take a closer look at all these options.

Glue with sawdust

This method is quite universal, since it can be used on different areas wooden floor.

In this case, work is carried out in the following way:

• First you need to prepare the sawdust - pour it into a suitable container and pour boiling water over it. The resulting mass must be mixed until a homogeneous composition is formed. After this, the sawdust must be left for several hours to swell.
• Next, add PVA glue to the sawdust and mix until a viscous consistency is formed.
• Then, before covering the cracks in the wooden floor, you need to carefully prepare them - clean them from dust and dirty deposits. If necessary, the space between the boards needs to be expanded slightly so that it can be completely filled with the prepared composition.
• Next, using a small spatula, you need to apply the adhesive to the crack and tamp it inside.

putty

If you don’t want to bother with making putty yourself, you can use ready-made wood putty. True, it should be noted that this option is the simplest, however, not always reliable. The fact is that many types of putty crack and crumble quite quickly.

Therefore, when choosing how to fill cracks in a wooden floor, it is better to give preference to an acrylic or latex composition. They dry quickly, have no odor and do not crack over time.

If wood putty is chosen as the material, the cracks in the floor are sealed according to the same principle as described above for other mixtures. It can be applied with either a rubber or metal narrow spatula.

Paste and paper

To create this tool you will need:

• Paste;
• Paper;
• A small amount of copper sulfate will protect floors from insects.

This putty is quite durable, and its price is minimal.

It is performed as follows:

• The paper must be cut into small pieces and filled with water.

• Then you should prepare a paste from flour or starch. To do this, bring the water to a boil, then gradually add one of the selected ingredients into it. In this case, the mixture must be thoroughly mixed so that there are no lumps in it.
• Next, add to the finished and cooled paste copper sulfate in a ratio of 1:10.
• After this, you need to shred the paper with your hands and add it to the paste. The result should be a homogeneous and fairly thick putty consistency.

As in all previous cases, in order to achieve a high-quality result, before sealing cracks in a wooden floor, they must be well prepared, cleaned of any dirt and flaking surfaces. After this, you need to fill the space between the boards with the mixture and compact it as best as possible.

Cord termination

This option is good because it allows you not only to eliminate the space between the boards, but also to get rid of their unpleasant creaking.

To perform repairs using this method, you will need the following materials:

• Twine, cord or rope of suitable diameter;
• Sawdust;
• Wood glue;
• Wood putty.

The work is performed in this order:

• The cord must be soaked in adhesive composition so that it is lubricated on all sides.
• Then you need to make a mixture of putty, glue and sawdust.
• Next, the rope must be laid in the space between the boards to a depth of several millimeters.
• Then you need to apply the prepared mixture over the cord. Moreover, the putty should rise slightly above the floor, since it will certainly shrink during the drying process.

If the floors “play” and it is not possible to fix them firmly, in this case it is best to use silicone sealant for sealing cracks in wooden floors.

The process of applying it is extremely simple:

• The composition is drawn into a syringe.
• Then the tip of the syringe is lowered into the prepared slot and the sealant is squeezed out.

Due to the fact that silicone remains elastic even after drying, this seal can last quite a long time.

Seal the space between the wall and the floor

Separately, it should be said about how to remove cracks in a wooden floor that appear between the boards and walls. It should be said right away that if the gap is 1-2 cm, it does not need to be sealed, since it...

If the distance reaches 5 cm or more, then this space can be sealed in two ways:

• Using foam plastic;
• Filling the space with foam.

Note!
Before using polyurethane foam, the surfaces on which it will be applied must be moistened with water from a spray bottle.

These are, perhaps, all the most common ways to get rid of cracks in a wooden floor.

Conclusion

As we found out, there are a lot of ways to seal cracks in wooden floors, and all the options discussed above are quite effective. Therefore, you should choose based on the condition of the floor and the presence of certain ingredients.

You can get some additional information on this topic from the video in this article.

For many centuries, people have been using wood as flooring in their homes. Certainly, modern options wooden floors have begun to replace high-quality materials, but many people even now, despite fashion trends, give preference to environmentally friendly and practical wood products.

However, wooden floors have their own characteristics, which are associated with the gradual formation of cracks in them. This feature entails a number of unpleasant moments associated with creaking, clogging of these spaces with household dust, and most importantly, the flow of cold air into the home. Therefore, those who decide to make a floor from wood immediately need to think through options for how to seal the cracks in a wooden floor. Fortunately, over many years people have learned to eliminate this nuance with the help of various modern methods and materials.

Process Features

Formation of gaps between the boards covering the floor - inevitable process. The more often repairs and rearrangement of furniture occur in the house, the faster wear occurs. wooden covering. If you treat the floor with care, take care of it, ensure optimal temperature conditions in the apartment, and try to distribute the load created by the weight of the furniture, then it will last a very long time. If used carefully, the wood will dry out, but not too much.

Small cracks can be easily repaired by performing simple cosmetic repairs to the floor. different ways accessible to almost every person. Filling large spaces that have been formed for a long time will be very labor-intensive due to the large volume of work.

There are several options for repairing wooden floors:

• cosmetic(does not require major interventions in the floor surface, it is performed only on its surface in the area of ​​spaces);
• partial(involves local dismantling of boards);
• global dismantling(the coating is completely replaced).

Of course, no one wants to change their entire floor. But if we're talking about about large gaps, damage to the battens on which the flooring is fixed, then complete dismantling - perfect solution. With help auxiliary tools remove old boards, inspect them for defects and select those that are suitable for reuse.

Boards in which cracks are found are subjected to repair work. If possible, completely damaged floorboards are thrown away and replaced with new ones. Reinforcing joists are also inspected and dismantled if it is clear that they will not last long (the strength of the joists is essential, because it is their condition that determines the reliability of the floor itself).

When all the floorboards have been repaired and replaced, each of them is carefully adjusted to each other so that there are no gaps or differences in height. If necessary, such defects are smoothed out with a plane.

If the floor is damaged locally, these operations are carried out only in the area that requires replacing the floorboards.

Reasons for appearance

Crevices in wood are a natural process for this material. You shouldn't take this problem seriously. The main thing is to understand the reason why changes occurred in the wood, leading to the formation of voids and gaps, since repairing the floor can be a waste of time and money if the provoking factor is not eliminated.

The most common reason- drying out of wood due to low humidity. Despite the fact that it changes seasonally, and in the off-season, when the humidity outside is quite high due to a large amount of precipitation and the boards are also saturated with moisture, damaged floorboards, alas, cannot return to their original state, since they are irrevocably deformed.

The humidity problem can be eliminated with the help of special humidifiers and the right temperature. indoors, focusing on installed thermohygrometers.

The optimal moisture range for wood is about 40-50%.

The second reason for the drying out of the boards may be due to the initially incorrect installation of the floor covering. Firstly, it depends on the screed: if it is not properly dried, then residual moisture will be absorbed into the flooring and contribute to its deformation in the future. The screed must dry for at least a month. Its humidity at the time of laying the floor should not exceed more than 3-5%.

The durability of the flooring is influenced by the moisture content of the plywood placed under the boards.. Before installation, it must be properly dried so as not to release excess moisture into the plank floor.

The adhesive used to lay wood flooring also contains a large amount of moisture. It easily evaporates from the wood during the drying period only if the floor is not yet varnished. That's why to avoid an unpleasant situation, you need to leave the floor clean for the glue to dry completely for about a week, and only then paint and varnish it.

If a wooden floor is laid in a private house, where the boards are more massive and thick, choose an adhesive with a minimum amount of solvents or without them at all, so that the thick layer of wood does not retain excess moisture. Whereas narrow planks (the floors of which can be found in old Khrushchev apartments) cope with this task more easily.

The third reason for the formation of cracks in a wooden floor is the type of wood. The most capricious in this regard are materials made from ash, cherry or beech.. They are able to easily release moisture when the temperature in the room rises and take it away under appropriate conditions. Such fluctuations inevitably lead to changes in the density and geometry of the board. For middle zone oak is the most resistant to humidity changes. Tropical tree species cope very well with this problem.

In any case, if a cracking problem occurs, you need to fix it.

It is important that floor restoration (sealing cracks, sanding, varnishing) will be most justified and effective when the room maintains stable humidity for a long time.

How and with what to troubleshoot?

Depending on the degree of damage to the floor, choose the most the best way its repair. Most known method cosmetic repairs small gaps and cracks in a wooden floor - filling them with special semi-liquid compounds ( construction foam, sealants, putty and other multicomponent mixtures). You can make them yourself or purchase them ready-made at a hardware store.

If the tree is severely deformed and wide cracks appear, they can be removed using foam plastic, narrow planks or rope cords. This is a rather labor-intensive method, but more durable than the first. Perhaps the most expensive and time-consuming floor repair is a complete or partial replacement damaged floorboards.

Semi-liquid formulations

When dismantling the floors is still a long way off or replacing old boards is not possible, but the cracks are already causing a number of inconveniences, special semi-liquid mixtures are used to fill them.

When choosing a filling mixture for floor repair, you need to focus on those compositions that are suitable for woodwork. For sealing small seams You can use silicone sealant. Pigments are added to the composition of this material. This way, you can choose a sealant that perfectly matches the color of the floor. This composition has good adhesive characteristics to wood. Apply it with a rubber or plastic staple, evenly distributing and leveling the surface with its help.

After the mixture hardens, a smooth surface is obtained that does not absorb moisture and is not destroyed under the influence of detergents. This, as well as the advantage that the material of this sealant does not crumble and is not removed from cracks throughout the entire life of the floor, makes it very competitive.

Similar to this material is used acrylic sealants . The only difference is that the sealed cracks will have to be painted over, since no dyes are added to this mixture.

Concerning gypsum putties, they are also very popular when repairing wooden floors, mainly due to its low price. Like the previous mixtures, the putty is applied with a staple and wait until it dries. Then the application is repeated, since upon drying a large amount of moisture evaporates and the material shrinks.

After the final layer has dried, the surface of the seams must be sanded and painted over with the chosen paint. The putty material does not polymerize like the sealants described above, so over time it may crack and the seams will have to be sealed again.

Epoxy resin putties are considered more practical.. Due to the high degree of adhesion and low shrinkage coefficient, this mixture is widely used for sealing cracks and crevices up to 5 cm. After hardening, a very durable composition is formed that does not require re-processing.

Many craftsmen use self-prepared mixtures.

The most famous option is PVA glue and sawdust. Compositions with epoxy resin, cement and pieces of polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam. After drying, the seams are sanded and painted to match the color of the floor, then varnished.

Compaction method

When the width of the cracks is more than 3 cm, and the boards “walk” among themselves, they resort to the method of sealing the seams.

You can repair the “playing” floor with your own hands:

• To begin with, clean the cracks from dust (use a vacuum cleaner, brushes), carry out wet cleaning, dried.
• Measure the width and length of the gap.
• Cut a wedge-shaped strip from a dense wooden profile.
• Apply wood glue to the side surfaces of the manufactured slats, and also fill the gap space with glue, generously lubricating the surfaces of the separated boards.
• The rail is driven into the gap with a hammer, the exposed glue is wiped off and left for a day.
• Afterwards, the surface is treated with a plane, sanded with sandpaper and painted or varnished.

Rope cord can be used as a masking element. Repairing a floor using rope is easy. This product is ideal for making repairs in wooden log houses And country houses.Choose thick polyethylene or tow rope, cut off desired length(you can use double rope for deep crevices). Drive the cord tightly into the space between the floorboards.

To make the repaired floor look neat, you can cover the surface with rope thin layer colored sealant and level it with a staple.

Replacing the coating

If on old dacha the floor is rotten or deteriorated due to moisture, very large cracks have appeared from which there is blowing, or rodents have “worked”, the methods described above are unlikely to be suitable. Of course, you can do without disassembling the floor by covering it with sheets of plywood, but this option is not always justified, especially when it comes to mice. It is best to re-lay old boards. This will not only get rid of cracks, but also eliminate mouse passages.

To get rid of the old floor, first remove the baseboards, replace damaged joists, and inspect the area under the floor for mold and mouse holes. If there are traces of mold, the surfaces are treated with special antibacterial and antifungal compounds. Places where rodents have entered are sealed with a mixture of cement and broken glass, and then they begin to replace the old coating.

If you need to change the boards locally, you need to pay attention to the joints of the old boards and the newly laid ones (if necessary, they are adjusted using a plane, putty, or smoothed with coarse sandpaper).

Eliminating squeaks

In case of careless operation and non-compliance optimal conditions the wooden floor inevitably begins to deform, creating an unpleasant creaking sound. The easiest way to eliminate annoying sound is to fill the cracked spaces with foam. This option is well suited for cracks under skirting boards, as they can hide uneven surface frozen foam. However, this method is short-lived: this material gradually deteriorates during use, and the floor creaks again.

If the task is to remove a squeaky floor forever, then this option is not worth the money spent. It is better to turn to more complex but reliable methods. The problem of a squeaky floor can be solved using the same wedge-shaped slats.

Another interesting and effective option that will allow get rid of floor squeaks - installing metal anchors. This type of product allows you to solve the problem only for a wooden floor laid on concrete base . This one is very effective method very labor-intensive, especially if the scale of the problem surface is impressive.

To install anchors, you will need a drill or hammer drill, dowels and the anchors themselves. A hole is made through the board through the log material into the concrete base. A dowel is driven in and the joist is reinforced with anchors. It is necessary to take into account the high cost of this method, proportional to the size of the room. When calculating the number of structures, it should be borne in mind that the distance between them should not exceed one meter.

If ordinary nails were initially used when installing the floor, it is possible that the creaking occurs as a result of friction of the wood against the body of the nail.

In this case, especially if there are many cracks in the floor, you should not skimp and update the old boards, and replace the nails with self-tapping screws that will not make such noise.

Disassembling the floor completely is a labor-intensive process, but removing deformed floorboards and old fastenings with nails will not only eliminate squeaks, but will also help insulate the room due to the absence of cracks.

From simple methods To combat creaking floorboards, use thick sheets of plywood on top of wood flooring. Such a floor will be quiet for some time, but it is not a fact that this problem will not recur later.

Painting

The process of restoring a wooden floor is completed by painting and varnishing it. Before painting, you need to check the condition of the boards again, and if there are cracks, carefully putty them.

When choosing paint for a wooden floor, you should consider:

• type of wood;
• indoor climate conditions;
• degree of wear;
• previous coating (if the boards are old).

If you are considering floor varnishing, you should know that this option is not suitable if:

• the previous covering of the wooden floor was treated with oil compositions such as drying oil;
• The humidity level in the room will be too high (for example, on open terraces).

There are several types of flooring: water-dispersion paints, oil coating and wax paints.

It is better to use water-dispersion paint if allergy sufferers or people with asthma live in the apartment.

The oldest method is considered to be the method of treating wooden floors with oil.. This method is distinguished by its efficiency and safety. Wood oils, refined soy and sunflower bases, as well as synthetic and natural resins are used as bases. Oil and resin have a bactericidal effect and soften the friction of the boards against each other. In addition, an oiled floor does not absorb moisture well (you won’t be afraid to flood the floor) and does not remove it very actively, so cracks will form less often.

After the floor has been coated with oil, it is necessary to seal the result with wax. Used to be everywhere in the rich noble houses used wax to polish the floor. A waxed floor can be found in “Stalin” buildings. And now old, strong but worn floors are being restored using wax bases to give them a fresh, updated look. Wax compositions are made from an oil base with the addition of beeswax and additional components that increase the elasticity of the composition. Wood treated in this way looks expensive and of good quality.

To effectively restore an old wooden floor, you need to take into account some nuances before starting such a difficult job.

Not every putty is suitable for sealing seams in wood in Stalin. For example, if cracks in a cedar, beech or chestnut floor are being repaired, then you cannot use acrylic putty. When interacting with varnish, nitro solvents can cause blue stains on the surface of the boards, so when using such compositions it is advisable not to varnish the floors. Ideal option there will be colored sealant. It can be used to make simple repairs to small cracks in almost any wood.

If wood flooring it is badly damaged, but there is no way to change it; you can cover and strengthen it with sheets of plywood, but you should first fill the deep cracks so that later there is no blowing from them.

It is not difficult to re-install an old wooden floor, but it is even easier to use it carefully, then it will last for decades and remain in excellent condition.

For information on how to seal gaps between laminate boards, see below.