Replacing dented planks

Q: We have hardwood flooring, and recently something heavy fell on the floor leaving 2 dents. How can I replace the boards, the easiest way, and without it looking like something happened?

I have extra planks.

A: With a circular saw, make 2 cuts in the middle of the board, from end to end. Be careful to stop short and not run into the next board. Use a sharp chisel and remove that center strip. The groove side of the board should just move forward and you can pull it out. The tongue side, use the hammer and chisel to bang it free, and pull the nails. Apply adhesive (I like polyurethane types) and remove the bottom edge of the groove side of the replacement board. You should be able to now insert the tongue of the new board into the groove of the already installed board and tap in place. Weight it down until the adhesive sets up. Easy as that. If this is prefinished, you should be able to find a board of identical length.