Category: Gaps, Splitting & Cracks

Putty and reapply poly

Q:I have floors that are not in bad shape but could use some refilling and a new coat of poly applied. Is it okay to lightly sand the floor, use a putty to refill cracks, and then reapply poly? Continue reading Putty and reapply poly

Separations during cooler months

Q: Two years ago we had our 30+ year old oak living room floor refinished. The results were excellent! We had the same guys install a new site finished oak floor in another room this year. The new wood was allowed to sit in the room for about 3 weeks this fall to adjust to the temperature and humidity characteristics of the house. Continue reading Separations during cooler months

Gaps in wood floor over the winter

A: We moved into our new house last fall. Over the winter our floors started gapping. I contacted the home builder and he talked with the flooring guys and they said it was due to low humidity in the home. I installed a humidifier but by then the cold weather was almost over. I also bought a humidity gauge and it reads over 40% most of the time. Continue reading Gaps in wood floor over the winter

Wood filling the pits and cracks

Q: We just bought an old house with beautiful wood floors and trim. However, the floors are VERY pitted and cracked in large high traffic areas, though fairly solid (i.e., not creaking or moving a lot). We will eventually (5 yrs?) want to have the wood flooring professionally replaced throughout, but the cost is currently prohibitive as we are currently tapped out from buying the home. Continue reading Wood filling the pits and cracks

Cracks down middle of wide pine planks

Q: I recently built a house in the Northeast and installed 11 inch wide T&G pine floors. Since then many of the boards have cracked along the board. I am not talking about gaps between boards, although we have many of those some even bigger than 1/4 in. Many of the cracks seem to be more closer to the edges than down the middle, although again a few have cracked down the middle. My contractor says this is normal with such wide boards but I can’t imagine that that is so. Continue reading Cracks down middle of wide pine planks