How do I repair holes in wooden floor where knots used to be?

Question

Currently the floor is varnished solid wood, but there are some holes where the knots used to be, I want to fill them in to avoild further damage any ideas? Thanks

Answer 1

Two things - big holes - cut a round piece of timber and bond into hole with good quality bonding agent - then sand & colour/varnish.

Second thing - if holes are small - find a good quality coloured wood filler - fill the holes - sand down smooth and varnish over the top.

TIP: If you want grain - use a light coloured (slightly darker than actual wood ) felt tip pen and draw the grain in - lightly sand and varnish

Answer 2

Filling Holes In Hardwood Floors

Answer 3

If you have knots falling out of the floorboards then the boards were never any good to start with. I worked on the rule of all knots should be able to be covererd with a 2 pence piece, there should be a maximum of two knots per square foot and none of them should have a black edge. This edge is bark and will ensure the knot falls out after a bit of shrinkage. to fill in the holes you could make up some wooden spikes and after driving them into the holes cut them off with a fine toothed saw. Or carefully mark out and cut out a square around the knothole but only half way through the board. fit inserts in these square holes with a good glue and after a couple of days for the glue to dry, plane the inserts down level with the floorboards. To make a really good job of this project, now get a quality carpet fitted over the floorboards. Or move house. enjoy doing the work and don't kneel on the odd screw lying around... they hurt like buggery. Until you get the job done, don't allow any old sailors with wooden legs to walk over it, you may get a sailor on a permanent basis.

Answer 4

I use windex to mop my laminate floor, and that is what was recommended from the supplier, but not sure if it is good for real wood floors. They also advised against using one of those swiffer wet mops as they tend to leave a cloudy residue after a time. I would assume that if the floors are sealed well it should be fine. I just spray a light mist on the floor and use a microfiber flat mop to pick up the dirt and moisture. It dries in just a few seconds and leaves no residue.

Answer 5

this is not an easy task; your trying to save money by repairing the floor, instead of replacing the wooden floor. there is no real easy ways of doing this .. the best way to do this is to replace the damaged pieces of floor with new sections that do not contain knots. then sand the entire floor, restain then varish it for a professional look. you might get away with just staining the new pieces you've just added and lighly varnishing them to match the rest of the floor. but I think you have to be really good with stains and varnish for this to work. practise on extra pieces helps get the look your after, to get the right texture and color you need. Be sure to take your time with this project, as a rush job will look mesy, and leave you looking for professionals to replace your floor and will cost you lots of money...And remember; wood filler is not the way to go, its a cheap fix that doesn't work, its mesy and makes your floor look cheap and will only last a week to a month at best...hope this gives you what your looking for...

Answer 6

Obtain a paddle drill bit slightly larger than the hole. Use wooden dowel to match size. Drill out knot, no need to go very deep. Slice dowel material and glue in place. Carefully spot sand (or not) and finish to match.

Answer 7

use wooden dowel rods glue them in but lightly make sure to tightly fit them when you are ready to insert the correctly sized dowel burn it with a soldering iron or other heat source to turn it as dark as the knots in the rest of the floor this will make them look like knots instead of patches and eliminate the need for refinishing if they are not glossy enough you can use a tiny brush and apply a clear coating if it works out right you may not even need to sand it

Answer 8

1) Buy a dowell or round plug, *slightly larger* in diameter than the knothole,

2) Buy a hole saw, or Forstener bit, the same size as the plug. Drill out the hole until you *just* hit the sub floor. use a chisel or sharp knife to finish the hole.

3) Cut the plug so that it fits about 1/8" above the surface.

4) Use wood glue. Use a moderate amount, you don't want very much to come out of the joints. Make sure the grain lines up. Put something heavy on top while it dries, about 3 hours.

5) Use a power sander to sand it flush, and sand the area down to bare wood, to prevent any inconsistencies in color. Remember to always sand in the direction of the grain. Fill any gaps with wood putty.

6) Refinish.

-This is a professional repair, lasts as long as the floor does....

Good Luck
~W.O.M.B.A.T.

Answer 9

Why does that remind me a of a Beatles song?

Seriously, Bondex will also work, will last indefinitely, and can be made to look like the knots that used to be there. This is an easy fix.

Answer 10

if the holes are large, it might be best to replace the wood pieces and then sand. Patching will look like patching. i found out the hard way

rip the boards down the middle with a circular saw at a depth equal to the board depth( don't ruin your underflooring). You will have to glue or finish face nail the replacements. match the color of the new boards to old with stain, by trial and error witha few different proportions on underside of new boards.

This is the most permanent and best looking alternative. Patching will look like patching.

Answer 11

I too have hard wood floors and have used brown wood putty to fill the in missing knots. After they have dried for a day or so, I used a clear laquer to seal the spot. If your floors are darker, you can use a wood stain to match your floor. ;)