If your hardwood floor has some scratches, you’re not alone. Most hardwood floors will get scratched from time to time. The simplest fixes involve just sanding the affected area and refinishing it. In some cases, you might need some wood putty to fill the scratches. However, for particularly bad damage or for water damage, you’ll need new flooring. Fortunately, hardwood floor is made up of different planks and not one solid piece. In most cases, you can replace just the damaged planks.
Step 1: Remove the Old Plank
You should find a hardwood flooring plank of the appropriate width and of the same material. Once you have the new plank, you’re ready to remove the damaged plank. Use a wood chisel to chisel into the middle of the old plank. Chiseling into the middle will allow you to pry up the damaged plank. If it’s already damaged enough that you can get a pry bar under the plank, move on to step two.
Step 2: Cut the New Plank
You need to measure the hole left by the old plank. If you have removed the entire thing, you might not even need to cut the new plank. Once you’re sure that you have it cut to the appropriate length, you need to cut the bottom side of the groove on the new plank. Every board fits into the other one with a tongue and a groove to hold them together. However, you’ll have a very difficult time fitting a new plank between two existing planks. Cutting off the bottom of the groove allows you to fit the tongue in and then just place it onto the other plank. Once you’ve tested the fit of the new plank, you’re ready to finish the installation.
Step 3: Glue or Nail the New Plank
Once you’ve determined that your new plank fits, you should apply a wood glue to the bottom of the piece of wood. Place it where it will ultimately be. Then, using a piece of scrap wood to protect the finish, pound the plank into place. Finally, you want to finish the installation with flooring nails. It’s important to use a nail set to sink the nail below the surface of the floor. Just like that, you’ve replaced your damaged plank.
Step 4: Finish the New Plank
The last thing you need to do is stain and seal the new plank to match the old floor. If you can’t get them to match, you might need to refinish the entire floor. Alternately, you could just enjoy your new rustic mismatched look.
If you need more than a few planks taken out you might need an installation. A-MAX Hardwood does hardwood floor installation as well.
