Repair Hardwood Floor

Tips from Real-Estate-Agents.com

reprinted courtesy of ServiceMagic.com

Many times minor damage can be repaired on hardwood floors. Here are some common problems:

• Small splits or cracks in the wood can be repaired with some angled nails to secure the two pieces and wood putty. You may need to replace the plank if the crack is larger.
• The two most common causes of gaps (or separations) between the boards are Mother Nature and dryness. Wood will shrink when it's dry and expand when wet. That's why most gaps are seasonal. (Notice how they disappear during the humid months!) As a rule, if the gap is less than the thickness of a dime, you're OK.
• A buckled floor is when the boards lift up from the subfloor. It can be fixed from underneath the floor.
• Cupping, also called washboarding, develops gradually across the width of the wood strip where the edges are high and the center is lower. You probably have a moisture imbalance where there's more water on the bottom side of the piece than on the top. The only cure is to balance the humidity levels and give the surface time to return back to normal. After the floor has stabilized, sand it flat and re-finish it.
• A sagging or warped floor is a serious problem for a homeowner. It needs immediate attention from a service professional.
• If scratch damage is superficial, you can repair it with a touch up kit made for urethane finishes (available at most flooring retailers). You may need to replace boards with deeper scratches.
• Just like cracks, boards can be fixed with nails to secure the piece and putty. Extremely loose boards can be a sign of deeper problems.

  -- Tips courtesy of Service Magic