Cracked And Split Hardwood Flooring
Floorboards become cracked or split for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are shrinkage and expansion because of exposure to water. When wet, the boards expand against their joints. As they dry, they return to their former size, causing cracks to appear either between the joints or along the grain of the board. New floors laid with green or wet wood also produce cracks.
You should make it a rule never to wash a wood floor with water. Rather, treat the wood with an application of any of the floor sealers available, then give it a good waxing for an easy-to-maintain protective finish. If you use a polyurethane finish on the floor, waxing is not recommended. This durable finish is maintained by simply wiping it clean with a cloth or mop.
Cracks can be filled with a variety of compounds. You can use a mixture of glue and sawdust, a wood-fiber putty, or plastic wood. The compound is pressed into the crack and then sanded and stained to the proper color. You can also fashion small wedges of hardwood to fill the crack, hammering them in tightly, then planing the excess and sanding smooth.
Splits along the grain of a board should be filled with a mixture of glue and sawdust to prevent the board from splitting further.
A warped board can sometimes be evened off with a good sanding or by planing. First make sure all nailheads have been recessed. If the board is a wide one, you can also try to flatten it by soaking it with water, then nailing it flat. Otherwise it will have to be replaced with a new board.
To remove a badly worn or damaged section of board, first drill large holes at each end of the damaged section. The holes should not extend through the subfloor below. Drill close to the edges of the board, then carefully chisel out the damaged section across and along its grain, taking care not to harm the tongue and groove sides of the adjoining boards. Cut the replacement piece to size. Using a chisel, remove the bottom half of the groove on the replacement piece. You can now slip the new board into place, nail it down, countersink the nailheads, and plane it flush if necessary
