Wood, although warm, is capricious flooring material. None of the installation methods guarantees that there will be no gaps between the planks in the future. In this article we will tell you how to seal cracks in wooden floor.
As you know, wood not only changes its linear dimensions as a result of changes in temperature and humidity, but also dries out over time. In addition, rodents can contribute to the appearance of cracks and holes in the floor. In any case, repairs are required:
- Cosmetic - gaps are sealed with various compounds or inserts.
- Partial – replacement of a damaged board or small area;
- Complete – refurbishment of the boardwalk or complete replacement of the covering.
How to seal cracks in a wooden floor? The most common method is to fill the seams using special ready-made compounds:
- Sealants;
- Wood putties;
- Construction foam, etc.
Mixing homemade putty composition.
Instead of construction chemicals, you can prepare homemade mixtures for sealing gaps in the floor. As a rule, the composition consists of two components - a binder (glue, paint) and a filler (sawdust, gypsum).
The next method is a little more labor-intensive - eliminating wide gaps between the boards, as well as between the covering and the wall using compaction. In this case, strips of wood, foam plastic, special caulking cords, etc. are used. Effective and practical, but in some cases requires additional adjustment and subsequent varnishing or painting.
The last method, the most expensive and costly, is to replace the floorboard with cracks and other damage with a new one that is suitable in size and tone.
The exact method for eliminating defects is selected based on the width of the seams, the nature of the damage, etc. Let's take a closer look.
Semi-liquid filling compounds for sealing cracks
Any series of construction chemicals from a Russian or foreign manufacturer includes products for woodworking. They are great for eliminating minor defects. Including:
Pigmented silicone sealants
Used for gaps up to 1 cm wide, they have good adhesion to wood. After application, the composition must be leveled with plastic or rubber spatula. As a result of polymerization, an elastic, non-shrinking seam is formed, resistant to water and household chemicals. A particular advantage is the durability of the plastic composition, which does not crumble or fall out due to seasonal expansion and drying of the floorboards.
The color indicated on the label may not match the real one, so ask the store for a display stand of colors. These are samples of finished products made by the manufacturer.
Acrylic sealants, paintable
A good analogue of the previous product, but with a slight difference. After application, the white paste polymerizes for 1 hour, then it can be painted. Very convenient way repair of floors coated with alkyd or oil enamel.
Tinted gypsum putties
Formulations familiar to customers based on water or oil based for gaps up to 1-2 cm wide. Apply with a spatula and compact thoroughly. The material shrinks, so re-application and subsequent leveling may be required. The putty dry surface must be sanded sandpaper.
After drying, the finished putty becomes lighter by 1-2 tones, so when purchasing you need to choose a darker composition.
The downside of this product is its fragility. After a year, maximum two, the seam begins to crack, crumble, and absorb dirt. The material is in steady demand mainly due to price. The cost of a small package from VGT or Novbytkhim is only 50-60 rubles.
Epoxy putties
Semi-liquid, quick-hardening compositions based on polymer resin. As a rule, these are two-component compounds that, after drying, form a very strong (non-elastic) seam. The adhesion coefficient of this material to wood is unusually high, and, unlike conventional putties, the hardened mass does not crumble. Accordingly, already at next year You won’t have to look for something to cover up the floor defect again. 
Epoxy grouts are used for narrow gaps no more than 3-7 mm wide, applied with a spatula. The shrinkage rate is low, so there is no need for re-processing.
Polyester pastes, colorless or white
Quick-hardening polymer grouts, one- or two-component, for filling gaps between boards no more than 5 mm wide. The mixture is suitable for old floor coverings as it forms a strong, rigid joint. After application, the surface is leveled with a flexible spatula; painting in the same color as the main floor is allowed.
We have listed ready-made compositions. In search of how to fill cracks in a wooden floor, craftsmen often use such means as;
- polyurethane foam (pieces of polystyrene foam, fiberboard scraps, etc. are inserted into the gap as a frame);
- mixture of small sawdust and PVA or oil enamel;
- composition of cement and epoxy glue, etc.
There are many options for homemade putties for filling gaps; they are formed according to the “what’s at hand” principle. The most reliable and proven, according to experienced craftsmen, is a mixture of wood flour and PVA. A thick paste is prepared from these components, which is applied with a spatula and carefully leveled. After drying and sanding, the surface can be coated with a protective varnish.
Sealing cracks using compaction method
If the boards “play” and the width of the gaps exceeds 1-2 cm, it is recommended to use inserts. They will help firmly fix the floorboards and remove squeaks. The first and long-proven remedy in this case is thin wedge slats.
How the compaction is carried out:
- The gap must be cleared of debris and slightly expanded. There is no need to remove baseboards or other decorative moldings.
- Measure the width and make a wedge of appropriate dimensions from the slats.
- Apply PVA or wood glue to the floorboards and insert.
- Drive the lath tightly into the seam with a mallet or a regular hammer using a tamping block.
- Remove the protruding surface with sandpaper or a plane.
- Sand the sealed floor with a fine-grained sanding belt and cover it with varnish or paint.
As a temporary remedy before major repairs You can use a sealing cord on the floor. It is designed to seal cracks in log houses up to 3-5 cm wide. It is a kind of rope made of foamed polyethylene, rubber or tow. Working with this type of material is not difficult: the product must be carefully compacted into the gap using a chisel and hammer. And so that the seam does not stand out too much against the background of the rest of the floor, it is applied to the surface thin layer tinted sealant, putty or a mixture of sawdust and PVA.
Local replacement of the damaged area
What to do if mice have gnawed through the floor, and the gap in the wall-floor area exceeds 5-10 cm in width. Neither putties, nor sealants, nor even sealing ropes will help in this case. You can cover the top with a piece of plywood or chipboard, but such a blotch will simply get in the way and stand out too much. The best option– replacement of a board or a small section of the floor.
To prevent the repaired floor from becoming a victim of rodents again, some craftsmen recommend starting with creating a “barrier” for mice. In particular, under the coating in the area of the mouse passage, you can pour cement mortar, mixed with broken glass or iron filings.
The next step is to remove all the baseboards and cut out the damaged area or strip using an appropriate power tool. New parts are glued or nailed to the base with hardware.
The last stage is sanding, or better yet, complete sanding of the floor, followed by varnishing or painting. If the shades of the floorboards differ by more than 2 tones, you can try to tint the planks with stain or protective and decorative glazes.
When severe damage Some experts suggest sewing the entire floor area on top of wood sheet materials– plywood, chipboard, OSB and others. This is a good option, but only if you intend to lay a new topcoat on top that is resistant to abrasion, dirt, and shock.
Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for selecting them. Just submit in the form below detailed description work that needs to be done and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and companies by email. You can see reviews about each of them and photographs with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.
During the long-term use of a wooden floor, cracks and gaps begin to appear in it, since some of the floorboards have dried out during this time. Today there are ways to eliminate defects using modern materials.
Wood Floor Repair Options
Eliminate coating deficiencies from natural wood, such as cracks, can be repaired in one of three ways:
1. Removal of the entire floor covering followed by reassembly of floorboards. Such large-scale work is carried out when it is assumed that the sheathing joists on which the boards are attached are damaged. In this case, repairs are carried out using a small crowbar and a hammer with a nail puller. This method used if sealing cracks in a wooden floor due to their large size is difficult to accomplish.
In this case, the sequence of actions is as follows:
- since some boards, and possibly even sheathing elements, have become unusable, they need to purchase a replacement - new materials
- The floorboards are carefully sorted, undamaged items are set aside separately. If necessary, they are planed and thereby smooth out their edges, which have dried out a little;
- When preparatory work completed, finishing the floors are re-done, tightly fitting the boards and attaching them to the joists.
2. Partial dismantling of the flooring. It is done if wide cracks have appeared in certain areas of the covering and for this reason the floorboards have begun to creak. The flooring elements are removed and new boards are laid in their place. Usually the second option is used in conjunction with the third, most common.
3. Most often, defects are repaired floor surface the most different ways . The scale of the work to be done depends on what is best to seal the cracks in the floor between the boards.
Repairing gaps between walls and floorboards
Defects, such as those in the photo, can appear on the floor surface in a variety of places, which affects the technology for eliminating them and the materials used for this. When installing the flooring, small gaps are specially left between the walls and boards to ensure ventilation and in case the floorboards expand during sudden changes in temperature.
Sometimes over time they become too wide and it becomes actual problem How to remove cracks in a wooden floor. Repairs can be made using construction foam, into which small pieces of foam are added if necessary.
The work is performed in this order:
- First of all, the baseboards are dismantled;
- the cracks are cleaned of dust and dirt accumulated in them;
- then the flaws are sealed with foam, if necessary, pieces of foam are placed under it;
- when the foam dries, its excess should be cut off sharp knife flush with the floorboards;
- It is better when the seams in the wooden floor between the walls and boards are sealed with putty so that dust does not accumulate in the foam structure;
- After the putty has hardened, the baseboards are returned to their place.
Repairing cracks with glue and sawdust
All areas of the floor surface can be repaired using an adhesive composition. You can make it using one of the methods described below.
Option one:
- You need to prepare small sawdust: they are placed in a special container and filled with boiling water. The mass is stirred until it becomes homogeneous. The sawdust should swell within 1-2 hours. After the mixture has cooled, it is stirred again.
- Glue is poured into the already prepared sawdust (using PVA or carpentry). The mass is stirred until its consistency becomes viscous and has sufficient adhesion.
- At this stage, the floor is prepared - the cracks need to be cleaned of dirt and dust. If necessary, their upper part is slightly expanded.
- Using a narrow spatula, the adhesive mixture is placed into the cracks and compacted. The composition is leveled on top and its excess is removed.
- After a few days, when the mixture has completely dried, the cracks are sanded with sandpaper and scraped with a special machine.
Option two:
- IN in this case The filling of cracks in the floor is carried out with a composition whose components are sawdust, glue and cement. You need to take 2 parts of glue (PVA or wood glue), add 15 parts warm water and mix them until smooth. Then 5 parts of cement are poured into this mass.
- The composition is mixed and set aside for 10 minutes. If it needs to be given a wood shade, then you can add thick oil paint or a special coloring pigment to it.
- The gaps between the floorboards are cleaned and coated with glue, which is included in the repair composition.
- The prepared adhesive mass is slightly heated and the cracks are immediately sealed with a narrow spatula, while trying to make the surface even.
- It takes approximately two weeks for the composition to dry completely. Then the cracks are made perfectly smooth using abrasive products.
This option is used not only to solve the problem of how to fill cracks in a wooden floor, but also to level the floor surface, making it smooth.
Sealing cracks with putty
If you don’t want to mix a complex composition or don’t have time for this, you can purchase wood putty at a specialized store and seal the cracks with it. This method is used when surface imperfections are minor. You should know that this material can be filling (up to 5 millimeters) and finishing (up to 1 millimeter). Similar problems arise with laminate flooring. Before filling the cracks in the laminate, you need to look around completely, and only then choose the best way sealing cracks in laminate flooring.
The disadvantage of this method is that the putty begins to crack and crumble over time. For this reason, puttying cracks in a wooden floor is used when the old boards will be covered with plywood flooring.
The composition is applied with a rubber spatula, carefully pressing it into the cracks. After drying, the sealed surfaces are leveled using abrasives.
Repairing cracks with paste and paper
This option is simple and cheap. You will need: paper, paste and a small amount of copper sulfate. The last component is necessary so that small insects do not settle in the adhesive mass in the future.
The step-by-step process is as follows:
- the paper is either cut or torn by hand and then filled with water. It will take time for it to get wet;
- then a paste is prepared from flour, water and starch. You need to bring the water to a boil, and then add other ingredients to it. The mixture must be stirred constantly, ensuring that there are no lumps in it. Then let the composition cool until it becomes warm;
- added to the mixture in a ratio of 1:10 copper sulfate;
- The paper pulp is squeezed out, crushed with fingers, placed in a paste and mixed. The result should be a mixture resembling putty with a thick and uniform consistency;
- the preparation of the floor is carried out in the same way as in the previous options - the main thing is that the cracks are clean;
- the mass is spread on the cracks and then compacted into them, leveled and processed with sandpaper. Then the floors are painted. Read also: "K".
Sealing cracks with cord
This method has been known for a long time and is used to seal cracks not only between floorboards, but also when repairing walls, when a piece of synthetic cord is selected in accordance with the size of the hole. The use of this option not only solves the problem of how to seal cracks in a wooden floor, but also helps to get rid of creaking floorboards.
The following materials should be prepared: cord (hemp rope), PVA glue (carpentry), sawdust, putty. The rope is completely lubricated with glue and a mixture of sawdust, adhesive and putty is made.
The cord is placed on the crack, laid inside so that it is 2-4 millimeters from the top of the floorboard. This distance is filled with the mixture with a small margin on top, since the putty composition shrinks during the drying process.
Eliminating cracks using slats (wedges)
Here you will need thin slats, hewn at an angle in the shape of wedges. These wooden elements should completely cover the cracks and at the same time not widen them too much.
The work is carried out in stages:
- the cracks are cleaned and their upper edge is slightly expanded;
- According to the size of the flaws, a rail is made with a narrowed lower part. The wooden wedge should fit into the previously cleaned gap without any problems;
- the area of the floor flaw and the lath are thickly coated with glue;
- The wedge is glued into the gap, hammered with a rubber hammer. You can put a board on top and hammer the lath in with a homemade hammer;
- in the case when the wedge does not completely fit into the gap, a small part of it that protrudes above the surface is removed with a plane, provided that the glue is completely dry.
When to use this option Instead of covering up the cracks in the floor, the color of the batten being driven in will stand out strongly on the surface being repaired, and therefore the wedge is covered with stain or painted with carefully selected paint.
If the floor is covered with a thick layer of paint, which has cracked and peeled off over time near the cracks, a hair dryer will help remove it. You can also use special drill attachments that have a soft iron brush, or use sandpaper attached to a sander.
Other options for eliminating cracks
Available in building materials stores modern materials, allowing to qualitatively restore the appearance of the coating.
In addition to the repair methods described above wooden flooring, in practice, other methods are used to solve problems regarding how to cover cracks in a wooden floor, quickly and, most importantly, inexpensively:
- Plumbing tow. The material, known to many, consists of flax fibers. It is impregnated with wood glue and compacted into the gaps using available tools. After the glue has completely dried, the cracks are painted in the same tone as the floor surface.
- A mixture of cement and epoxy adhesive is ideal for repairing floor coverings with small cracks. The components of the composition are taken in equal proportions. The mixture is poured into the cracks with the top on, since the mass will then sag. Epoxy glue mixed with cement hardens quite quickly and therefore does not have time to seep under the floor. Places where there were cracks are sanded and painted.
- A homogeneous mass made from small shavings (sawdust), varnish and thick oil paint in a ratio of 4:1:1, is also perfect for eliminating cracks of different sizes. The work can be done in one go, when the flaw in the coating is filled immediately. In some cases, several stages will be required - then layer after layer is applied to the edges of the hole being processed. The second option is used when it is necessary to eliminate a large gap.
- Using sheets of plywood, you can cover an old wood plank floor. This method is used when there are so many gaps between the flooring boards that it takes a lot of time to eliminate them. Sheets of plywood are fixed to the floor surface using self-tapping screws. As a result, all imperfections of the floor surface will become invisible.
- Seal cracks in wood floors with sealant. This method is convenient because the composition is conveniently packaged and has a syringe-shaped nozzle. This special device helps fill both a wide gap and a fairly narrow one. To do this, the tip is cut off at required thickness. Sealant can not only eliminate defects, but also creaking floorboards. The contents of the package spread under pressure and thereby fill the entire gap, without any effort. The sealant is reliable and durable material, which will eliminate problems with the flooring for a long period.
A good choice of materials for closing cracks in wooden floors are acrylic and silicone-based sealants. They are designed for working with wood. They are easy to apply and dry quickly.
The advantage of sealants is that they are elastic and the joint will expand and contract as the parameters of the floorboard change. If you apply putty on top of them, the joint will become almost invisible.
When you lack cooking skills special compounds, but it is possible to purchase finished products for floor repairs; you can choose a sealant.
Sealing cracks in a wooden floor is required in cases where the boards have dried out over a long period of use and some floorboards have begun to creak. Since wooden floors have been used for centuries, during this time many ways to repair them have been invented, and with the advent of new materials, the possibilities for eliminating defects have expanded even further.
Therefore, if the need arises to seal cracks, you can always choose the method that is most accessible in execution. To be aware of ways to solve these problems, you need to consider some of them.
Repair wooden covering can be divided into three types:
- Complete dismantling of the floor and reassembly of floorboards. To carry out this procedure, you will need a hammer with a nail puller and a small crowbar. Such large-scale events are carried out if there is a suspicion of damage to the sheathing joists on which the floor boards are laid.
The boards are carefully sorted and healthy and strong specimens are selected. If necessary, they are planed a little to even out the unevenly shrunken edges.
It is possible that some of the floorboards will have to be completely replaced, so this should be planned in advance by purchasing replacement material. If necessary, some elements of the sheathing are also changed.
After all repair and preparatory actions, the floors are laid again. In this case, the boards must fit tightly and be secured to the joists.
This type of repair is necessary if sealing the cracks, due to their size, is simply ineffective.
- Partial dismantling of the boardwalk is carried out in cases where defects on the boards have formed in certain areas, where wide cracks have appeared and the boards have begun to make creaks. The flooring in these places is carefully removed and a new one is laid in its place. Most likely, the second type of repair will have to be carried out in conjunction with the third, most widespread.
- In most cases, you only have to carry out repair work to seal the cracks. This can be done in different ways. Choosing a specific technique Firstly, depends on the size of the cracks and the scale of their distribution over the floor surface.
Methods for sealing cracks
Gaps in the floorboards may appear in various areas of the floor, so you need to consider not only the operating technology, but also the options for sealing materials, as well as places where flaws may occur.
Gaps between the wall and the boards gender
Small distances are always left between these building elements for ventilation and in case of expansion of the material due to changes in temperature and humidity. But if over time they have grown excessively, then they will need to be repaired. This can be done using construction foam, sometimes even adding small pieces of foam to it. The work is carried out in stages:
First you need to carefully dismantle the baseboards;
Then clean the cracks from dust and accumulated dirt;
After the foam has dried, the excess is cut off exactly along the catchers;
It would be best to seal the seams on top with putty so that dust does not collect in the pores of the hardened foam;
Sealing cracks with glue + sawdust
Floor repairs can be carried out in any area adhesive composition, which can be made in one of two ways:
First option
- First, small sawdust is prepared. They are placed in a convenient container and filled with boiling water. The mass is mixed until homogeneity is achieved.
- The sawdust is left to swell and cool for one to two hours, then the mass is mixed again.
- Next, glue (carpentry or PVA) is added to the prepared sawdust and the mass is kneaded well until a viscous consistency with high adhesion appears.
- Then you can proceed to preparing the floor - all cracks are cleaned of dust and dirty deposits. Sometimes, if necessary, their upper part widens slightly.
- Prepared glue mixture using a narrow spatula, apply it to the cracks and carefully compact it inwards as far as possible, but without much effort.
- The mixture is leveled on top and excess is removed.
- After complete drying, after two to three days, the cracks are sanded with sandpaper or are looped using a special machine/
Video: homemade putty from sawdust and PVA
Second option
You can repair flooring in another way, using a repair composition of sawdust and glue, but with the addition of cement.
- To do this, take two parts of PVA or wood glue, add 15 parts of very warm water, everything is mixed well until completely homogeneous. Next, 5 parts of cement and the same amount of sawdust are added to the resulting adhesive solution. The mass is mixed and left for 7 ÷ 10 minutes. If the mixture needs to be given a certain color to the wood, then you can add a special coloring pigment or thick paint oil based.
- Next, the cracks in the floor are cleaned and lubricated with glue, which was used to make the repair composition described above.
- The mass itself needs to be warmed up a little, and then quickly seal the cracks with a narrow spatula, trying to level the surface.
- It will take about two weeks for this composition to dry completely. Then the cracks must be treated with abrasive materials until they are perfectly even.
This method is often used not only to seal widened cracks, but also to level the floor surface to a smooth state.
Repair using putty
If you don't want to bother with making complex compositions of numerous ingredients, you can, of course, do it easier: buy a special wood putty at a hardware store and seal the cracks with it. This option is suitable if the gaps not big at all. But you need to know that such fall putty is often quite short-lived - it can crack and crumble over time. Therefore, it is better to use it when you plan to then cover the old boards with plywood flooring.
The finished putty is also applied with a narrow or rubber spatula, pressing it into the cracks. After it has dried, you need to level the sealed surfaces using available abrasive wood processing products.
Sealing cracks with paste and paper
This method is easy to implement and not at all expensive. To perform such a process, you will need paste, paper and a little copper sulfate or, as it is also called, “blue stone”. This ingredient of the composition is necessary so that nests of various small insects do not appear in the adhesive mass over time.
- The paper is torn into small pieces or cut, then it is filled with water. The paper needs to be given time to soak.
- While the paper pulp is being prepared, you need to prepare the paste. It is cooked from flour or starch and water. The water is brought to a boil and one of the selected ingredients is gradually poured into it, stirring constantly, so that it is as hot as possible. less lumps. The composition should cool to a warm state.
- Then copper sulfate 1:10 is added to the paste.
- Next, the paper pulp needs to be squeezed out, crushed with your fingers, added to the paste and mixed thoroughly. You should get a fairly thick and homogeneous consistency, similar to putty.
- Preparing cracks for sealing occurs in the same way as in other cases. The main thing is to achieve their absolute purity.
- Next, the mass is applied to the cracks and compacted into them. It needs to be thoroughly leveled on top, and after drying, smoothed with sandpaper.
- After this, the floor can be safely painted.
Sealing cracks with cord
A method has long been known for sealing cracks, not only between floorboards, but also in walls, using a cord selected according to the width of the holes. Application of this folk technology will not only help get rid of cracks in the floor, but will also relieve residents from unpleasant creaking boards
For the repair process in this way, you must have twine, rope or cord made of any material, sawdust, wood glue or PVA and putty.
- The cord must be passed through the glue so that it is completely lubricated with it.
- Next, a mixture of putty, sawdust and glue is made.
- The rope is laid on one of the cracks and deepened inward to such a state that there is 2 ÷ 4 mm from it to the floor surface - this is a necessary condition.
- The distance from the cord carefully compacted into the crack to the floor surface must be filled with the prepared mixture with a small margin on top, since when drying, the adhesive putty composition will certainly shrink.
Sealing cracks using slats or wedges
It has long been used and more the hard way sealing cracks - using thin slats, hewn at an angle in the form of wedges. These parts must be carefully adjusted and should not push the floorboards too much, but, at the same time, completely cover the cracks. The work is carried out in several stages.
- As with others repair work To repair floor defects, the cracks must be cleaned and their upper part must be slightly expanded.
- Next, a strip is made according to the size of the gap, narrowed to its lower part so that, like a wedge, it fits into the prepared and cleaned groove.
- The gap and the lath are thickly treated with PVA or wood glue.
- Next, the lath is glued into the gap; it can be slightly knocked down with a rubber hammer or mallet, or you can place a board on top and hammer the lath through it with a regular hammer.
- If the lath does not fit completely into the gap, and a small part of it protrudes above the floor surface, then it is removed with a plane after the glue has completely dried.
- When using this method of sealing cracks in floors, the color of the wedge slats driven in will be significantly different from the main coating, so they can be evened out using stain or well-chosen paint.
- If there is a thick layer of paint on the floors, and it is cracked and peeling around the cracks, it can be removed using construction hair dryer or clean it using special attachments on a drill with a soft iron brush. You can also resort to sandpaper mounted on a sander.
Other repair methods
In addition to the methods mentioned above, there are many other known techniques. Besides, construction stores can offer numerous modern materials for these purposes.
- Tow - familiar to everyone construction material from flax fibers, which has long established itself for its positive qualities. Therefore, even with the advent of numerous new compositions for sealing cracks and cracks, they are in no hurry to abandon it.
This material is treated with wood glue and compacted into the cracks using available tools. After the glue has dried, the cracks are tinted to match the overall floor.
- A composition of epoxy glue and cement, which is prepared based on equal proportions of the material, is perfect for repairing floors with small cracks. This product is carefully poured into the openings with the top in the expectation that the mass will sag. Since the epoxy mixture sets quickly enough when mixed with cement, it will not have time to seep into the subfloor.
Then, after the glue has dried, the cracks are sanded and covered with paint.
- A composition made from thick oil paint, sawdust or small shavings and wood varnish in proportions 1:4:1, mixed into a single mass of uniform consistency, is also excellent for sealing cracks different sizes. The process can be carried out in one stage, When the cracks are filled immediately, or maybe in several stages, when it is called in cases where such a quantity has formed between the floorboards various sizes cracks that sealing them is unproductive. Therefore, it will be easier, following all the technologies for working with plywood, to secure it to the floor surface with self-tapping screws and close all the defects that appear at once.
- The well-known sealant, which has a convenient packaging and a syringe attachment, is also well suited for sealing seams. Thereby special device, you can carefully fill both a wide gap and a very narrow one by cutting the tip to the desired thickness.
The sealant perfectly closes the cracks and eliminates the resulting creaking. Spreading under the pressure created in the syringe, it closes the entire inner surface without compaction or other efforts. This is a durable and fairly reliable material that will eliminate problems for many years.
Sealants made on acrylic and silicone bases that are designed to work with wood are well suited for closing cracks. They are very easy to apply and dry quickly. Therefore, if there is no experience in the manufacture of special compounds or there is no desire to tinker with them, but it is possible to purchase ready-made product For such repairs, you can opt for sealant.
To seal the gaps in the floor between the boards, there are many options, you need to study them and choose the most suitable one. A wooden house is the most environmentally friendly and modern building for housing. It is pleasant and cozy to be in, however, there are a number of problems that the owners of this building face, for example, cracks in the wooden flooring.
Good to know: how to seal cracks in a wooden floor
Gaps may occur due to drying out of the wood. The tree dries within 10 years. Wood deformations are possible in the off-season. In winter, wood swells, and in summer it dries and decreases in size. This cannot be detected visually, however, in the microcosm, under a microscope, you can see how the fibers in the wood change over time.
Other possible reasons:
- Incorrect calculations by builders or incorrect installation of floorboards.
- Improperly prepared wood for use – low-quality paints and varnishes.
- Poor ventilation.
- Insufficient floor contact.
- The appearance of mice and termites.
Preparing your own grout for cracks in the floor is a very economical method, but it is not aesthetically pleasing and is used mainly in dilapidated housing or in the countryside
All cracks, depending on the size and location, are eliminated; you just need to select correct solution. There are many methods for fixing cracks in wood floors. Filling gaps up to 15 cm is done with sealant. In this case, two types of sealant can be used: silicone or acrylic wood sealant. Special wood sealants vary in color, which allows you to eliminate joints and cracks as discreetly as possible.
Sealants have a number of advantages: resistance to dampness, favorable consumption during the process of sealing cracks and long service life after eliminating defects in the floor.
You can fill the gap with wood putty. The choice may be acrylic-based, solvent-based, oil-based or water-based polymer putty. You can putty not only cracks and holes, but also uneven surfaces on plywood or wood, as well as cracks. You can seal the gap with foam. However, it is necessary to eliminate the cracks extremely carefully, without splashing the foam. Excess foam can be removed only after it has hardened.
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Seal the cracks with polyester paste. There may be either one or two-component options. Suitable for sealing cracks and seams up to 5 cm. Sealing cracks with improvised materials, such as slats, tow with paint, glass wool, grout made from paste and paper, sawdust and making your own putty is also relevant.
High-quality sealing of cracks in wooden floors
Regardless of the size of the gap between the boards in the floor or parquet, before eliminating it, it is necessary to make a dry and wet cleaning, remove dust and clean the crack area, let it dry.
Sealing options:
- If the gap in a wooden floor is up to 1 cm in size, then it can be sealed with a rope, grout or filled with sealant.
- If from 1 cm to 3 cm, then a special putty is suitable.
- If the gaps are very large, then mounting foam, wedges or slats will work well.
The most common sealing of large gaps in a wooden floor is polyurethane foam.
After the operations have been completed, it is better to cover the floor with sheets of plywood, the joints of which are also processed and leveled with putty. Small cracks or joints can be covered with self-prepared putty made from glue and sawdust.
The sawdust is selected in small fractions, poured with boiling water and mixed until smooth.
After the solution with sawdust has cooled, add PVA glue and apply it with a spatula to the location of the crack that has been cleared of dirt and dust. After the surface of the sealed crack has been leveled to the floor level, it must be left for a couple of days for the mixture to set and dry. After everything has dried, the uneven areas must be treated with abrasive and fire protection applied, and only then the selected paints and varnishes.
Need to know: how to seal a mouse hole
How in rural areas, and in urban areas there are mice. If there are any cracks in the houses, then mice can easily enter the living space; they will not only harm human health, as they are carriers of leptosperosis, toxocariasis, streptobacillosis and many others, which can lead to death, but also harm the room, its decoration, can penetrate into food products.
Related article: How to assemble a transforming coffee table with your own hands
A mouse hole can be sealed to prevent them from gnawing a new passage in a wooden floor. concrete mortar, having previously put metal shavings there
The most proven options for sealing holes in the wall from mice are:
- Glass wool sealing;
- Repairing the defect with cement;
- Polyurethane foam also helps a lot, mice don’t chew it, and it seals the hole tightly.
Expert advice boils down to broken glass being placed in mouse holes.
How and with what to seal the seams between plywood on the floor
On floor covering plywood you can often find seams and joints that need to be eliminated. You need to know that the most important thing in choosing a putty is elasticity, since plywood consists of wood veneer, and the wood is subject to seasonal deformation. Over time, the plywood dries and the joints become more visible. It is also worth choosing putty according to the color of the wood, as well as a special one, that is, for wooden material.
To seal seams, use:
- Acrylic putty;
- Elastic sealant;
- Hot melt adhesive;
- Sawdust with PVA and gypsum;
- Epoxy adhesive.
To seal the seams between plywood on the floor, you need to choose exactly the putty for wooden floors, since the other simply will not withstand the load
It is worth considering that chipboard and plywood must be well secured so that they do not move or vibrate, then the chosen putty (putty for wooden floors) will not crack and will hold tightly, closing the gap.
This work is also done for plywood, on which linoleum will subsequently be laid.
It should also be covered with putty or better silicone sealant, dents in plywood and all joints, cracks. Plywood needs to be coated with an antiseptic. Before laying linoleum, you need to pay attention to the evenness of the plywood and its cleanliness.
Types of putties for floorboards
Today there are enough wide choose wood putty. Before choosing putty, you need to decide on the price, scope, type and brand.
Wood slats
It is very easy to seal the gap with a lath. The technology of the method is as follows:
- The edges of the boards are processed with a hand mill.
- The slats are cut to the appropriate size. It is best to take pine boards, as they are easier to process.
- The edges of the floorboards and side faces the slats are lubricated with an adhesive solution.
- The rail is inserted into the slot and securely fixed. The remaining unfilled gaps can be sealed with a mixture of glue and sawdust.
- The resulting surface is sanded with a belt grinder or manually. In this case, you need to protect yourself with goggles and a respirator, as a lot of dust will be generated.
- Masking tape is applied to the joint.
- The repaired floor is painted and varnished.
- Putty from scrap materials
An old putty recipe that you can use to make your own putty is an adhesive composition made from tree resin and sawdust.
You can also mix sawdust with PVA glue. The resulting mixture adheres perfectly to the wood, and after drying it becomes very hard and durable. The only downside is the roughness of such putty, to give a decent appearance you will have to carefully sand it with sandpaper. In addition, this material darkens during use.
A similar recipe is a mixture of varnish and wood dust.
Covering the floor with plywood, chipboard, plasterboard
Other similar materials can be used. It is recommended to seal the joints of boards using this method in case of very wide cracks that cannot be covered with anything. Any decorative coating can be placed on top of a layer of sheets of plywood or other material.
A frame of miniature logs is formed on an old wooden floor. To do this, you need to use timber made of durable wood. The bars are installed in increments of 60 cm, depending on the thickness of the coating sheets. Pieces of linoleum or roofing felt should be placed under these elements to absorb the load on the floor.
