Gaping cracks in hardwood floors

[MBot]

Our old wood floors have some pretty gaping cracks in them. The planks are narrow and the gaps are mostly 2-5 mm (almost a quarter inch!) If I sweep the dust falls into the cracks and gets picked up by feet walking across. If my husband vacuums it picks up more dirt but there's a ton of caked-in and stuck-on grit.

Besides eventually replacing the floors (they are also massively gouged up and splintered by the old owners' dogs, and eventually we will put a beam up and rip out some walls)  is there a way to seal or fill the cracks somewhat?

[Bob W]

Could you clarify old?  Do you know if it is prefinished?

[MBot]

House was built in late 1920s. Floors are original maple strip narrow plank, finished with varnish and wax, and about half the finish is worn off. If torn up and relaid we could salvage about half of the planks.

I'm not looking to make them prettier, just to make the gaps less dirt retaining and tracking.

[Kernel Fielding]

Here's an idea: http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2014/09/minding_the_gap_easy_diy_repai.html

Never tried it myself, but it looks like a quick and easy way to address the problem.

I didn't find any disclaimers regarding this method, but I'm guessing it may not be so great if the floors are later sanded or otherwise refinished, unless the silicone patch is removed first - and then a more permanent wood replacement to address the cracks could be considered. Maybe something to keep in mind for the future...

[MBot]

Here's a pic with coins for size reference

[Kernel Fielding]

For that, I'd look into a full or partial plank replacement.  Or maybe put a throw rug over it until you decide to redo the floors. :)

[kendallf]

I've seen several offices with what I'll call "rustic restorations" of floors worse than yours.  They appear to have used epoxy based wood putty to fill in the gaps, then refinished.  The putty is of course visible, but the overall look and shine of the floors can look quite nice, IMO.

[MBot]

For that, I'd look into a full or partial plank replacement.  Or maybe put a throw rug over it until you decide to redo the floors. :)

This is the state of the  entire floor unfortunately.

I've seen several offices with what I'll call "rustic restorations" of floors worse than yours.  They appear to have used epoxy based wood putty to fill in the gaps, then refinished.  The putty is of course visible, but the overall look and shine of the floors can look quite nice, IMO.

Interesting! Do you have pictures? I wonder if the epoxy would flex or crack over time?

[paddedhat]

I flipped a 100 year old place a few years back. I had all the hardwood refinished by a real master craftsman. Although they were generally in decent shape, there were many areas of 2-3MM gaps. I asked about filling them, since he was puttying small nail holes and defects before sanding.  He told me that the repairs wouldn't last, and eventually all the putty would work loose. I have seen the floor work that kendallf refers to. It is an epoxy overlay, and it isn't cheap, or easy. If you google "epoxy coating old wood flooring" there are images and some info. IMHO, the typical extreme gloss of the finished product wouldn't be acceptable.

[waffle]

If you don't care about it being pretty and plan on replacing the floors anyway I would just use a wood filler or caulking. It will be very noticeable, and wont last, but it is cheap if you need to do it multiple times before replacing the floor.

[Bob W]

Strangely, I can't decide if that is an ugly floor or a beautiful antique floor.  The gaps would be annoying as heck though. 

Carpet is a very inexpensive option.  (I know, I don't like carpet either)

Cost of new hardwood would be very expensive unless you diy and even then pricey.  Probably never recoup your input dollars.  So I guess it comes down to how long you will live there.

I actually have carpet in 90% of my house and I can attest that it is livable.    I did live in a 1920 house with beautiful, gap free, narrow gauge wood floors.   It was nice looking but our house was like living on the inside of a guitar due to the lack of sound absorption and plaster walls.   It was weird.  You could literally hear a sleeping person breathing 30 feet away with the door closed.   

We eventually put down large throw rugs.    It has been my experience that virtually everyone who has hardwood floors ends up with throw rugs.  So it seems a waist to have the hard wood anyhow.   

[velocistar237]

I have this problem, too. Is there no way to cut the floor at an angle and cut an angled strip to glue in? Then plane and sand it down.

[scottydog]

I have this problem too, and my place was similarly built in the 1920s.  Our gaps expand and contract significantly with the seasons, so I wouldn't dream of trying to fill them in because the filler would work loose within a year.

We had the floors sanded and refinished about 9 years ago, and many of the gaps filled in with some of the sawdust - and we have been getting little bits of finished sawdust coming out continuously ever since.  It's more of a minor annoyance than a big problem.  The contractor who did our floors said it was the last time they could be sanded, however, because nearly all of the top layer had already been sanded away over the years.

I figure that one day we'll either sell the place as-is, or finally decide to redo the floors - probably once the kids are much older.  If we redo the floors, I'll investigate options for a stronger subfloor in the hopes that it will reduce the contraction and expansion of the wood.

[Miamoo]

We have had this problem to a certain extent (not much) in our circa 1901 house. 

What my husband has done . . .

Trash picked 100% oak pallets, cut & sanded the pieces to the perfect size for replacement, stained them to match  (using - believe it or not! - yellow food colouring and wax

[bzzzt]

It has been my experience that virtually everyone who has hardwood floors ends up with throw rugs.  So it seems a waist to have the hard wood anyhow.

Agreed. I bought my house after it was updated by the PO. They ripped out the carpet in most of the house, had the old hardwood refinished, and laid tile in the kitchen and bath. I have a dirt crawl. I know why it used to have carpet. The floors are cold in the winter and due to the humidity changes, all the sawdust/finish is working it's way out of the cracks when it was refinished and the tile in the kitchen is cracking because they just laid it over the 1-by subfloor with 1/4" ply instead of cement board.

Really glad I almost got it at foreclosure pricing even with the updates.

[former player]

What I did (OK, I admit, what I paid to have done by someone else) when renovating my Victorian terrace was to take up all the planks on the suspended wooden floor, put insulation board between the rafters, cover the floor with draft-proofing material and relay the boards, buying extra as needed from a local reclamation place.  Then they were sanded and polished (had fairly obviously never been sanded before).  Taking up the good boards without losing too many is tricky, and relaying them in an order which makes sense and looks good takes a bit of care.   But you end up largely getting rid of the gaps between the boards, and the insulation and draft-proofing makes a big difference to comfort levels.

[Bob W]

Here is an "out of the box ---"Box!  What box?!""     idea.

I was a new home builder (specs) at one point.   I always like the idea of hardwood and usually put it in the never used dining rooms.   

For about one year I toyed with the idea of doing a border strip of about 18-24 inches of hardwood and then carpet in the middle of living rooms.  I figured it would retain the ambiance of hardwood without all the downsides and huge cost. 

Never did it --- but it may be a solution for you if you are interested.  Since most people just put down throw rugs in the middle of the room anyhow.

So it might work by just carpeting over the middle or pulling up existing boards in the middle and using them as needed on the edges.

The thing is -- is that 100 year old narrow hardwood is cool as shit --- it really, really is. 

So here is another idea ---- take up all the original hardwood or the middle as noted above  --- then use the wood to make a very nice wall piece.

So the wall piece could just be a representative section or a reworked deal or a weave or any number of art deals.   You could even use it to make shelving or a table top.   The ideas are probably endless. 

That way you are paying homage to the original craft work in the original location it was placed and would have very good karma as a result.    (apparently this hardwood to wall idea is a real thingy as I just googled it and there is tons of stuff.   Check pinit as well.   Don't have time or inclination to follow up,  but you or other posters might be interested)

[Dicey]

I give you props for thinking outside the box, ExFB, and your solution could work, but the most common problem with this approach is height variance. One must install tack strip to make the carpet stay in place, with a pad underneath. This generally makes the carpet higher than the surrounding wood, which makes for a very effective shoe cleaner. If the pad isn't cut perfectly, it will eventually show through. So.Much.Easier to forget the fixes and go with area rugs. Look for them on CL or consignment stores. Another trick is to use carpet remnants. It is incredibly important if you go this route to make sure there is some kind of felt backing added or non-skid pad used. The stuff that's on the back of most broadloom will sctatch the shit out of your floors when walked on if there's no protection.

[paddedhat]

For about one year I toyed with the idea of doing a border strip of about 18-24 inches of hardwood and then carpet in the middle of living rooms.  I figured it would retain the ambiance of hardwood without all the downsides and huge cost. 


Bob, I don't know if you have ever seen it, but here in the northeast it was common, a hundred years back, to do exactly what you suggest. The floor would have a beautiful border of oak, then the field would be done in a cheap pine. The border would get stained and finished, the pine would be covered with a rug. I occasionally laugh when I see an "expert" on one of the home shows, with a pair of pliers in hand, as he pulls the corner of the wall to wall carpet up, then declares, "wait until we refinish the beautiful hardwood floors". I wonder how many "oh shit" moments happened after closing when the entire rug ends up in the dumpster and the homeowner sees a house full of dry, splintery #2 yellow pine, with a hint of nice oak around the edges?

[Le Poisson]

Another vote for epoxy.

The epoxy is expensive, but cheaper than a new floor if you DIY it. You will need to mix and flow the epoxy. Once it seeps into the cracks, wait a few days for it to set up, then come back with a sander to sand smooth. You will sand down to the wood. Then apply your finish. You may end up with stripeds where the cracks were, but at least it will be smooth and a consistent finish. I believe darker finishes hide the epoxy better. also you can tint the epoxy to either make the stripes disappear (tint to wood colour) or contrast.

[Bob W]

For about one year I toyed with the idea of doing a border strip of about 18-24 inches of hardwood and then carpet in the middle of living rooms.  I figured it would retain the ambiance of hardwood without all the downsides and huge cost. 


Bob, I don't know if you have ever seen it, but here in the northeast it was common, a hundred years back, to do exactly what you suggest. The floor would have a beautiful border of oak, then the field would be done in a cheap pine. The border would get stained and finished, the pine would be covered with a rug. I occasionally laugh when I see an "expert" on one of the home shows, with a pair of pliers in hand, as he pulls the corner of the wall to wall carpet up, then declares, "wait until we refinish the beautiful hardwood floors". I wonder how many "oh shit" moments happened after closing when the entire rug ends up in the dumpster and the homeowner sees a house full of dry, splintery #2 yellow pine, with a hint of nice oak around the edges?

Nope, I did not know that was a thing.  I have seen it done on modern applications of hardwood though.

Regarding the height variance --- it would be easy enough to remove the section of hardwood you wish to carpet.  Then there are transition strips made precisely for height variances between carpet and hardwood.    You are correct that unless the carpet was pretty flush with the wood that it would be an issue.   Of course you have the same trip factor with throw rugs.   

(regarding the pulling back the carpet to view the hardwood.  This almost never works well as the hardwood is usually significantly damaged in areas)

[theoverlook]

Here's a pic with coins for size reference

That is some amazingly cool floor.  Yes the gaps would be annoying but I would have a hard time doing anything to it beyond a sand and refinish.  We have similar floors in one section of our office building and people love them.  They're scarred and gouged from a century of warehouse use, and then refinished recently, and look amazing.  I will try to dig up a picture. 

[lakemom]

For about one year I toyed with the idea of doing a border strip of about 18-24 inches of hardwood and then carpet in the middle of living rooms.  I figured it would retain the ambiance of hardwood without all the downsides and huge cost. 


Bob, I don't know if you have ever seen it, but here in the northeast it was common, a hundred years back, to do exactly what you suggest. The floor would have a beautiful border of oak, then the field would be done in a cheap pine. The border would get stained and finished, the pine would be covered with a rug. I occasionally laugh when I see an "expert" on one of the home shows, with a pair of pliers in hand, as he pulls the corner of the wall to wall carpet up, then declares, "wait until we refinish the beautiful hardwood floors". I wonder how many "oh shit" moments happened after closing when the entire rug ends up in the dumpster and the homeowner sees a house full of dry, splintery #2 yellow pine, with a hint of nice oak around the edges?

lol, I was just going to mention this.  The house my Dad lived in until I was about 12 had floors like these (in the Midwest) and I never knew it wasn't normal until I was much older.  The house they moved into still has all the original wood floors throughout and no goofy pine squares in the middle of all the rooms.

[Spork]

I might replace the actual broken strips... but I wouldn't fix the gappy stuff.  For a couple of reasons:

* the old floor look is awesome.  It adds character.
* I installed a recycled floor that someone had "fixed" with some sort of epoxy type filler.  I spent months re-milling that stuff to get rid of it.  It is the devil.  You'll also likely have issues refinishing with that stuff in there.  I suspect it will be harder than the wood when you sand it.