T&G Gaps

[CrealBilly]

How do you repair gaps in old T&G heart wood pine floor? Is there a practical way beside the obvious of flooding with clear epoxy prior to sanding? I was thinking of a thin bead of gorilla glue but may that would be a mess not to mention it will not dry clear (smack me).

 

[JimmyC]

Jeff,
If you're talking about the gaps from shrinkage why bother. They add character to older floors. I've never seen an old pine floor that didn't have 'em. Filling the gaps may cause problems when expansions come along anyway. I had a six panel door in NJ that every winter a crack appeared on one of the panels that was about 3/32" wide and 16" long. Every summer the crack closed to the point where you could'nt find it, it drove me nuts until I just accepted it.

 

[DaveO]

My FIL filled gaps in his 200+ year old H. Pine flooring with a wood filler designed for it. I'm not sure of the name/brand, but I could find out if you are interested. Once he had sanded and applied several coats of Poly you really couldn't see where the gaps were. The floor has so much character that the filler blended right in.
Other than filling them the only other way would be to take up some and fit them tighter together. But that would be a major PITA.

Dave

 

[russellellis]

if youre absolutely set on filling the gaps in, then just use a really good high quality wood filler. I dont like to fill the gaps unless there is only a few and it distracts from the look. Most people ive used to refinish floors in flips ive done, do the same. One guy filled the wider gaps/old floor outlets/etc with a vinyl based filler first and then "topcoated" it with a stainable filler. If you can still find 50X then one coat of that will level off and look like a gym floor.

 

[mlzettl]

I'm skeptical that you can fill these gaps with anything and have it stand the test of time, especially if the pine boards are wider than 5-6" The seasonal movement as they expand during the humid summer months, and contract during the drier winter will eventually create problems, no matter how well you seal it. Remember, the underside is not sealed at all, nor are the sides. Thinking that you can control moisture in the wood by coating the top is fantasy. That's why the best furniture construction allows for wood movement, even when all sides are sealed.

I'm with Jimmy on this. Leave it alone, it's part of the character of an old solid wood floor.

Matt

 

[CrealBilly]

I'm skeptical that you can fill these gaps with anything and have it stand the test of time, especially if the pine boards are wider than 5-6" The seasonal movement as they expand during the humid summer months, and contract during the drier winter will eventually create problems, no matter how well you seal it. Remember, the underside is not sealed at all, nor are the sides. Thinking that you can control moisture in the wood by coating the top is fantasy. That's why the best furniture construction allows for wood movement, even when all sides are sealed.

I'm with Jimmy on this. Leave it alone, it's part of the character of an old solid wood floor.

Matt

4" total width / 3" wide face perfectly clear but wormy heartwood pine, installed in the year 1899.

 

[CrealBilly]

if youre absolutely set on filling the gaps in, then just use a really good high quality wood filler. I dont like to fill the gaps unless there is only a few and it distracts from the look. Most people ive used to refinish floors in flips ive done, do the same. One guy filled the wider gaps/old floor outlets/etc with a vinyl based filler first and then "topcoated" it with a stainable filler. If you can still find 50X then one coat of that will level off and look like a gym floor.

what's 50X? That's what I need is a bowling ally finish for this 16 x 20 room - we'll set up pins on one side :gar-La;

 

[CrealBilly]

My FIL filled gaps in his 200+ year old H. Pine flooring with a wood filler designed for it. I'm not sure of the name/brand, but I could find out if you are interested. Once he had sanded and applied several coats of Poly you really couldn't see where the gaps were. The floor has so much character that the filler blended right in.
Other than filling them the only other way would be to take up some and fit them tighter together. But that would be a major PITA.

Dave

Dave could you find out for me please - thanks man

 

[FredP]

you could try some durham rock putty.:dontknow: It wont take stain too well and is hard as bricks but it will stay put.:gar-Bi

 

[mlzettl]

With only 3" wide faces, you might get by with filling the gaps. The total movement across that width may be small enough that it won't be noticed. That being said, I would do the filling during the summer, then when the shrinkage occurs, there will be a thin, hopefully unnoticeable gap. If you filled it in the winter, then later when expansion occurred, the filler material would squeeze out, making a little ridge that you might be able to feel. Minor points, but worth consideration.

Matt

 

[CrealBilly]

you could try some durham rock putty.:dontknow: It wont take stain too well and is hard as bricks but it will stay put.:gar-Bi

I got a little joist jacking to do where the old cast iron ball and claw tub sat in the bathroom. I moved a couple of walls and spun the stairs around that leads to the second floor then built a 1/2 bath under the stairs. Whoever built this house had a 5 door bathroom :roll: Well it's no more

After waking up 3 lazy 2 x 12 joists that were under the tub and painting the walls, I'll be starting on the floor. It's never been sanded so I'm good to go @ 1" thick. Although I may need to face nail it with some brads since it's kinda loose and squeaky - I guess I would be too if I were 110 years old too.

I've been having a ball over here without you Fred! Where you been? I even found a old whiskey bottle (cork type) in one of the walls. It's solid glass with a eagle on it - pretty cool.

 

[FredP]

It's never been sanded so I'm good to go @ 1" thick. Although I may need to face nail it with some brads since it's kinda loose and squeaky - I guess I would be too if I were 110 years old too.

I've been having a ball over here without you Fred! Where you been? I even found a old whiskey bottle (cork type) in one of the walls. It's solid glass with a eagle on it - pretty cool.

when you nail it down use some cut nails and space em right. it will look original after you sand and finish.:icon_thum I've seen this done on some nice high end houses and it looks good!:widea: your workin too hard man! some might think you were leaving town....... slow down cause we aint in no hurry for ya to leave!:gar-La;

 

[russellellis]

50X was a finish that we used in our high school. I worked with the guy who refinished the floors during one summer. Thats the only place ive ever seen it though. We used it in the gym and everywhere else there was hardwood in the old part of the school. Black and gold can with big black 50X on it, supposedly fifty times thicker per coat than poly/etc. I was young, but it seemed to fill in the gaps and leave a pretty darn flat finish with no noticable dips at the gaps.

Ive never had much luck and been happy with face nailing old floors to quieten them down. I used the break off screws before and those were a breeze, but expensive. Since then ive always used 1 3/4" square drive small head cabinet screws. they seem to drive themselves right down under the surface and a little filler covers fills it in fine.

 

[CrealBilly]

50X was a finish that we used in our high school. I worked with the guy who refinished the floors during one summer. Thats the only place ive ever seen it though. We used it in the gym and everywhere else there was hardwood in the old part of the school. Black and gold can with big black 50X on it, supposedly fifty times thicker per coat than poly/etc. I was young, but it seemed to fill in the gaps and leave a pretty darn flat finish with no noticable dips at the gaps.

Ive never had much luck and been happy with face nailing old floors to quieten them down. I used the break off screws before and those were a breeze, but expensive. Since then ive always used 1 3/4" square drive small head cabinet screws. they seem to drive themselves right down under the surface and a little filler covers fills it in fine.

You sure this ain't something your finisher cooked up in a still back in a holler? Sounds s awful bit like some corn mash shine to me :gar-La;

 

[Glennbear]

I concur with Fred that Durham's is the way to go if you use filler since GG has about zero gap filling strength. I would keep in mind that the expansion/contraction of the underlying framing is going to be telegraphed to the flooring so as has been suggested, leave the gaps for "charecter" :wsmile:

 

[Charles Lent]

I've seen where old timers filled cracks in T&G pine flooring with string, tamped in with the blade of a putty knife much like they did when caulking the planking of old wooden ships. The string provides some flex, allowing for the seasonal movement of the boards. Amber shellac or similar provided enough color to make it blend in. The second floor of my grandparents house was done this way.

Charley

 

[Touchwood]

I got a little joist jacking to do where the old cast iron ball and claw tub sat in the bathroom. I moved a couple of walls and spun the stairs around that leads to the second floor then built a 1/2 bath under the stairs. Whoever built this house had a 5 door bathroom :roll: Well it's no more

After waking up 3 lazy 2 x 12 joists that were under the tub and painting the walls, I'll be starting on the floor. It's never been sanded so I'm good to go @ 1" thick. Although I may need to face nail it with some brads since it's kinda loose and squeaky - I guess I would be too if I were 110 years old too.

I've been having a ball over here without you Fred! Where you been? I even found a old whiskey bottle (cork type) in one of the walls. It's solid glass with a eagle on it - pretty cool.

Jeff,

When you figure it, come on over and tell me about it.

The 6" T&G yellow pine on my shop floor gets gaps between boards in the winter and closes tight in the summer. When all the dust etc. falls into the winter cracks, it has nowhere to go in the summer..so I get increasingly uneven floor boards.

Now that floor is only 20 years old...just think what I have to look forward to..:gar-La;

I'm thinking I'll wait 'till it swells up this summer, sand the whole thing flat..and forget about it.:icon_cheers

Don

 

[russellellis]

You sure this ain't something your finisher cooked up in a still back in a holler? Sounds s awful bit like some corn mash shine to me :gar-La;

Clover SC doesnt have a single "holler." I live in WV now but i didnt grow up here.
I know for a fact that there are pics, at my moms house, of working that summer.

 

[DaveO]

Dave could you find out for me please - thanks man

What he used was Pro Finish Wood Filler from HD, he said that you can find it with the floor Poly. He used the light shade filler, but recommended that you use the darker colored filler if you have true HP floors as it will blend better.

Dave

 

[CrealBilly]

Well Thanks everyone - I managed to get those 2x12 joists woke up yesterday and the bow is out of the floor where the old cast iron tub sat for so many years. I had to use my 40 ton bottle jack cause my 10 ton just would not move em very much. Now it's on to paint in the walls and trim, then sand / patch the floor.