Parquet floor restoration

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Taking up a cheap laminate floor with the intention of exposing and then restoring floorboards in the hall we were delighted to discover parquet flooring. The damage seems to be fairly minimal, the main area being near what was a sealed door which was not covered by the laminate and which seems to have sustained some water damage. The wood in this area is bowed and cracked. In other areas there seem to be relatively small pieces of wenge border missing and in others someone in times gone by has set about with wood filler to try to make good various cracks and small gaps.

Around the edges the boards seem to have been nailed down but once in to the body I think they're stuck down, all surprisingly (I think surprisingly) to the floorboards. (Edwardian house - suspended timber ground floor).

What is puzzling me is the thickness of the boards. They seem to be barely 5mm thick. I thought it would be fairly easy to source a few replacement blocks and some wenge strip and make good but I'm not sure it will be that easy. Does anyone have any suggestions. I'm attaching a photo of the main damaged part (also showing some undamaged which constitutes the bulk of the floor) in the hope that this may assist.

Before - just after removal of laminate

• toomuchworknotenoughtime
• 3 Sep 2010
• 3

Thanks.

 

[WoodYouLike]

5mm could mean that originally they used 6.2 (or even10mm) thick blocks and the floor has been sanded a few times. (We encounter these floors regularly)

Find 6.2 blocks and sand them (after installation) to the existing thickness.

Other tips on restoring parquet flooring can be found here.

 

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Thanks for your reply WoodYouLike. Any idea from the photo what wood I'm looking for - I suspect oak - and where I might find the rightish sized blocks. Very very few needed just for a couple of repairs. What's really doing me in is finding strips of wenge on its own 1/2" wide. There are various sections where filler has been used to patch up the border.

Any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[WoodYouLike]

How thick, wide and long are the blocks exactly?
Our design parquet manufacturer can often make bespoke matching blocks - but if it's Oak is really hard to tell from just that one picture (specially with all the "muck" on it.

 

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Thanks for your reply WoodYouLike and apologies for my delayed response.

I'm attaching another few photos where I very lightly sanded the blocks in the hope of getting an idea as to what they are. The border strip almost looks like the main blocks stained black. Is that possible?


//media.diynot.com/139000_138751_26205_45095322_thumb.jpg
//media.diynot.com/139000_138751_26206_46606107_thumb.jpg
//media.diynot.com/139000_138751_26207_61798874_thumb.jpg

The main blocks are 2 3/4" x 12 1/2" and they seem to be about (or just under) 1/4" thick. The border strip (wenge?) is 1/2" wide. Any ideas on identifying the wood and sourcing some replacements?

Also, given the limited thickness I'm worried about anything other than a very gentle sand. The whole floor seems to be pockmarked but I think I'd be down to wafer thin parquet if I try to sand them out. Any views on a light sand with a trio sander. Seems to be an easy to use finishing sander.

Thanks