Gaps between tongue & groove flooring repairs

Sard · 19 Sep 2021

Hi,

I have had to replace some of my t&g flooring due to plumbing & rewiring work. I've replaced the damaged boards with OSB but in most places I have a 2-3mm gap. I will have underlay and carpet on top and will screw down each board. Should I also put something in to fill the gaps or leave as is? Floorboards are on the first floor.

Thanks in advance!

RandomGrinch · 19 Sep 2021

Hi,
Those gaps are a lot smaller than the ones I have between the floorboards in my Victorian terrace!
I don't believe you will notice them beneath the underlay, but you may also want to use lining paper to stop any draughts and make taking up the underlay easier in the future.

foxhole · 19 Sep 2021

You can overboard with hardboard, eliminates anything showing thru carpet .I like to use divergent point staples which splay out as they enter the timber giving better grip.

Sard · 19 Sep 2021

foxhole said:
You can overboard with hardboard, eliminates anything showing thru carpet .

Thanks, but I think overboarding is too much hassle. I'm contemplating whether I need a flexible wood filler of some sort?

Deleted member 174758 · 20 Sep 2021

Flexible fillers are generally single pack and shrink over time. That's why people have used hardboard or thin plywood for decades. Also faster and a lot less messy

Sard · 20 Sep 2021

thank you again for the helpful replies. I'm loathe to overboard at this stage as some of my rooms are odd shaped and I'll have to make awkward cuts.

How about PVA and sawdust to fill the gaps?

foxhole · 20 Sep 2021

Sard said:
thank you again for the helpful replies. I'm loathe to overboard at this stage as some of my rooms are odd shaped and I'll have to make awkward cuts.

How about PVA and sawdust to fill the gaps?

Won’t fill flush and can fall out with movement .Hardboard requires nothing more than a Stanley knife to cut .Far less work.

Sard · 20 Sep 2021

foxhole said:
Won’t fill flush and can fall out with movement .Hardboard requires nothing more than a Stanley knife to cut .Far less work.

Thank you, that helps clarify things a lot. Is there a risk that it will move underfoot or flex where the underboards are not flush? I appreciate the hardboard will be screwed down but wanted to check this.

Deleted member 174758 · 20 Sep 2021

You can also nail it down with flooring tacks which is maybe quicker.

If the difference in height betwen adjacent boards is more than 1/8in (3mm approx), or the thickness of hardboard, you can build up a low plank by cutting and fixing a strip (or multiple strips) of hardboard on top of it before overboarding. You do need to ensure that you have enough fixings to hold the hardboard down - every 150 to 200mm is what I'd aim for. Ensure that you span any joints between boards as well and it won't move.

One plus point of doing this is that it will reduce draughts through joints in the floor boards. It is also a reversible process, so if you ever want to repsir, sand and lacquer the floorboards in the future you can still do that

Bouy · 20 Sep 2021

In the old days I believe they used paper mache ( wall paper paste and paper) shoved into the gaps (do schools still use paper machete? was used in the juniors years ago, put around wire framework to make models, animals etc and then given a lick of paint)

foxhole · 20 Sep 2021

Bouy said:
In the old days I believe they used paper mache ( wall paper paste and paper) shoved into the gaps (do schools still use paper machete? was used in the juniors years ago, put around wire framework to make models, animals etc and then given a lick of paint)

By "Old days" do you mean the time of Wyatt Earp.?

Bouy · 20 Sep 2021

foxhole said:
By "Old days" do you mean the time of Wyatt Earp.?

Earlier!!

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Gaps between tongue & groove flooring repairs

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