Floorboard repair and floor sanding/varnishng advice needed!

[Adamspoon]

Hi,

I am planning on sanding and varnishing the hallway and dining room in my Victorian house. The floorboards are in reasonable condition but there are some that will need replacing.

I have considered paying a professional but the difference in price is so great that I have decided to do the job myself. I know a professional would get a better result but I think I’ll be much more satisfied with the job knowing I’ve done it myself. I have a couple of questions thogh (I have searched the forum for similar threads by the way):

1. If I am staining the floorboards (I will be using a darkish stain, maybe Ronseal Diamond Hard - Dark Oak) do I need to get reclaimed floorboard to replace the old ones or can I just get new timber? In other words with the stain on will you be able to tell the difference?

2. Some of the floorboards which will need repairing/replacing are adjacent to the skirting board. I have read that you need to remove the skirting boards to replace these, is this true or is it possible to do it without removing it?

3. The gaps between most of the floorboards seem fairly small, although there are some larger ones. I know that the best method of gap filling is to use wooden batons, but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do this. If I do decide to go for a filler would people recommend the sawdust and resin option? If so can you recommend a brand of resin?
I have seen Bona gapmaster on the internet as an alternative, is this any better than the above method or will it show up as a slightly different colour to the boards?

4. Does anyone know if the ronseal varnish mentioned above is any good? Or can they recommend a better one?

Any advice gratefully accepted, many thanks in advance!

Adam

 

[Therms]

Morning Adam,

Firstly a disclaimer - I am not a professional, but a DIYer and here’s my 2p worth.

You will almost definitely want reclaimed floorboards from the same era as your house not only for taking the stain, but looking warn and being the right thickness. New wood will stand out a mile and will not take stain in the same way as the old wood.

Without seeing a picture it’s difficult to know whether you’ll need to remove the skirting. You can lever boards up without disturbing the skirting board. I have done this as have thousands of sparkies and plumbers who remove single boards all the time.

This is one of those ‘do it properly, or regret it for ever’ moments. Sawdust mixed with PVA is a good filler for small nail holes and small gaps at joints, but not for this kind of application. I think you’ll have difficulty stopping the filler falling through the gaps, it will probably crack and split away for the edge with use and will look like filler because it wont take the stain.

Sorry, I have no experience of this product. Personally I like oil on my floors and not varnish.

I hope this helps until someone else comes along.


Therms

 

[WoodYouLike]

Not much to add to your 2p Therms, you are absolutely right about new boards standing out a mile.

9 times out of 10 it is better to remove skirtingboards (damage from sander, stains from whatever finish you apply to the floor etc).

Bona Gapmaster can be applied after the floor is finished, but will
A) not match with the colour of the boards
B) although more flexible than sand-dust mixed with wood-filler, without T&G in the boards to stop it falling through eventually will mean it will be an ongoing job.

 

[mack4]

Try your nearest salvage/demolition yard to source the flooring.You should also try to get your hands on some 'broader' boards,of the same species, as these would be useful in filling the bigger gaps.Sawdust & resin would only be an option where there is a tongue, as WYL has suggested.If wider boards can't be sourced you will have to glue in small 'rips' the width of the larger gaps,remember glue on one side only.You can replace boards adjacent to the skirting, but it takes longer and needs more care.Don't be confused by stain & varnish, 'stain' will make the floor darker while most 'varnishes' claim to be clear (show the natural colour) I'm assuming you want to varnish the floor, once sanded, just take the normal precautions you would as when painting.If staining however I would advise 50mm masking tape around all skirting/architraves etc. beforehand.
Good luck,
mack

 

[foxhole]

Do you have any other rooms you could pinch boards from to make good the damaged?
I would take up all boards plane them true and relay without gaps and turning them over which usually give a much cleaner surface that requires less sanding.

 

[Adamspoon]

Thanks for the replies. The boards are generally in pretty good condition, with a few exceptions, so it's not going to be a massive repair job. I will take your advice and source some reclaimed timber though.

The gaps between most of the boards is 1-2mm at most but, as the room is not symetrical, there are some areas with bigger gaps. My plan now is to use battons in the bigger gaps and filler (Lecol Filler Mastic 7500 is apparently quite good) mixed with sawdust for the small gaps. Do you all think that this will look ok? I am planning on using quite a dark stain and varnish on the boards to think this should look ok.

 

[Adamspoon]

Appologies for the bump, but does anyone have any advice on the above? I'm finally getting started on this projectthis week.

 

[WoodYouLike]

We use lecol 7500 regularly with good success - the filled parts will show colour difference in the beginning when you finish the floor with a stain.

 

[Adamspoon]

We use lecol 7500 regularly with good success - the filled parts will show colour difference in the beginning when you finish the floor with a stain.

Thanks for the advice, how big a gap would you use the Lecol filler on?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Depends if there is a T&G in the plank, otherwise not wider than 3 - 4 mm

 

[andymet87]

hi... sorry for bringing back an old thread but....

i've hired a sander tomorrow to have a go at my parquet floor and was wondering whether the Lecol Filler 7500 worked well?

my intention is to sand the floor (rough paper then medium paper) mix the dust with Lecol Filler 7500, spread it over and let it dry... and then do a final sweep with the fine sandpaper.... before varnishing the lot!

does that sounds like a good plan? also how much Lecol Filler 7500 is required per m2?

cheers in advance

 

[WoodYouLike]

Since June 2010 Lecol7500 is no longer being produced and should no longer be available either (or if you do find some it's very old stock).

Use Blanchon Resin Filler instead.

Your method is fine. As for how many sq m 1 ltr can cover is asking how long is a piece of string. All depends on width and depth of gaps, so always very hard to tell. But Blanchon goes a long way.

 

[andymet87]

ah right... i was desperately trying to find a shop selling the lecor 7500 stuff! that explains why i couldnt find any..

do you know where I can get some Blanchon Resin Filler? I need to get some for tomorrow/saturday so an actual shop (not online) would be great! i'm in Burgess Hill in west sussex

thanks a lot

 

[WoodYouLike]

How far away are you from Charing (nr Ashford Kent)?

 

[andymet87]

bit too far I'm afraid... a good hour and a half drive each way!

Sorry!

So who stocks Blanchon Resin Filler?