Pine floorboard filler

[Aspers32]

We are having our victorian pine floorboards restored and the contractor has used a pale ('natural' shade) ready bought wood filler to fill gaps between boards and damage from nail holes etc.

The result (after base coat of varnish) currently looks terrible- huge variations in colour- and looks nothing like restored pine floors I've seen in other properties and online. I can't believe that this is a standard accepted approach to filling lightly damaged areas of floorboard? Could the contractor have reasonably been expected to colour match better?

Any advice on where we can go from here would be appreciated, we thought of staining but heard that most fillers don't take stain well.

 

[fillyboy]

Ouch!, it would have looked better not filling it at all, you'll never achieve perfection on a floor like that so better to go for the rustic look.

If he's used ordinary woodfiller, you could sand down local spots and tint with wood dye, antique pine might do it, sometimes you might have to blend antique pine with medium oak dye, problem is at 15 quid a pop for a tine of dye the cost mounts up.

If he's used 2 pack wood filler (where a hardener or activator is added), that tends to be impervious to wood dyes.

 

[Koolpc]

Put laminate down over the top!

 

[big-all]

doesnt look good but never will
filling between boards is fairly pointless as movement will tend to destroy the filled space better with flexable or live wood slithers
as an aside light to medium ok is a better match than natural/pine filler but as wood mature the colour changes so disappointment unless you live with what you have

 

[Ihavenojob]

I saw someone who had used the dust from sanding the floors mixed with glue to fill gaps. No idea how it took a dye, or if the gaps stayed filled, but it looked good as he was doing it.

 

[wobs]

Many use the glue/sanding dust technique, but doesn't work as well as Lecol. This is made for the job, and is mixed with sanding dust but is stronger, and still flexible.

I used it in our last house, and is good for gaps 5mm or less. More than that, and you really need bits of wood cut to size.

 

[ellal]

Many use the glue/sanding dust technique, but doesn't work as well as Lecol. This is made for the job, and is mixed with sanding dust but is stronger, and still flexible.

I used it in our last house, and is good for gaps 5mm or less. More than that, and you really need bits of wood cut to size.

I have to admit that I made the same mistake as the OP has posted.

But after getting a bandsaw I retrofitted the gaps in floorboards with thinly cut slightly wedge shaped wood strips.
Hammered down and then any excess sanded off.
Very time consuming though!

As for the holes in the boards themselves, either live with them or mix the filler with a colouring to match.

Again it might take a bit of time to get the right colour, but I've found gravy browning to work quite well.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Definitely cover it, it was never good enough to show in the first place before the filler attack. At least you'll now have a flat, smooth surface to support something else.

Besides, you'll get better insulation with something else on top. I don't understand sanding bare floorboards in these days of high heating bills, assuming it's a ground floor it will always be cold and expensive to heat the room.