Stage 2: Gap Filling Between Your Floor Boards
Method #1: Dust & Resin Mix
The easiest and most common method for filling in flooring gaps is through the use of a dust and resin mix. This method requires the use of dust created during the wood floor sanding process mixed with a resin, which forms a paste. Much like you would when you are grouting tiles, you would work this dust and resin mix in between the floorboards.
Once this mix is dry, our floor restoration team will sand the mixture down to make it look natural. This method is only recommended on gaps that are no more than 3 mm wide. It is important to note that there will be a loss of this resin mix over time as your floor moves. This is one of the reasons why we consider this method to be one of the least effective gap filling methods, however, it is the most cost effective.
Important notes on resin gap filling. The method most widely in use is a resin filler mixed with wood dust creating a thick paste that is applied with a flat edge filling tool. This method only used if clients aren’t too worried about how long they want this filler to last. All resin eventually shrinks and with boards, your filler either ends up in the vacuum cleaner dust bag or falls through into the space below the boards, leaving you once again with unsightly black gaps and a lot of draught
Method #2: Solid Wood Fillet Strips
Filling the gaps with strips of solid wood is considered to be the most effective and reliable method for filling wood flooring gaps.
This method is frequently used on softwood or pine floorboards and we regularly use reclaimed pine strips to fill such gaps. It is a straightforward process which consists of cutting the strips to the required size and covering them with PVA glue before placing them into the gaps. The strips are allowed to dry overnight and the next day they are chiseled and sanded down to the same level as the surrounding floorboards to give them that nice finishing look.
As mentioned, this is a more permanent solution, as the wooden strips tend to expand and contract with your flooring, which leads to fewer problems over time. It is usually worth the extra effort to utilize this gap filling method.
Method #3: Acrylic Filler
Another popular method for filling those unsightly gaps in your wooden floor is to use acrylic mastic filler, which can usually be picked up in any hardware store in London.
You need to make sure you choose the right colour for your floor. As you begin putting this filler in the gaps, you will quickly notice that a little bit of acrylic filler will go a long way, so don’t go crazy with it.
When you’ve finished filling the gaps, it is important to clean up the excess filler with wood filler cleaner. This process is cost effective and quite easy to implement, however, much like the dust and resin mix option, this is not a permanent solution. Over time, you will lose the filler and need to re-do it.
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