The mellow patina of an old floor is the result of decades of aging and judicious care. This antique floor and staircase were installed in an addition at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the early 20th century. (Photo: Steve Marsel)
Part of the charm of an old floor lies in its minor imperfections: the familiar creak of a floorboard, a gentle undulation in the hall, the gouge mark so ancient that the scar has a patina. While any old house can be expected to have floors that squeak, sag, or slope, in most cases these flaws aren’t structural. With a little know-how, you can easily silence faulty floorboards and repair minor damage. We’ll also give you tips on what to do about those pesky cracks that open up as the seasons change. The good news is that when flooring problems are the result of old age, it’s a good bet that conditions have stabilized. (In other words, they probably won’t get worse—at least not while you live in the house.) You can trouble-shoot your own floors by talking a walk around the room.
Squeaks, Creaks, Springy Spots
You’re likely to hear problem spots before seeing them. A squeak usually means a floorboard isn’t making adequate contact with the supporting joist below. A deeper-sounding creak probably means the joist is inadequate. Spongy spots can result from either condition. The solution is to reattach loosened boards using a pair of nails driven into the heart of the squeak, or by anchoring them with screws.
A
Once you’ve found the heart of the squeak, drive a pair of 10d finishing nails toward each other in a V so that they grab the joist solidly at that spot [A]. Repeat the procedure every 6″ or so down the length of the joist until the squeak disappears. Set the nails using a hammer and nailset, and fill in the holes.
B
If you have access to the underside of the subfloor (from an unfinished basement, for example), try anchoring the loose boards from below with screws [B]. You’ll need an assistant to walk on the floor over you to identify the problem spot while you work. Use round washerhead screws with a shank slot, such as those sold by McFeely’s. Depending on the combined depth of the subfloor and top floor, use a 1″ to 1 1/4″ screw. (You want the screw to penetrate no further than halfway through the finished flooring.)
Minor Floorboard Repairs
To replace one or two bad boards, begin by finding replacement wood that closely matches the sound condition of the original flooring. Some tips for matching wood:
Replacing a Floorboard
Most floors in older homes are composed of individual (plank) or interlocking (tongue-and-groove) boards laid together. Replacing one bad section on a plank floorboard is a relatively simple repair, but there are some caveats. First, the boards tend to run the full length of the room, so a small patch may stick out like a stubbed toe. Second, there may be no subfloor, so any repair should span at least one joist and share support on another. (Fastening a sturdy block of wood, or cleat, next to the joist to support the new board is one such method of “sharing.”)
C
Before making any repairs, first determine whether the floorboards are face-nailed (heads exposed) or blind-nailed (heads concealed between boards, usually driven at an angle). Use the same method for repairs.
To finesse a new piece of tongue-and-groove into place, cut the bottom shoulder off the groove of the new piece [C]. Once the patch is in place, face-nail it or anchor with a screw.
D
If that doesn’t work, separate the tongue from the new strip, and nail it to its mate [D]. Using a table saw, rip the tongue off the strip at about a 45-degree angle. Nail the tongue to the mating strip with 4d finishing nails. Apply glue or epoxy cement to the cut surface, and work the patch into place. To fill a gab created by facing grooves, cut a spline from a thin strip of hardwood to create a common tongue [E].
E
Minor holes and gouges can be filled with wood putty. To repair a crack in an otherwise sound board, glue down any long splinters, then fill the crack with wood filler or wood putty.
Gaps Between Boards
Both plank and tongue-and-groove floors can develop unsightly gaps as the floor ages. This is caused by compression shrinkage. During periods of high humidity, a floorboard will expand and compress its neighbors. When dry air returns, the boards shrink, but don’t fully decompress.
Since the shrink/swell pattern persists even in the oldest floors, the best remedy is to do nothing, particularly if the gaps tend to close up during the humid months. If the gaps are especially large or pronounced at certain times of the year, consider the following alternatives.
Treating Stains
Chlorine, oxalic acid, and hydrogen peroxide are the most effective stain removers for wood floors. All three work primarily by bleaching; each is most effective only on certain types of stains. Before you apply any strong agent, test it in a spot that doesn’t show.
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How to Fix Sagging Floors
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am so thankful that I have found this website. I rent a beautiful one bedroom apartment that has nice wood floors (for their age) and radiator heat. It even has the old three pane crank out windows. The outside is an awesome two story red brick building with such a classic an elegant look. Love the area also. Large older homes with a certain je ne sais quoi in a well wooded area. So whatever issues that come your way you want to work through them. Well, in this economic era that we seem to be stuck in right now, my landlord is reserved in what nod of approval he gives out. So finding your information on the radiator’s and how to get more “heat” out of them is a blessing. AND those squeaks on the hardwood floors from the neighbor above is going to be a lifesaver! Thank you soooo much!
I have forty year old T&G oil stained oak flooring. It still looks good except for areas open to the southern exposure windows: dry, faded & cupped. I would like to refurbish the effected areas without sanding & staining the whole room. Maybe use light steel wool and then danish oil stain or maybe linseed oil? Opened to suggestions…