Hi,

I am going to be refinishing a red oak strip floor that has some
gaps between the boards. I'm trying to decide whether I want to fill
or not fill the gaps. The floor is not going to be stained.
Normally, I'd just leave the gaps alone but, when the floor was
previously refinished, or when it was installed, it was filled. Now,
you can see remnants of filler in the gaps giving them a ragged look.
Rather then help hide the cracks, the remaining filler seems like it
draws your eye to them. So, I'm thinking that I should fill the floor
again, hoping that filler technology has advanced enough (I don't
think this floor has been done for at least 15 years, if not since it
was installed 30 years ago) so that the filler will be more stable and
stay in the gaps. My problem is, I don't know if I'll just make things
look worse by filling the floor now. Would the new filler hide the
old? Am I better off just accepting the floor as it is? The gaps
aren't that big, most are less than an 1/8th of an inch. Pretty much
typical gaps for an older floor. I'd appreciate any tips or advice on
how to proceed. The environment the floor is in is by the
Massachusetts coast.

One thing I did do is to order a small quantity of the filler I am
considering using (Timbermate) so I can make up a flooring sample with
gaps to see what the filler will actually look like.

Thanks,

George









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i'd advise against using wood filler in the cracks of a wood floor.
Those cracks shrink or grow depending on humidity, and that is why the
old filler failed. might look better for a while, but i think you will
eventually wind up with the same thing. anything you put in a place
like that would have to be flexible, and that's probably ill advised.
try ignoring them for a few months. chances are you will get used to
the ragged putty and not even notice it after a while.

I wonder if the floor boards can be shifted a bit to
be evenly spaced. The use a but of poly in the seams
to make things filled in.

I have read others using a type of rope to fill in the cracks.

Dont know how well that'll work, but you never know.