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blue
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

I've searched through the Google archives and have found several
suggestions on filling holes in hardwood floors such as sawdust mixed
with finish and wood filler. Most of the suggestions were for small
cracks or for nail holes so I do not know if they apply to my
situation.

My dad is refinishing our hardwood for us, it thin (about 1.5" wide
and only 3/8" thick) maple. In one of the bedrooms, the previous owner
didn't like the squeaks in the floor and screwed about 30 #8 screws
into the floor. We removed the screws since they looked like crap and
the funny thing is, the floor doesn't squeak any more than it did with
the screws in it. Anyhow, squeaks I am not concerned about. What I am
concerned about is, the large screw holes left in my floor. My dad has
completely sanded the floors down and put on 3 coats of water-based
Verethane, they look fantastic so far, other than the screw holes. He
can't sand the floors down any further due to the thinness of the
wood. He does not want to fill the screw holes as he says that most
likely due to their funnel shape (narrow at the bottom, wide at the
top), that the filler may pop out over time lifting the finish with
it. After searching around on Google, this does seem like a
possibility.

He said he will fill them for me before the fourth coat of Verethane
if I want, but if it's going to pop out like he says in a few years,
I'd rather leave them. They do not look very attractive though.

Thus, my questions are, should I suck it up and just leave all the
screw holes, or get my dad to fill them? If he fills them, should he
use the maple filler from a local hardwood supplier (they say it is
one of the only fillers that actually looks good), or should he mix
the sawdust with the Verethane? I also saw suggestions of using dowels
to plug holes, but I suspect these could also pop out?

Thanks for any suggestions!
  #2   Report Post  
Kevin P. Fleming
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

blue wrote:

He said he will fill them for me before the fourth coat of Verethane
if I want, but if it's going to pop out like he says in a few years,
I'd rather leave them. They do not look very attractive though.


If you've already got holes, and you're concerned about the filler
popping out, I can think of two suggestions:

- use a drill and drill the holes out to make them clean, straight
cylinders; this should keep the filler from popping out

- use a drill and drill the holes out to a standard size, then buy a
plug cutter and a piece of maple stock that closely matches the color
of your floorboards (if you've got extra boards that would work) and
fill the holes with plugs (this would have worked better before any
finish went on, but should still be doable)

  #3   Report Post  
TroyD
 
Posts: n/a
Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

blue wrote:
I've searched through the Google archives and have found several
suggestions on filling holes in hardwood floors such as sawdust mixed
with finish and wood filler. Most of the suggestions were for small
cracks or for nail holes so I do not know if they apply to my
situation.

My dad is refinishing our hardwood for us, it thin (about 1.5" wide
and only 3/8" thick) maple. In one of the bedrooms, the previous owner
didn't like the squeaks in the floor and screwed about 30 #8 screws
into the floor. We removed the screws since they looked like crap and
the funny thing is, the floor doesn't squeak any more than it did with
the screws in it. Anyhow, squeaks I am not concerned about. What I am
concerned about is, the large screw holes left in my floor. My dad has
completely sanded the floors down and put on 3 coats of water-based
Verethane, they look fantastic so far, other than the screw holes. He
can't sand the floors down any further due to the thinness of the
wood. He does not want to fill the screw holes as he says that most
likely due to their funnel shape (narrow at the bottom, wide at the
top), that the filler may pop out over time lifting the finish with
it. After searching around on Google, this does seem like a
possibility.

He said he will fill them for me before the fourth coat of Verethane
if I want, but if it's going to pop out like he says in a few years,
I'd rather leave them. They do not look very attractive though.

Thus, my questions are, should I suck it up and just leave all the
screw holes, or get my dad to fill them? If he fills them, should he
use the maple filler from a local hardwood supplier (they say it is
one of the only fillers that actually looks good), or should he mix
the sawdust with the Verethane? I also saw suggestions of using dowels
to plug holes, but I suspect these could also pop out?

Thanks for any suggestions!


You could drill holes and fill them with plugs of the same size. That
would be the most invisible solution that I could think up.

TroyD

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Ernie Jurick
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor


"blue" wrote in message
om...

He
can't sand the floors down any further due to the thinness of the
wood.


Hmmmm.... If the wood is that thin, couldn't you use an irregular veneer
punch to replace the wood around the holes? I've used them to eliminate
burns on tabletops invisibly.
http://veneersystems.com/supplies_03.html
-- Ernie


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Ken Muldrew
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

(blue) wrote:

Thus, my questions are, should I suck it up and just leave all the
screw holes, or get my dad to fill them?


Go to
www.leevalley.com and search for "the plugger". This is a reamer
that matches the taper of a pencil. You then sharpen maple dowel in a
pencil sharpener and plug the hole. Quick, easy, and cheap.

Ken Muldrew



  #6   Report Post  
HarryM
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

If you use tapered plugs, they might work loose. But straight plugs should
not. Use one of the portable drill guides [I see one in Woodworker's Supply
for $39.99] to make sure the holes are straight, drill them to fit a
standard birch dowel, and cut the dowel just a bit short of the hole depth.
Put the glue in the hole and spread it around the sides with a nail or wire,
then drive the dowel in flush with the surface. Of course, this should have
been done before you put the finish on because it would look better if you
sanded them flush with the surface, but you can do a good job if you are
careful [and the holes are perpendicular to the surface]. If the screws are
in an appropriate pattern, I might even consider using walnut dowels for a
pegged flooring look. harrym

"blue" wrote in message
om...
I've searched through the Google archives and have found several
suggestions on filling holes in hardwood floors such as sawdust mixed
with finish and wood filler. Most of the suggestions were for small
cracks or for nail holes so I do not know if they apply to my
situation.

My dad is refinishing our hardwood for us, it thin (about 1.5" wide
and only 3/8" thick) maple. In one of the bedrooms, the previous owner
didn't like the squeaks in the floor and screwed about 30 #8 screws
into the floor. We removed the screws since they looked like crap and
the funny thing is, the floor doesn't squeak any more than it did with
the screws in it. Anyhow, squeaks I am not concerned about. What I am
concerned about is, the large screw holes left in my floor. My dad has
completely sanded the floors down and put on 3 coats of water-based
Verethane, they look fantastic so far, other than the screw holes. He
can't sand the floors down any further due to the thinness of the
wood. He does not want to fill the screw holes as he says that most
likely due to their funnel shape (narrow at the bottom, wide at the
top), that the filler may pop out over time lifting the finish with
it. After searching around on Google, this does seem like a
possibility.

He said he will fill them for me before the fourth coat of Verethane
if I want, but if it's going to pop out like he says in a few years,
I'd rather leave them. They do not look very attractive though.

Thus, my questions are, should I suck it up and just leave all the
screw holes, or get my dad to fill them? If he fills them, should he
use the maple filler from a local hardwood supplier (they say it is
one of the only fillers that actually looks good), or should he mix
the sawdust with the Verethane? I also saw suggestions of using dowels
to plug holes, but I suspect these could also pop out?

Thanks for any suggestions!



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blue
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

snip
Hmmmm.... If the wood is that thin, couldn't you use an irregular veneer
punch to replace the wood around the holes? I've used them to eliminate
burns on tabletops invisibly.
http://veneersystems.com/supplies_03.html
-- Ernie


Hi Ernie,

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean to use this tool after the holes
have been plugged to get the plugs to blend in?

Thanks.
  #8   Report Post  
blue
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

snip
careful [and the holes are perpendicular to the surface]. If the screws are
in an appropriate pattern, I might even consider using walnut dowels for a
pegged flooring look. harrym


Harry, the pegged flooring look is an awesome idea. It is too bad the
guy who put the screws in wasn't thinking of that. :-) On one slat we
have about 9 screw holes screwed in a crooked line, then the same idea
on a few more slats randomly throughout the room, except that the
number of holes isn't even consistent. The guy really wasn't all that
bright.

Does anyone have an idea of how long a job like this might take?
Assuming of course the correct tools and a competent individual doing
the job. My dad is under the impression it could take him up to 2 days
of work to get it done right (he is REALLY fussy!). If he's way out to
lunch on his estimate, and it is actually much shorter, I'll get him
to go ahead, else I might wait on it, as there are downstairs floors
to finish, new sub floor in the hallway to put in, kitchen cabinets to
install.....all before the weekend! Yikes!
  #9   Report Post  
blue
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

Thanks everyone for all the fantastic replies so far. It looks like
plugging the holes with a matching wood is the winning way to go. I've
got a couple of other ideas, can anyone tell me how they compare?

1. Use some sort of epoxy (sp?) with sawdust from the floor. I heard
that boat builder's often use this solution. I assume you'd still have
to drill the holes straight and perhaps in the end this still has the
chance of popping out?

2. I wondered if screws made out of wood actually exist? I searched
the internet and found web sites that tell you how to make wooden
screws, but nobody that actually sells them. I thought perhaps for a
temporary solution I could simply screw #8 sized wooden screws into
the #8 sized holes that already exist there and "ta da" they would be
filled until we had time to properly plug them. I realize this idea
may be way out to lunch, it just sounds so simple for a temp solution!

Thanks!
  #10   Report Post  
MSH
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor

more on the subject of filler popping

Wood floor filler generally loses its bond from movement, a loose board,
expansion and contraction, a nail beneath the filler moving, etc. Open
stable holes generally will stay. Good filler has good adhesion properties.

M Hamlin

"blue" wrote in message
om...
Thanks everyone for all the fantastic replies so far. It looks like
plugging the holes with a matching wood is the winning way to go. I've
got a couple of other ideas, can anyone tell me how they compare?

1. Use some sort of epoxy (sp?) with sawdust from the floor. I heard
that boat builder's often use this solution. I assume you'd still have
to drill the holes straight and perhaps in the end this still has the
chance of popping out?





  #11   Report Post  
Ernie Jurick
 
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Default screw holes in maple hardwood floor


"blue" wrote in message
om...
snip
Hmmmm.... If the wood is that thin, couldn't you use an irregular veneer
punch to replace the wood around the holes? I've used them to eliminate
burns on tabletops invisibly.
http://veneersystems.com/supplies_03.html
-- Ernie


Hi Ernie,

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean to use this tool after the holes
have been plugged to get the plugs to blend in?


*If* the wood flooring is thin enough, you punch out the wood around the
screw hole completely, then punch out a matching piece and fit it in. The
irregular shape makes it undetectable. Someone else mentioned using a simple
plug-cutter http://tinyurl.com/h4t5 which would do the same thing, although
the plug would be round, obviously. Remember that no one is going to be down
on the floor looking for these patches. What looks obvious to you will blend
in completely once the room is furnished.
-- Ernie


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