Chinking Wood Floors Before Painting...Suggestions?

[fin29]

I have wood plank floors in the upstairs of my house. It appears to be fir--and it's face-nailed, so refinishing will be a waste of time, and if you've ever hit a nail with a floor sander, you know it's dangerous, too.

I need to paint the floors, but there are 1/4-1/2" gaps between some of the boards, and I want to fill them. The original owners stuffed the gaps with rage and then chinked over it with some sort of filler--that's all coming out. I would prefer to stay away from anything that requires a putty knife; there's just too much floor and not enough time. I thought about caulking but I'm concerned about shrinkage. Bondo was another idea, if it came in a caulk tube-style, since it shrinks less. I don't have a problem spending good money to get it done, I just can't spend a whole lot of time doing it.

Anything I'm not thinking of? Bear in mind that we're prepping this house to sell to a higher-end clientele, so my solution has to be good-looking.

[65284]

Wood "moves" it expands and contracts in response to changes in humidity and heat. I can't think of anything that hardens that you could fill cracks that size with that won't eventually do just what the filler already there did. You might try some sort of silicone type caulk that doesn't get hard to fill the gaps and put carpet over the whole floor.

[The Paw]

Originally Posted by 65284

Wood "moves" it expands and contracts in response to changes in humidity and heat. I can't think of anything that hardens that you could fill cracks that size with that won't eventually do just what the filler already there did. You might try some sort of silicone type caulk that doesn't get hard to fill the gaps and put carpet over the whole floor.

I was going to say the same thing. I asked a buddy who used to refinish a lot of floors, and he says the filler inevitably comes out after a few years. I like painted floors, but if the gaps are too big to live with you should cover it. Personally, I would go with laminate which could replicate the fir look at a very affordable price and is easy to install.

[WisJim]

I would consider putting one of the thin laminate (looks like wood) floor materials over your existing floor if there is room. Otherwise, carpet, even though I hate the stuff, but it takes up some room too. I think that some of the newer laminates would be as thin as decent carpet, and would look "richer".

[Alex]

• Chink or Caulk with black tar
• Remove exces and wipe with a rag with paint thinner on it -- don't worry if you get some color on the wood -- just makes it look old and better -- you can control the color
• Sand down to nice bare wood, or a smooth surface -- this is the most important step in getting a good finish
• Dilute first coat 10% with paint thinner
• LIGHTLY sand between EACH coat, max #220 sandpaper between coats, could go lighter later
• Vacuum
• Wipe entire surface with a rag with paint thinner on it
• 6 to 10 coats is great
• NO shoes, boots, no scuffling along -- pick up feet -- socks, slippers, or soft INSIDE shoes, or barefoot, only
• Sweeping and occasional mop with little water.
• Felt on bottom of chairs, etc.
• Make some braided wool rugs from old blankets, like Nancy does

These floors are 34 year-old Pine, with 8 coats of varnish (5 years old now,) and Nancy’s rugs, on them. The lighter joints at the right are something else we used -- didn't like it as well as the tar -- left it and it is more character and aged look -- we aren't that fussy.

Good Luck,

Alex

[fin29]

I honestly spaced the whole expansion/contraction thing...that's a good point. Alternately, though, even if I were able to fill up 1/2 the depth of the cracks in the floor (must be close to 1" deep), the floor would look better painted, at least until the cracks start filling up with dust--but we would be gone by then anyway... Laminate's not in the cards for us, and neither is carpet. The reno has to be period, and that is either painted or finished wood for this house.

[idahodave]

I'd suggest countersinking the nails using a carriage bolt. And sanding before paint. If there's any wax or oil on the floor the paint will just peel off.

After painting you might try a product used to caulk log homes. One of them is Log Builder, made by Sashco. Water clean up, color selection, elastic, and can be used for wide cracks. It was made to seal log homes like chinking, but doesn't have sand in it like classic chink does. Comes in a big (29oz) tube for about $10. You can smooth the joints with your finger. Probably not an approved use of the stuff, but it is tough, and if the joints are all concave you wouldn't walk on it. For wide cracks use a round foam backer pushed into the crack so caulk doesn't fall through.

[meanwhile]

Alex - very very nice floors and I love the rugs too. Thanks for sharing photos.

[Eric Klein]

You could fill the gaps with small strips of wood. We rented a house that they did that, it looked good but alot of work.

[TNHermit]

CHeck out the log home builders site for chinking, the new stuff can be done with a pastry bag. Comes and goes with the wood. Don't know how bad it would be walkingon it but if it goes concave it should work.
You could use quart tubes (the big ones)of construction adhesive if your a good caulker and the joints aren't real dusty
Get some different diameter hemp rope and drive in the cracks with a wide brick chisel. Paint it first then drive the rope in. You'll have a talking point
Nothing is going to work well in the long term

[Alex]

Meanwhile,

Thanks, glad you like our floors and Nancy's rugs.

Alex


The big tube of tar are a few dollars.

[fin29]

I meant to tell you Alex, that your floors are beautiful. I seem to remember you posting that pic a few years ago and thinking the same thing then. I have a secret wish to have shiny floors like that (and TWO woodstoves in the same room!!!) but alas, not here and not now with three little ones.

How long did it take for the tar to quit stinking? Must have smelled like psoriasis shampoo for a while...course, the varnish prob. sealed it in.

[krondor2]

Filling Gaps In a Wide-Plank Wood Floor

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/vide...631562,00.html

this is from "ask this old house"

i don't know if it would work for you since you want to paint. but hope it will help

[Alex]

fin29,

Yes posted a few years ago, and thank you.

After diluting by wiping with mineral spirits -- which is bad enough -- then there is only a little smell. After wiping, we sanded, and it didn't smell more than the wood particles -- I love the smell of fresh pine. After a coat of varnish we smelled the varnish. All these smells are not more than every day construction odors.

It does get minus 40, but we don't use the Pellet stove any more, since we got the big Blaze King, which we love -- less wood, etc.-- we just can't bare the pain to get rid of her. But, we have three wood stoves in our beautiful, if I do say so myself, cabin -- we also have Katie-the-Cookstove, right behind the Pellet stove.

Alex

[fin29]

Originally Posted by krondor2

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/vide...631562,00.html

this is from "ask this old house"

i don't know if it would work for you since you want to paint. but hope it will help

Thanks for the link, and I think this may be part of my solution, though I'm thinking it would be a good use for the large spool of baler twine I've got. Once I looked at the gaps more closely, I noticed that they're just the right width for the twine. I'm thinking stuff the gaps and then caulk or whatever over it, but leaving the gaps a bit concave. I just want to decrease the depth of the cracks before I paint. It certainly doesn't need to be totally smooth.

[texican]

Alex, does your floor ever get 'hot'?

I've got wide pine plank flooring upstairs... at the time, I didn't have the tools and skills to tongue and groove the floor, so I have varying width cracks. I've never got around to filling the cracks... cause I worry about the movement of the wood messing up the chinking. You're roofing tar looks like a great 'cure'... however, I wonder about the heat... it gets warmish here in the summertime.

Might have to do a little test section and see how she works...

thanks
Phil

[Alex]

Phil,

I don't know about that. It might be something to check out. It only gets to around 85 F in the summer -- max. We have some tar in the 2nd seams. But we aslo added tongue and groove 1 x 4 pine ceiling at the underside of the 2nd floor about 8 years ago -- so might not see if there was a problem in ours.

You might be able to try it and find out if there is a problem -- I don't think there would be -- but maybe if it gets real hot for awhile.

Good Luck,

Alex

Thanks for sharing this nice thread. We'll try to throw this a reference in our vancouver hardwood stair refinishing section later this week.

----------------------------
vancouver hardwood stair refinishing

[Osiris]

I'm in the middle of a project like this. I'm in a 160 yr old house w/pine floor. In this place, every can of worms becomes a box of snakes! I'm sure you all understand why.

I planned on 'fixing' some holes in the flooring in the kitchen (peel and stick tile) Once I cut out the flooring to insert a patch I discovered the peel and stick was on top of another vinyl tile, glued on top of Masonite 1/4 inch, on top of another vinyl tile (probably 1940's), on top of tar paper! Yeah 5 layers! The 2 top layers weren't sticking to the Masonite any more and nothing else will either, so I ended up ripping up the whole floor. I'm a third of the way across the room now with the pine floor exposed. I like it and I'm going to paint it because that's what the original owners did back in those days.

So I'm on my knees, scraping and chiseling that tar paper. Sometimes a heat gun helps, but the scrapers handle most of it. I also have gaps in the tongue and groove pine flooring which vary between dead tight to 1/2 inch. I've seen numerous methods from all over the world and watched videos and blogs on this subject. Suggestions from mixing sawdust with a sealant to filling it in with rubber tubing or jute twine and even oakum. After all considerations, I'm at the point of using a sealant by Sashco (Big Stretch) which never dries out, always stays flexible, sticks to all materials and is paintable. Several companies make this type of flexible sealant. I figure If I can stay a bit below the floor grade, any possible expansion will bring it up to floor level. I doubt the floor gaps will disappear as every other room in the house has exposed painted flooring and the gaps always stay. Caulk isn't the answer, I know, because it dries out and the sawdust thing will also dry out. I hadn't heard of the tar method, but I'm a bit leery because it's winter and I have plastic on the windows. I need minimum odor, and minimum mess, so I'm going with something that's flexible and doesn't dry hard. It comes in several colors and it'll be painted ultimately.

The left side of the pic is the Masonite. Gonna start cutting out that third this week. This wood has never been oiled, waxed or varnished. I'd love to keep it natural, but it's a high traffic area and I know it wouldn't hold up. Behr paint has been a savior in the other rooms. I'm gonna go with that - probably two coats. The first color on this wood was very thin coat of a caramel brown paint. I'm gonna stick with that color scheme - maybe a tad lighter.
Sure glad I'm not the only person who's run up against these darn gaps! All I wanted to do is fix a friggin' hole!

A lot of work, but here's my logic - I could lay a whole new sub-floor, pour the leveler, trowel it all out, buy new tile, all at a cost of about 3-4 hundred plus labor, or I can pick at this and restore the old floor. I chose the latter and in view of the age of the building - 1850's, I think it deserves the respect. There's a real floor under all that new-fangled nonsense. Why not use it?

[kudzuvine]

what an undertaking and good for you. you said you needed to fix a hole. is the hole very big? can you find a piece to just replace the board with hole?