Woodern Floor

Grz.26

I want to sand down some old pine floor boards in my Victorian house, but my OH isnt so keen as she has heard bad reports that air keeps blowing up through the floor making it very cold. Has anyone had any experience with this? Obviously i will be putting a rug down, but is there anyway I can seal up the cracks with out it looking dodgy..

never_enough

You can use slivers of wood if they're big gaps, or get a filler from someone like ronseal. I believe the traditional way is to use some kind of string & something mixed with sawdust but I've never done that. I have however moved boards across to ensure that there were no gaps, but only if i was replacing damaged ones anyway (otherwise I couldn't be bothered)
Cold can be an issue on the ground floor-which is good, shows that your airbricks have not been blocked! Filling the gaps also stops you losing things down them! :mad:

totalsolutions

Use rope or string as mentiond and push in with a bolster, (just bodge it, get on with it..) some friends do it and it works for them - anything really no one's going to bend down and have a close inspection! - the colour can be dyed I guess.

shirlgirl2004

I heard that you should use the sawdust from the sanding and mix it with glue to make a paste which you can fill the gaps with. The caveat is I've never tried this.

suisidevw

I have and the above is correct

never_enough

suisidevw wrote: »

I have and the above is correct

Going to sand the floor in another room next weekend. Do you varnish over the glue/sawdust mixture or leave it? I'm slightly concerned about hoovering it out. What type of glue did you use?
Thanks!

wallacebob

If the gaps are large, there are several products on the market which reduce drafts . It is a vee shaped plastic strip on a roll that slips into gap. Google "draft seals floor boards", here's one http://www.stopg-p.co.uk/quickfacts.html, never used it but looks simple!
I have been told that filling all the gaps with sealer is not a good idea, as it reduces air flow, and can warp/split boards if they can't expand and contract naturally. I only sealed the larger gaps or damaged joints in my living room, leaving the narrow gaps. They do open and close according to weather. I did seal around the skirting with flexible frame sealant from Screwfix, that reduced drafts considerably.

Grz.26

Ahh, cool thank you for your help guys. Would you say you prefer wooden floors to carpet? I have a period property 1890 - 1900? And does it make it colder even if the there are no gaps?

shirlgirl2004

I much prefer wooden floors and I don't find them colder.

never_enough

Grz.26 wrote: »

Ahh, cool thank you for your help guys. Would you say you prefer wooden floors to carpet? I have a period property 1890 - 1900? And does it make it colder even if the there are no gaps?

I'd choose real wood over carpet every time.
I'm slowly getting round to ripping out my carpets & stripping the boards, they come up a lovely colour too. Carpets just freak me out, with wood you just need a quick brush/mop & you know its totally clean. Wood looks good in modern & period properties.
I would say that if you have floorboards in your hallway do invest in a good doormat just to help keep them in good condition.

suisidevw

Yup, you just sand down the glue/sawdust that has dried and oil over. I'd use POLYX oil everyday over varnish!

And yes, wooden floor downstairs and carpet upstairs! LOVELY!