How to Fill Holes in Wood Floors (7 Detailed Steps)

how to fill holes in wood floors

Holes in hardwood floors are inevitable, and this is one thing most homeowners tend to tackle. If you’re looking for tips on how to fill holes in wood floors, we have got you covered.

Seeking the services of professionals can be costly, but if you can do it yourself in the most detailed format, It would save you both the money and stress involved in seeking a professional’s help.

Filling holes in wood floors involves examining the hole, smoothing it up with sandpaper, and filling it with wood putty. Finally, stain the area and clean up the floor.

Let’s look into more details, the step required in filling holes in wood floors.

Related: How to fix gouges in hardwood floor

How to Fill Holes in Wood Floors

With these well-defined steps, filling the holes in your wood floor would be made easy and also save you money:

1. Examine the hole

Take a very close look at the holes and scratches to know how bad it is. It might look way worse than it appeared in a well-defined examination. Just see if it is a minor scratch or goes way underneath the wood floor.

2. Fix the Hole

A furniture wipe will do if it’s a minor scratch, while a wood epoxy filer is required for deep holes.

The only disadvantage of a wood filler is that it does not work well with stains, so you must choose the color that suits your flooring. For desirable results, mix sawdust from your flooring and glue.

Ensure to wear a dust mask, gloves, and safety glasses for protection.

3. Smoothen Up the Holes

Wood floors might start showing signs of wear and tear as it progresses, and small holes would become visible. Start working on this with sandpaper. You can do this by folding up your sandpaper in a pointed fashion.

Related: How to fill cracks in wood floor

4. Make Use of Wood Putty

Use a putty knife to place the putty inside the made-out hole; apply sparingly. Clamp it down to fill up the holes. Apply a bit of the putty, so it forms up a mound.

Wait for the putty to work effectively; more importantly, with the manufacturer’s rules. It usually takes sandpaper to polish the surface till it is at the same level as the surrounding floors.

5. Stain the Floor

After filling up the hole, stain the area and give the stain some time to dry; this could take 24 hours. Keep the spot blocked off for 2-3 days to dry up properly before foot traffic is allowed on the area.

6. Clean Up the Area

Clean up the filled-up wood floor and sweep and mop it free from debris; with a damp rag, make sure it’s not too wet, and allow it to dry before use.

7. Replace the Board if the Damage is Much

When the damage is so much that filling won’t bring any solution, it is the best of all options to remove the damaged board and replace it with a new board.

Related: How to replace floor joist

Conclusion

Having covered the tips on how to fill holes in wood floors, rest assured you can fix any hole on your floor using the provided steps.

Though filling up this hole might take a succession of days to have it achieved, it’s a worthwhile journey.

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