How to Patch Floor Boards
- 1). Determine the location of a new butt joint. Look at the position of the damage on the plank that you want to remove. Note where the butt joints are on the planks around the damaged plank. You do not want your new butt joint to be closer than 10 inches from other close butt joints. Mark a straight line where you want your new butt joint.
- 2). Drive the chisel along the line to a depth of 1/8 inch. This will give you a crisp joint at the surface of the floor.
- 3). Use a spade bit on a drill to drill two to three overlapping holes about one quarter inch from the chiseled line. Stay within the damaged plank surface with the holes. These are relief holes that will allow you to chisel out the remaining end of the plank. Using the chisel and hammer, trim the complete edge of the butt joint so that it is square and finished.
- 4). Wearing safety goggles, use your circular saw with a carbide blade to cut along the length of the damaged plank. You will want to make two cuts that are around an inch apart. These cuts will allow you remove the side material of the damaged plank. Stop each cut an inch from the end of the plank.
- 5). Chisel out the sides of the damaged plank. Use a pry bar for extra leverage as necessary. Clean the tongue of the damaged plank out from the groove of the undamaged plank. Remove all debris. Your damaged area should be removed, the butt joints should be clean and the adjacent groove should be ready for the replacement plank.
- 6). Turn your replacement plank face down and remove the bottom material on the groove side of the plank. Leave the upper material. Use a table saw and adjust the blade depth to just remove the bottom material.
- 7). Measure, mark and cut the replacement plank to fit the length of the opening. Use a pencil to lightly mark the location of floor joists on the face of the replacement plank.
- 8). Insert the tongue of the replacement plank into the groove of the existing floor plank. Tap the replacement plank into place using a rubber mallet. Pre-drill, nail and set two 8d finish nails at the ends of the replacement plank and long the plank at the joist locations. Set the nails with a nail set.
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