To seal the gaps in the floor between the boards, there are many options, you need to study them and choose the most suitable one. A wooden house is the most environmentally friendly and modern structure for housing. It is pleasant and cozy to be in it, however, there are a number of problems that the owners of this building face, for example, gaps in the wooden flooring.
Good to know: how to close cracks in a wooden floor
Cracks can occur due to the drying of the tree. The tree dries for 10 years. Deformations of wood in off-season time are possible. In winter, wood swells, and in summer it dries and decreases in size. Visually, this cannot be detected, however, in the microcosm, under a microscope, you can see how the fibers in a tree change over time.
More possible reasons:
- Incorrect calculations of builders or incorrect installation of floorboards.
- Incorrectly prepared wood for operation - low-quality paints and varnishes.
- Bad ventilation.
- Insufficient floor fit.
- The appearance of mice and termites.
Do-it-yourself grouting of cracks in the floor is a very economical method, but it is not aesthetically pleasing and is used mainly in dilapidated housing or in the country
All cracks, depending on the size and location, are eliminated, you just need to choose the right solution. There are many methods for fixing cracks in wood floors. Cracks up to 15 cm are filled with sealant. In this case, the sealant can be used in 2 types, it is a silicone or acrylic sealant for wood. Special sealants for wood differ in color, which allows you to eliminate joints and gaps as imperceptibly as possible.
Sealants have a number of advantages: resistance to moisture, favorable consumption in the process of sealing the gap and long operation after the elimination of defects in the floor.
You can fill the gap with wood putty. The choice can fall on acrylic-based, solvent-based, oil-based or polymeric, water-based. You can putty not only cracks and holes, but also irregularities on plywood or wood, as well as cracks. You can seal the gap with foam. However, it is necessary to eliminate cracks very carefully, without spraying foam. Excess foam can be removed only after it hardens.
Cracks are sealed with polyester paste. There can be both one and two-component options. Suitable for sealing gaps and seams up to 5 cm. Sealing gaps with improvised materials, such as slats, tow with paint, glass wool, grout from paste and paper, sawdust and own preparation of putty, is also relevant.
High-quality sealing of cracks in a wooden floor
Regardless of the size of the gap between the boards in the floor or in the parquet, before removing it, it is necessary to do a dry and wet cleaning, remove dust and clean the gap area, let it dry.
Termination options:
- If the gap in the wooden floor is up to 1 cm in size, then it can be sealed with a tourniquet, grout or filled with sealant.
- If from 1 cm to 3 cm, then a special putty is well suited.
- If the gaps are very large, then mounting foam, wedges or slats are well suited.
The most common sealing of large gaps in a wooden floor is polyurethane foam.
The field of operations performed, it is better to cover the floor with sheets of plywood, the joints of which are also processed and leveled with putty. Small gaps or joints can be covered with putty made from glue and sawdust.
Sawdust is taken in a fine fraction, poured with boiling water and mixed until a homogeneous mass.
After the solution with sawdust has cooled down, PVA glue is added and applied with a spatula in the localization of the gap cleared of dirt and dust. After the surface of the sealed gap has been leveled to the floor level, it must be left for a couple of days so that the mixture can take and dry. After everything has dried out, the irregularities must be treated with an abrasive, and fire protection should be applied, and only then the selected paints and varnishes.
You need to know: how to close a hole from mice
There are mice in both rural and urban areas. If there are any gaps in the houses, then mice can easily enter the living quarters, they will not only harm human health, as they are carriers of leptosperosis, toxocariasis, streptobacillus and many others, which can be fatal, but also harm room, its decoration, can penetrate food.
A hole from mice, so that they do not gnaw through a new passage in a wooden floor at all, can be patched up with concrete mortar, after putting metal shavings there
The most proven options for sealing holes in the wall from mice are:
- glass wool embedment;
- Eliminate the defect with cement;
- Mounting foam also helps well, mice do not gnaw it, and tightly seal the hole.
The advice of experts comes down to broken glass, which are placed in the holes of mice.
How and how to seal the seams between plywood on the floor
On plywood flooring, you can often find seams and joints that need to be repaired. You need to know that the most important thing in choosing a putty is elasticity, since plywood consists of wood veneer, and the tree is subject to seasonal deformations. Over time, the plywood dries out, and the joints become more visible. It is also worth choosing a putty according to the color of the wood, as well as a special one, that is, for wooden material.
For sealing seams, are used:
- acrylic putty;
- Elastic sealant;
- hot glue;
- Sawdust with PVA and gypsum;
- Epoxy adhesive.
To seal the seams between the plywood on the floor, it is necessary to choose exactly the putty for wooden floors, since the other simply cannot withstand the load
It is worth considering that chipboard, plywood should be well fixed so that they do not walk and do not vibrate, then the selected putty (putty for wooden floors) will not crack and will hold tightly, closing the gap.
These works are also being done for plywood, on which linoleum will subsequently be laid.
You should also cover with putty or better with silicone sealant, dents in plywood and all joints, cracks. Plywood needs to be coated with an antiseptic. Before laying linoleum, it is necessary to pay attention to the evenness of the plywood and its cleanliness.
Types of putties for the floor from the boards
To date, there is a fairly wide selection of putties on wood. Before choosing a putty, you need to decide on the price, scope, type and brand.
Elastic putty for the floor does not require careful surface preparation, it is easy to apply and cover with other paints and putties
Putties are divided into types:
- Polymer putty, which is made on a water basis, therefore, does not emit chemicals into the atmosphere. It dries quickly enough, holds well and does not crack.
- Oil putty based on water, chalk and oils. It is one of the most reliable, however, after processing the gap, it takes a lot of time for it to dry completely.
- Acrylic putty is environmentally friendly and non-flammable, which is very important for wood.
- Solvent-based putty is ideal for parquet flooring, but is not the most environmentally friendly option.
- The putty is elastic, which is ideal for “floating” cracks and joints. It keeps its shape perfectly, has good adhesion to the surface.
- Pigmented wood putty, that is, various colors (white-birch, teak-mahogany, wenge-dark oak, beech-oak). It must be taken into account that often the color does not match the one declared on the package, you should require a demonstration of the goods or a stand with these putties.
- Putty for wooden floors, which is used to smooth out irregularities, various defects and cracks.
The main brands of putty manufacturers are Dulux, Parade, Semin, Varathane, Axton, Neomid, Forwood, Rainbow, Tytan, Master's Choice. We must not forget that putties differ in the main types: finishing, leveling, filling, universal, sealing. Putty is applied with a spatula of the selected size, by pressing it into the depth of the gap. After the putty dries, it is necessary to level the surface using abrasive products for wood.
How to close cracks in a wooden floor (video)
When cracks appear, it does not matter, any gap can be repaired with your own hands, and the wooden floor is easy to install and repair.
A pure wood floor has a number of advantages: it is warm, environmentally friendly, durable and aesthetic. Like any coating, a wood floor wears out and deforms over time, cracks and cracks appear in it.
Why close up gaps in the floor
Before proceeding with the elimination of gaps in the floor, it is necessary to find out why these defects arose.
- If the floor is covered with new wood, it has most likely dried out. An annual re-coating may be required, which will have to be carried out for three years.
- If the cause of the cracks in the wooden floor was the active activity of rodents, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate their colonies, otherwise the holes will reappear.
- If the boards are installed incorrectly and vibrate relative to each other, only nailing them to the logs will help.
Attention! Oak and softwood are considered good options for arranging flooring.
It is necessary to get rid of cracks in the floor so that the coating continues to perform its important functions:
- provide the necessary thermal insulation, keep warm in the room, do not let cold air masses through the gaps;
- protect from third-party sounds and noise - the tree conducts sound waves well, so holes in the boards can exacerbate the problem;
- protect the room from the penetration of moisture, the spread of mold and insect pests.
After competently sealing the cracks, the boards will not rub against each other and make unpleasant squeaks.
Attention! The wooden floor needs ventilation in the form of products. If the decision is made to eliminate them, it is necessary to conduct a vent through the room itself.
How and what to close the gaps
When the main risks are identified and the causes of cracks are eliminated, you can proceed directly to the elimination of flaws.
Repair with ready-made wood putty is the easiest option for embedding. Factory putty will free the master from the preparation of complex compositions, help to quickly cope with the work.
Putty is suitable for eliminating small gaps. If the defect area is large, the composition can quickly crack and crumble. Ready-made putty can also be used when it is planned to lay another floor covering on wood.
Work order:
- If necessary, the gaps are expanded with a spatula or a screwdriver to make the solution easier to apply.
- Cracks are cleaned of dust and debris.
- A narrow or rubber spatula captures a certain amount of putty. Then it is applied to the crack, trying to push it as deep as possible.
- After the putty dries, after about 1-2 days, the surface is cleaned and sanded with sandpaper.
Attention! The disadvantage of factory putties is a rather limited color palette, which makes the seams visible to the naked eye.
Sealing the cracks with tow is considered an "old-fashioned" way and also does not require much effort. Tow is traditionally used in plumbing to seal threads and pipe joints. This coarse fiber is a product of the processing of bast crops. It has a high degree of hygroscopicity, strength, wear resistance, and is safe for health.
To seal the cracks in the wooden floor, the tow must be moistened with adhesive. Then the fiber is carefully driven into the gap, trying to fill the entire space. After the glue dries, the floor can be painted in the desired shade.
Tow can be replaced with synthetic rope. It is impregnated with PVA glue and used in the same way. After drying, the remains of the rope can be cut off, and the surface can be painted.
Construction foam for sealing gaps
Foam can be a universal solution for sealing holes in wood flooring. It is used mainly when processing the perimeter of the room - in the area of \u200b\u200bthe baseboards.
Step by step:
- Skirting boards are carefully removed, trying not to touch the boards on the floor.
- The surface is cleaned of old dirt, sand and dust.
- Styrofoam pieces are placed in large gaps.
- Free space is blown with building foam.
- Wait for the time required for the mixture to solidify, cut off the excess.
- The entire perimeter of the room is puttied, and after the putty dries, the plinths are installed in their original place.
Attention! Use building foam carefully, in minimal quantities, since a large volume of the mixture can raise the floor at the junction with the wall.
sawdust with glue
An inexpensive but effective way to get rid of a crack in a wood floor is to use a mixture of sawdust and glue. The composition can be prepared independently according to a certain algorithm:
- Prepare small sawdust, pour them into a capacious container.
- Pour the sawdust with boiling water until a thick homogeneous mass is formed.
- When sawdust absorb water, swell and cool, add glue. As a basis, you can take ordinary carpentry glue or PVA.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly until smooth.
- Use a spatula to pick up a small amount of the composition and apply to the space between the boards. It is necessary to completely fill the gap, but do not tamp with effort.
- Level the filled mass, remove excess glue.
Such a homemade putty should dry out in 2-3 days. After drying, the surface should be sanded or sanded.
Another option for the adhesive composition is with the addition of cement:
- glue is mixed with warm water in a ratio of 2:15;
- 5 parts of sawdust and cement are added to the mixture;
- the components are mixed, infused for 5-7 minutes.
sealant
The main purpose of sealants is to create a reliable coating that is impervious to moisture. Wood floors are best treated with indoor sealants:
- acrylic- they give a relatively large shrinkage, do not withstand temperature extremes, however, acrylic lends itself well to coloring and grinding to a perfectly even state;
- silicone- they are more plastic, resistant to compression and deforming loads, have good adhesion, but are not suitable for further staining.
Work progress:
- Clean the cracks from dust and dirt, dry if necessary.
- Provide stable temperature and humidity conditions.
- Squeeze the sealant into the space between the floorboards.
- Spread the composition evenly with a spatula, spatula or gloved fingers.
- Remove excess with a dry cloth.
Sealing compounds do not require special efforts when filling. The gun, with which a portion of the sealant is supplied, creates the necessary pressure and allows you to tightly fill the holes.
Each of the above methods for eliminating cracks in a wooden floor is proven and effective. In order for the result to meet expectations, it is necessary to pre-prepare the surface and carefully follow the application technology.
Traditional natural wood floors are beautiful in every way - they are environmentally friendly, easy to install, beautiful and practical. However, of all materials, wooden boards are most susceptible to various deformations.
So, during operation, gaps between the boards appear in almost any wooden floor. These gaps contribute to decay, a large amount of heat flows through them, dust and dirt accumulate in them. If cracks appear, they must be sealed. What is the best way to do this?
Reasons for the formation of cracks
Gaps between floorboards can form due to a variety of factors:
- Temperature deformations. Due to regular fluctuations in temperature, the tree dries out, the joints of the coating elements become wider. To avoid this, the material dried at the factory by a special method, in which all water is removed from the cells of the tree with the help of vacuum, helps to avoid this. Ordinary boards dry for several years and during this time noticeably change in size.
- Rodents that spoil wood. Just fixing the flaws in this case is not enough, you also need to get rid of the mice, or at least not let them gnaw through the floor by getting a cat.
- Boarding errors. In this case, you need to securely fix the coating, and then cover up the cracks.
- Poor ventilation, as a result of which the tree quickly rots. Having closed the joints in this case, it will be necessary to equip the ventilation grill in the wooden floor.
Modern repair methods
putty
Covering cracks in a wooden floor with putty is the easiest way, but this option is not durable. If the boards continue to move during operation, the putty will quickly crack and you will have to do it all over again. In addition, putty is very noticeable against the background of wood texture.
sealant
If the cracks are dynamic, the filling material must also be mobile and have good elasticity. To ensure this characteristic, sealants based on acrylic or silicone are used. The smearing process looks like this:
- the floor surface is cleaned and dried;
- the joints of the boards are filled with a mounting gun;
- sealant is smeared with a spatula.
Silicone sealant can be chosen in a color suitable for the floor. Acrylic sealers are also a great option. They are resistant to fluctuations in temperature and high humidity, are easy to sand, they can be painted and varnished. The tensile strength is very high - the gap can stretch twice without losing the integrity of the sealant.
Mounting foam
Closing the joints of the boards in the floor with this substance is very simple. All you need is a special gun and a plastic soft tube that is compressed and pushed into the slot. The foam should be distributed evenly and with little pressure. You need to act quickly, as the foam hardens almost instantly.
A narrow gap can be covered not from the inside, but by applying foam from above. It is not necessary to smear the foam with a spatula, as the material will stick tightly to the metal. It is better to use a damp wooden block, lubricated with soapy water. Excess foam is removed with a clerical knife after drying.
The disadvantages of foam are its ability to break down under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, porosity and dust attraction. But the layer of polyurethane foam works well as a heater.
Scotch
If an additional finishing layer of the coating will lie on the wooden floor, and the attractiveness of the seams is not important, you can simply seal the joints with construction wide adhesive tape. Its edges are fastened to the board with a stapler. Scotch tape will perfectly protect the room from drafts and cold entering through the joints of the boards.
Traditional Methods
These methods of sealing gaps have been tested by time and often turn out to be optimal.
Wooden slats
It is very easy to close the gap with a rail. The technology of the method is as follows:
- Edges of boards are processed by a manual mill.
- The strips are cut to the correct size. It is best to take pine boards, as they are easier to process.
- The edges of the floorboards and the side edges of the lath are lubricated with an adhesive solution.
- The rail is inserted into the slot and securely fixed. The remaining unfilled gaps can be sealed with a mixture of glue and sawdust.
- The resulting surface is ground with a belt grinder or by hand. In this case, you need to protect yourself with glasses and a respirator, as a lot of dust will form.
- Masking tape is glued to the joint.
- The repaired floor is painted and varnished.
- Putty from improvised materials
An old recipe for putty, according to which you can make putty with your own hands, is a sticky composition of wood resin and sawdust.
You can also mix sawdust with PVA glue. The resulting mixture adheres perfectly to the tree, and after drying it becomes very hard and durable. The only downside is the roughness of such a putty; to give a decent appearance, you will have to carefully process it with sandpaper. In addition, this material darkens during operation.
A similar recipe is a mixture of varnish and wood dust.
Sewing the floor with plywood, chipboard, drywall
Other similar materials may also be used. It is recommended to close the joints of the boards in this way in the case of very wide cracks that can no longer be covered with anything. Any decorative coating can be placed on top of a layer of plywood sheets or other material.
A frame of miniature logs is formed on the old wooden floor. To do this, you need to use a beam of durable wood. Bars are installed in increments of 60 cm, depending on the thickness of the coating sheets. Under these elements, you need to put pieces of linoleum or roofing material in order to absorb the load on the floor.
It is worth considering that if the distance between the frame elements is made too large, the strength of the floor will decrease. Sheets of plywood or chipboard are attached to the frame with self-tapping screws, the heads of which must be sunk into the material or at least flush with the surface. Instead of self-tapping screws, you can use glue paired with nails, so sufficient reliability of the coating will also be ensured.
Gaps in the frame can be filled with insulation - for example, mineral wool. Between the plates you need to leave gaps for deformations, otherwise the floor will creak. After installation is completed, all joints and fasteners are screwed in with putty. After it dries, the floor can be varnished, painted or covered with a top coat.
Cord
This method is the fastest. Its essence is that a simple rope is laid in wide slots in a wooden floor, which is then filled with a solution of epoxy resin with cement. After the mixture has hardened, you can paint the joints.
During the operation of residential premises in apartments or houses, situations arise when spaces of different sizes and depths are formed between the wall and the floor. There is a need to repair them, but not only because they spoil the appearance of the living space, but also because it is a direct source of drafts, dampness penetration into the rooms, which brings hordes of insects, mold and flexibility.
Therefore, it is extremely important that once such a problem is discovered, it should be fixed immediately. Carrying out the work will not take much effort and time, it involves following several stages:
- Determining the size of the gap - length and depth;
- Based on the scale of future work, the material with which the hole will be sealed is selected.
To seal very small gaps (about 1 cm), you can take mortars of putty, mounting gypsum or cement. Larger gaps (2-5 cm) must be filled with mounting foam. If the damage is much larger (from 5 cm or more), then you need to resort to more serious work and the use of other materials. Below is a consistent technology for eliminating gaps between the wall and the floor of any complexity.
Preparation for work
Sealing such gaps falls into the category of cosmetic repairs. Preparation depends on what decor elements your walls or floor are decorated with. If there is a plinth, it must be removed, the wallpaper removed, the paint layer cleaned and removed, and the whitewash washed off. In the latter case, you need to let the wall dry completely. Remove all dust and dirt that may interfere with the quality fixation of the embedding materials.
If the sealing takes place in a room where you do not plan to carry out a complete repair, then the wallpaper needs to be removed only partially, or try to carefully tear off the strip from the wall so that after the work is completed, glue it back, returning the wall to its original appearance. All surfaces that may get dirt during the repair process must be protected with film, paper and securely fixed - this will avoid additional costs when putting things in order. Such measures will keep the floor and walls from mounting foam, plaster and paint. Paper or newspapers should not be used if there is a lot of water in the workplace - it is useless as a protective material in this case.
The goal is a big gap
Suitable sized pieces of brick, styrofoam, styrofoam, or plastic are ideal for filling the hole. If the parts are large, then they need to be broken or broken - small filling components guarantee that they will lie inside the hole as tightly as possible and carefully fill the cavity. Be careful that when filling the volume of the gap, you do not deform the existing hole and do not expand it.
These materials will help you save expensive mounting foam, which should be poured into the gap after the previous materials. Practice shows that with the use of bricks or other fillers, only one bottle of mounting foam is required to restore even very large damage.
You should not fill it to the eyeballs, because it tends to expand several times. Fill the remaining space by about a third, in very severe cases - by half. If the layer turns out to be very large, then apply it not at once, but in parts, allowing the previous layer to fully expand and harden. This will reduce the risk of overfilling and subsequent foam tatters falling out, and as a result, it will save foam volume.
Target is a medium to small gap
The ideal option for filling such holes would be soft, plastic materials with a high density - tow or construction felt. To prevent such materials from becoming a refuge for pests, they must be thoroughly impregnated with insecticidal substances before filling, formalin most often plays their role.
The material is rolled into small rolls, the diameter of which should be slightly larger than the size of the gap, and applied to the gap. Further, with the help of a small rubber or wooden hammer, the roll is gently but surely hammered into the hollow space of the damage. It is advisable to fill the void with a single piece of material, without small parts, so that unnecessary cavities do not form between them.
If the gap is so small that you can’t physically stuff the tow into it, then a soft spatula and plastic gypsum mortar will come to the rescue. The technology is simple - apply a strip of gypsum to the tip of the spatula and apply to the damage, then gently press. This will allow the mortar to fill the entire cavity and immediately fill the wall surface to minimize preparation for finishing.
To save the surrounding area from dirt, you can use self-adhesive construction fabric (which will not work if you already have wallpaper) or the above methods. After the gap is completely clogged, the formalin dries out - you can decorate the seam.
Gap between baseboard and wall or floor
It usually forms when old walls warp or wooden baseboards dry out. Such an error is repaired very simply - with the help of acrylic sealant, modern stores provide a choice of any colors and shades. The cylinder is installed in a special sealant supply device and applied over the distance between the elements.
Rules for working with mounting foam
Two-thirds of cases still require the active use of mounting foam, even in small quantities. Therefore, it is important to figure out how to use it correctly. The recommendations are:
- Before filling the cavity, its surface must be slightly moistened with ordinary water. To do this, it is advisable to use a mechanical spray gun or a bottle with holes in the lid. This is done to better fix the foam inside the damage.
- When filling it is necessary to remember the ability of the foam to expand. In addition, wetting the surface will only enhance this effect. The foam must be applied carefully, carefully, little by little.
- Ideal working conditions with it are from five to twenty-five degrees Celsius. The cylinder must be heated in water with the appropriate temperature.
- Before use, the container with foam must be thoroughly shaken.
- Work should be carried out only in goggles and gloves - the foam is very caustic, it adheres firmly to all things and objects. In case of accidental contact with clean surfaces, it is recommended to remove the foam only after complete drying, and wipe off the foam that has not yet hardened with a special solvent.
- Hardened foam is removed with a sharp knife.
Finishing the wall after repairing the damage
Remove excess foam so that a small depression remains at the seam. It will be filled with a small layer of putty or gypsum with a spatula and brought to the same level with the wall. After the layer of mortar has dried, there will be no trace of the gap. From above, the wall can be finished in all sorts of ways - attach a plinth, paint, glue wallpaper, tile, plastic, wood, and so on.
Conclusion
Such damage between the floor and walls is desirable to detect and repair before the start of finishing work, so as not to damage the already existing finishing surfaces during work. Thus, the work will be completed faster and at a lower cost. If the sealing takes place in a clean room, then precautions should not be neglected, especially when working with mounting foam.
Video
From the video you will learn in more detail how and with what to close the cracks.
Nothing is eternal! Wood and concrete floors are no exception. Over time, both of them can “grow” with cracks and crevices, which do not look aesthetically pleasing, and they let the cold into the house. It is hardly possible to escape from such a trouble, because every day we live brings us closer to old age, and what is around us. However, the floor can be reanimated using very simple techniques. If you don’t know how to close the cracks in the floor, if the cracks in the concrete “attacked” you and you are already tired of fighting them, then you can find the solution to the problem in this article.
No one is safe from cracks in the floor
How to seal gaps and cracks in a concrete floor?
It would seem that concrete floors are strong and reliable like steel. But even they lose their former state over time - cracks, chips, and crumbs appear on the surface. There are many reasons for this:
- constant temperature fluctuations
- improperly prepared solution
- mistakes made when pouring the solution
- misuse
Technology for sealing small cracks in concrete
- At the initial stage, with the help of a hammer and a chisel, you need to slightly expand the crack. This is done in order to reveal hidden chips, which can later turn into pits. If a piece of concrete falls off during the expansion of the crack, then it must be removed - later the resulting hole will be sealed with mortar.
Expand the crack with a hammer and chisel
- Next, using a vacuum cleaner, you need to clean the surface of the floor and cracks from dust. After that, both the base and the crack are spilled with water.
- We prepare a solution of M-400 cement, water and PVA glue in the following proportion: cement - 2 parts, PVA glue - 1 part, water - so much that the solution is liquid enough to fill it into a crack.
- When the solution is ready, you need to carefully shed a crack on them. In this case, it is important that the level of the fill is higher than the level of the base of the floor, since after the mixture dries, it will shrink.
Smooth the liquid solution after pouring with a spatula
- After the mortar has dried, the former crack is polished to the floor level using a grinder. If there is no grinder, then a regular abrasive wheel will do.
If the gaps in the floor are of very serious dimensions, then the technology for sealing them will be somewhat different.
- We expand the gap with a circular saw with a diamond blade. Simply - cut off the deformed pieces of concrete.
Making cuts in concrete along a crack
- With a chisel and a hammer, we remove the excess from the formed cut.
Chisel remove all unnecessary
- We collect debris and dust with a vacuum cleaner and spill it with water.
- We prepare a classic cement mortar from cement and water.
- We put it in the cut with a spatula and tamp it down. A small slide should remain on the floor surface, which, using a trowel, is compared with the level of the base.
We level the solution
Seal cracks in wood floor
It is more pleasant to work with wood than with concrete, but still there is enough fuss. First you need to remove all the furniture from the room and thoroughly wash the floor. It is advisable to clean all the cracks from debris with a stiff brush. If the number of slots is large, you can mark them for yourself with chalk.
Consider several ways to get rid of cracks on a wooden floor.
Method 1. Using a rope
Rope or thin twine should be smeared with carpentry glue and hammered into the slots with a hammer or chisel. After complete drying, the ropes must be prepared from pieces of linoleum (it must be natural and without a base) and acetone putty and wipe all the cracks with it.
An ordinary rope in the hands of a master turns into a means of getting rid of cracks on the floor.
Method 2. Using a mixture of sawdust and gypsum
If you want to close the cracks in the wooden floor so that there is no trace of them, then you can prepare a solution of gypsum and dry sawdust in a 1: 1 ratio. After mixing both components, add water to them. The amount of water is arbitrary, but in the end the solution should be quite thick.
Method 3. Using wooden inserts
To seal wide and deep cracks, it is best to use wooden inserts, since neither putty nor a solution of gypsum and sawdust can reanimate a floor that has dried out from old age. The inserts must fit snugly against the edges of the gap and in no case should they protrude above the floor surface. You need to hammer them into the cracks with a hammer, you can help with a chisel. And for a greater effect, the chips can be smeared with wood glue.
Closing cracks with wooden inserts - a technique available to everyone
Method 4. Using sealants or mounting foam
If you decide to use wood sealants, then keep in mind that they retract quite strongly, that is, cracks may reappear after they dry. To prevent this from happening, you will have to carry out the procedure twice, or even three times.
Mounting foam does not shrink and does not retract, so the method of sealing gaps with it is much more efficient and effective than in the case of sealants. It is easy to foam the cracks, the main thing is to carefully cut off the remnants after the foam dries so as not to damage the floor surface. By the way, you will most likely stop liking the floor after the procedure, because all the cracks will be visible. Either, or "covering" it with linoleum or carpet will help to correct the situation.
Method 5. Using plain paper
This method is quite effective, although at first glance it may seem crazy. Pieces of magazines or newspapers should be mixed with a paste and an aqueous solution of carpentry or wallpaper glue. The resulting mass, in its appearance similar to the composition for papier-mâché, is pushed into the slots. After it dries, all holes, cracks and crevices will be filled with a durable material that can withstand even daily mopping.
Method 6. Using table gelatin
Another crazy method. 400 ml of water and 50 g of gelatin should be heated over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. After 30 minutes, when the solution acquires a homogeneous consistency, it is necessary to add 150 g of gypsum and 50 g of small wood shavings to it. After mixing everything, you need to immediately close the gaps with this solution, as it hardens very quickly.
After all the cracks in the wooden floor are sealed (no matter which method you choose), you need to remove the remnants of specially prepared solutions and sand the repaired areas with fine sandpaper. To give the floor a uniform color, you can paint it with enamel or oil paint, then the traces of your activity will not be visible at all. In addition, the paint will additionally strengthen the cracks you have sealed and will allow you to keep the effect of the work done for a long time.