ruby_henderson36•24d agoProlific Poster

Question about filling gaps in old hardwood floors without ruining the look

I just pulled up some gross carpet in my 1920s bungalow in Portland and found original oak floors underneath. They're in decent shape but have these quarter inch gaps between some boards, especially near the fireplace. My neighbor Bob said to use wood filler but I tried that in my last house and it cracked out after a season. Has anyone dealt with gaps this big and found something that actually stays put and doesn't look terrible?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkerbrown24d ago

Rope and stain works way better than filler and cracks less, like most things in life that need flex.

hugoj1224d ago

Did you let the rope dry before staining or just hit it while it was still damp? I did a similar fix on an old porch rail and left it for a couple sunny days before applying the stain, no cracks at all. The flex thing is real, way better than watching filler crumble after one freeze-thaw cycle.

violar3524d ago

Let the rope dry first, @parkerbrown, otherwise the stain just sits on top and gets tacky.