Essentials South Africa – August 2019

hoMe | project

o

riginal floorboards

always look beautiful,

but they can develop

squeaks when the

board isn’t firmly

attached anymore, so the pieces of

timber move and rub together. the

good news is that this is easy to fix,

doesn’t need any specialist tools,

and can be done in a weekend.

1. Find the loose piece
   First, work out which board is loose
   (and causing the squeak) by walking
   on it to see if there’s an area that
   moves. If the floorboard is in good
   condition, take out the nails (use
   pincers or a claw hammer) and then
   screw the board back down using the
   existing nail holes. Screws will pull it
   down tighter and are easier to remove
   if you want to lift the boards again.


2. For boards
   that have split
   If the floorboard is damaged and it’s
   not possible to nail in the existing
   holes, pull out the nails with pincers or
   a claw hammer, then lift the board up
   and have a look underneath for cables
   and pipes. If you spot any, mark their
   position on the board in pencil so you
   won’t screw into them. You could also

use an electronic pipe and cable

detector to do this job.

3. repair or replace
   Find a spot near the edge of the board
   that isn’t damaged (or above a cable
   or pipe) and drill a hole. Put a screw in
   the hole and secure it tightly, checking
   that it sits below the surface (use a
   countersink cutter to create a hole so
   the screw head is flush and doesn’t
   stick out). If you need to replace any
   damaged boards, look for replacement
   ones of a similar age. You could even
   take them from an area where the
   floorboards aren’t exposed.


4. tackle gaps
   between boards
   This will help cut down on potential
   draughts. For wide gaps, consider
   re-laying all the boards in the room so
   they fit more tightly together, and then
   laying a new board to fill the space
   left. If the gaps aren’t too wide, you
   can fill the space with narrow strips of
   wood, fixed into the gaps with wood
   glue. Let them stand proud from the
   surface, and then sand them once the
   glue has set.


5. try papier mâché
   Papier mâché is an inexpensive filler
   for small gaps between floorboards.
   Simply tear newspaper into strips,
   allow to soak in wallpaper paste, then
   push down into the gaps, smooth off
   with the flat surface of a knife and
   feature leave to dry.

Heather y

oung

p hotography

iStock; Supplied

products and prices were checked at time of going to print

seaL of aPProvaL

Bourne Gleem Wooden

Floor Sealer, r650 for 5ℓ,

Builder’s Warehouse

waX on

ProNature Wax Balm, r 169

for 400ml, Faithful to Nature

a good base

Plascon WoodCare

Interior varnish Ultra

Base, r280

for 1ℓ, Builder’s

Warehouse

3 of the best...

fLoor fiNishes

weekend project

CAN’T PUT UP WITH THAT CREAKING

FLOORBOARD ANy LONGER? IT’S TIME

TO GIvE yOUR TIMBER A LITTLE TLC

How to rePair

FloorBoards

Need tO KNOW

Make sure you’re clued up on what’s underfoot:

 tONGUe-ANd-GrOOVe

WOOdeN FLOOrBOArdS

These are boards with a slot (groove) on one

edge and a ridge (tongue) on the other, so they

push together. They can be nailed at an angle

through the tongue, so the fixing itself is hidden.

 SqUAre-edGed BOArdS

These are floorboards that are not tongue-and-

groove and have a 90-degree-angle edge.

 PArqUet

These are individual hardwood blocks that are

glued to a subfloor, usually in geometric patterns

like chevron or herringbone.

You will need

Pincers or claw hammer;

drill; screws; electronic pipe

and cable detector; wood glue