I am going to be refinishing a red oak strip floor that has some gaps between the boards. I’m trying to decide whether I want to fill or not fill the gaps. The floor is not going to be stained. The thing is, when the floor was previously refinished, or when it was installed it was filled. Now you can see remnants of filler in the gaps giving them a ragged look. If I fill the floor I don’t know what the final result will look like. Will the filler blend in? I don’t want to end up with a floor that looks like a log cabin wall with chinking between the logs. On the other hand, because it was filled once, will not filling the floor again make it look worse. The gaps aren’t that big, most are less than an 1/8th of an inch. I’d appreciate any tips or advice on how to proceed.
Also,, I don’t know if this is the proper forum to ask but anyone have any experience with Timbermate filler?
GeorgeP
Replies
I like floors without the filler. It adds more visual appeal and shows that it is random strips.
The filler material that is in the gaps will eventually pop anyway due to movement during the seasons.
Another reason for popping is that unless you clean out all the previous poly, dirt, dust, ect. that is in the gaps, you won't be getting a durable bond anyway.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas