Replies

1. 
   Conrad | Feb 08, 2005 09:58pm | #1

   Wide boards move alot seasonally, as everyone knows. If the floor was origionally installed in winter with the planks tight to each other, as summer expansion occurred, the fibers in the wood became crushed such that the next summer, the gaps wouldn't close up. The problem with filling these cracks is that summer expansion will still occur each year, and your now-tight gaps will again cause crushing of the wood fibers, opening up wide gaps again. Now, in addition to wide gaps, you have loose, crumbling filler material to deal with. Bottom line is that wide gaps are the price you pay for a wide-plank floor. Either live with it, or replace the floor with a narrow strip floor, using a species of wood that has minimal seasonal movement properties, preferrably quartersawn. Sorry to be so unhelpful.

   Conrad

2. 
   IanDG | Feb 08, 2005 10:21pm | #2

   You don't say if you are going to be sanding the floor but if you are, there is a technique for filling large joints that I have used successfully.

   Sand with the grain using a coarse grit -- 36 or even 24. Collect the sanding dust, which should be fibrous and mix it with the varnish you intend to use on the floor to form a putty filler. Use this to fill the joints [these must be cleaned out thoroughly first] -- carry on sanding to the penultimate grit then trowel fill with a proprietary filler like TimberMate. Final sand and finish.

   As the filler is fibrous it has voids which means that it will compress as the timber expands without breaking up and the varnish in the mixture acts as an adhesive to keep it in place.

   IanDG

3. 
   RonRappel | Feb 09, 2005 12:02am | #3

   Not sure whether this meets the "mopped clean" part of your request, but I remember watching an episode of "This Old House" a while back that addressed this issue. In their case, they filled the seams with rope stained to match the color of the floor. The theory behind it was that the rope expanded and contracted with the rest of the floor, as opposed to using some kind of wood filler. I think this was an old Yankee fix, but unfortunately can't vouch for how well it works since I've never tried it personally.

   Ron

1. 
   zendo | Feb 09, 2005 12:10am | #4

   Bright white caulking would make it look like a nice expensive boat.

1. 
   IanDG | Feb 09, 2005 12:25am | #5

   I had a client with an old pine floor who ran a 3/8" router bit down all the joints then filled it with [polysulphide?] black deck caulking then got me to sand and coat it. As you say, it looked like a boat deck!

   IanDG

1. 
   zendo | Feb 09, 2005 04:08am | #8

   Yeah, Ive seen it in white as well, it would probably be pretty cool.

   -zen

4. 
   ezeli | Feb 09, 2005 12:39am | #6

   A while back I saw a program on TV with someone who had the same problem. It was one of those fix-it shows and they ended up filling the gaps with the hemp rope. It comes in different widths. I personally did not like it but the owners and the designer seemed to like it a lot.

   The best idea I have read is the one using the router and the black filler. I think that would look nice.

5. 
   ezeli | Feb 09, 2005 12:41am | #7

   Ok, I am foolish, I now see that someone clearly saw the program that I did and already posted it.

   Shagrin