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 appearance living space, but also because this is a direct source of drafts, the penetration of dampness into the rooms, which brings with it hordes of insects, mold and mold.
Therefore, it is extremely important to immediately begin to eliminate it after identifying such a problem. 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.
Not at all for sealing large cracks(about 1 cm) you can take building solutions of putty, mounting plaster or cement. Larger gaps (2-5 cm) must be filled with polyurethane foam. If the damage is much larger (5 cm or more), then you need to resort to more serious work and use other materials. Below is a consistent technology for eliminating gaps between a wall and a floor of any complexity.
Preparation for work
Sealing such cracks falls into the category cosmetic repairs. Preparation depends on what decorative elements your walls or floor are decorated with. If there is a baseboard, 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 sealing materials.
If the installation takes place in a room where you do not plan to carry out complete renovation, then the wallpaper needs to be removed only partially, or try to carefully tear off the strip from the wall so that after finishing the work you can 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 secured securely - this will avoid additional costs when putting things in order. Such measures will protect the floor and walls from polyurethane foam, plaster and paint. Paper or newspapers should not be used if there will be a lot of water in the workplace - they are useless as a protective material in this case.
The goal is a large gap
To fill the hole ideal option There will be suitable sized pieces of brick, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or plastic. If the parts are large, then they need to be broken or broken - small filling components guarantee that they will fit inside the hole as tightly as possible and thoroughly fill the cavity. Be careful that when filling the gap, you do not deform the existing hole or 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 using bricks or other fillers, only one container of polyurethane foam is required to restore even very large damage.
You should not fill it to capacity, 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 completely expand and harden. This will reduce the risk of overfilling and subsequent falling out of rags of foam, and as a result, will save its volume.
The target is a medium or small slit
The ideal option for filling such holes would be soft, plastic materials with high density - tow or construction felt. To prevent such materials from becoming a haven for insect pests, before filling they must be thoroughly impregnated with insecticidal substances, most often formaldehyde.
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. Next, using a small rubber or wooden hammer, the roll is carefully but confidently driven into the hollow space of the damage. It is advisable to fill the void in one piece material, without small parts, so that unnecessary cavities do not form between them.
If the gap is so small that you physically cannot drive tow in there, then a soft spatula and a plastic gypsum mortar will come to the rescue. The technology is simple - apply a strip of plaster to the tip of the spatula and apply it to the damage, then gently press. This will allow the mortar to fill the entire cavity and immediately finish the wall surface to minimize finishing preparation.
To protect 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 formaldehyde dries - you can decorate the seam.
The gap between the baseboard and the wall or floor
It usually forms when old walls become warped or dry out. wooden skirting boards. Such an error can be repaired very simply - using acrylic sealant; modern stores provide a choice of any colors and shades. The cylinder is installed in a special device for supplying sealant and applied over the distance between the elements.
Rules for working with polyurethane foam
Two thirds of cases still require the active use of polyurethane 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 bottle or a bottle with holes in the lid. This is done to better fix the foam inside the damage.
- When filling, be aware of the foam's ability to expand. In addition, moisturizing the surface will only enhance this effect. The foam must be applied carefully, carefully, little by little.
- Ideal conditions working with it - from five to twenty-five degrees Celsius. The cylinder must be heated in water at the appropriate temperature.
- Before use, the container with foam should be shaken thoroughly.
- Carry out work only with protective glasses and gloves - the foam is very caustic and firmly sticks to all things and objects. In case of accidental contact with finishing surfaces, it is recommended to remove foam only after complete drying; wipe off foam that has not yet hardened with a special solvent.
- Hardened foam is removed sharp knife.
Finishing the wall after repairing the damage
Excess foam should be removed so that a small depression remains at the seam site. It will be filled with a small layer of putty or plaster using a spatula and brought to the same level as the wall. After the layer has dried mortar There won't be a trace left of the crack. The top of the wall can be finished in all sorts of ways - attaching a plinth, painting, adding wallpaper, finishing with tiles, plastic, wood, and so on.
Conclusion
It is advisable to detect such damage between the floor and walls and repair it before starting finishing works so as not to damage existing finishing surfaces during work. Thus, the work will be completed faster and at lower cost. If the sealing takes place in the finishing room, then precautions should not be neglected, especially when working with polyurethane foam.
Video
From the video you will learn in more detail how and with what to seal cracks.
- Reasons for appearance
- Description of the work process
- Application of wooden slats
- Puttying
Tree - natural material with good thermal insulation properties. Over time, cracks may appear in it.
As a result, the strength of the flooring will decrease, drafts will arise, debris and dirt will begin to accumulate in the resulting holes, and dirt will begin to flow from the underground into the room. bad smell dampness, rot. But you can seal the cracks, and do it yourself.
It is necessary to seal the cracks in time wooden floor: defects reduce strength, moving along the flooring becomes dangerous.
Reasons for appearance
- Seasonal changes in humidity. Usually associated with turning on the heating. Wood begins to dry out due to low humidity: the air in the room becomes drier. When the heating is turned off, the humidity returns to normal, but the structures and floors do not restore their previous shape. To protect the wood from drying out, you need to constantly maintain the microclimate in the room with air humidifiers.
- Violation of flooring technology. The cement-sand base may not be sufficiently dried. The wood will begin to warp over time. Similar defects can also be observed when installed incorrectly. vapor barrier film between wood and cement.
- Incorrectly selected material. High-quality floors are made from boards of coniferous, oak, and tropical trees. Linden, maple and some other species are not suitable.
- Using poorly dried boards. When purchasing material, you should check its moisture content. The optimal value is about 6–10%. It is not recommended to purchase material from an open warehouse.
- In old rooms there may be rodents that damage the floors. In this case, you need to seal the hole and fill all the passages with concrete mixed with glass or aluminum chips. It is not recommended to pour rat poison into holes: rodents can spread it throughout the rooms. The poison emits an unpleasant odor, which is then difficult to remove.
What will it take to fix the holes?
Required:
- wooden wedges, lath, cord (nylon or nylon);
- paste, sawdust, epoxy resin, tow;
- special silicone, putty, PVA glue;
- hammer, stiff bristle brushes, spatulas, woodworking tools, mastic.
Description of the work process
Furniture is removed from the damaged area. The floors in the room are washed. If the area is small, it is marked with chalk. Use a stiff brush or sharp spatula to remove adhered dirt. Can be removed paintwork, if it interferes with or contributes to the expansion of the holes.
The repair technology depends on the location and nature of the damage.
Application of wooden slats
This is the most effective method, but it takes a lot of time. It is used more often if the gap is quite wide and deep.
They begin work by milling holes and slots with a saw: they need to be widened. Then the dowels are driven in. Clean the ends of the boards with sandpaper. If there is a gap between the board and the wall, then the walls are also cleaned. The slats are made from boards of the same type as the main floor, 0.5 cm smaller than the size of the holes. The slats are cleaned.
The boards are treated with glue and glued together. Make a mixture of glue and sawdust. Fill cracks and other minor defects. In some cases, damage between the wall and the floor is filled with sealant.
After filling the cracks, the surface is treated with varnish and paint to match the main shade.
Puttying
If the hole or crack is not big size, it can be puttied. Several options are used:
- Mix paste (or PVA) with sawdust. Before this, the sawdust is poured with boiling water and left for 2-3 hours to swell. Then add glue to the mixture and mix thoroughly. The finished solution should stretch.
- To cover the gap between the boards, you can mix sawdust and gypsum dust in a 1:1 ratio. The mixture is poured with boiling water. The consistency of the finished solution should be thick and viscous. Can add citric acid(100 g per 1 l).
- Less reliable mixture from paper (cardboard) and paste. Pre-shredded pieces of cardboard and paper are poured with water to swell them. Mix with paste.
The mixture is applied to the damaged area with a spatula. After drying, cover with varnish and paint to match the color of the floor.
Sealing cracks in a wooden floor is required in cases where the boards have dried out over a long period of use and some floorboards have begun to creak. Because wooden floor has been used for centuries, during which time many ways to repair it have been invented, and with the advent of new materials, the possibilities for eliminating defects have expanded even further.
Therefore, if the need arises to seal cracks, you can always choose the method that is most accessible in execution. To be aware of ways to solve these problems, you need to consider some of them.
Repair wooden covering can be divided into three types:
- Complete dismantling of the floor and reassembly of floorboards. To carry out this procedure, you will need a hammer with a nail puller and a small crowbar. Such large-scale events are carried out if there is a suspicion of damage to the sheathing joists on which the floor boards are laid.
The boards are carefully sorted and healthy and strong specimens are selected. If necessary, they are planed a little to even out the unevenly shrunken edges.
It is possible that some of the floorboards will have to be completely replaced, so this should be planned in advance by purchasing replacement material. If necessary, some elements of the sheathing are also changed.
After all repair and preparatory actions, the floors are laid again. In this case, the boards must fit tightly and be secured to the joists.
This type of repair is necessary if sealing the cracks, due to their size, is simply ineffective.
- Partial dismantling of the plank flooring is carried out in cases where defects on the boards have formed in certain areas, where wide cracks have appeared and the boards have begun to make creaks. The flooring in these places is carefully removed and a new one is laid in its place. Most likely, the second type of repair will have to be carried out in conjunction with the third, most widespread.
- In most cases, you only have to carry out repair work to seal the cracks. This can be done different ways. Choosing a specific technique Firstly, depends on the size of the cracks and the scale of their distribution over the floor surface.
Methods for sealing cracks
Gaps in the floorboards may appear in various areas of the floor, so you need to consider not only the operating technology, but also the options for sealing materials, as well as places where flaws may occur.
Gaps between the wall and the boards gender
Small distances are always left between these building elements for ventilation and in case of expansion of the material due to changes in temperature and humidity. But if over time they have grown excessively, then they will need to be repaired. This can be done using construction foam, sometimes even adding small pieces of foam to it. The work is carried out in stages:
First you need to carefully dismantle the baseboards;
Then clean the cracks from dust and accumulated dirt;
After the foam has dried, the excess is cut off exactly along the catchers;
It would be best to seal the seams on top with putty so that the pores frozen foam no dust collected;
Sealing cracks with glue + sawdust
Floor repairs can be carried out in any area adhesive composition, which can be made in one of two ways:
First option
- First, small sawdust is prepared. They are placed in a convenient container and filled with boiling water. The mass is mixed until homogeneity is achieved.
- The sawdust is left to swell and cool for one to two hours, then the mass is mixed again.
- Next, glue (carpentry or PVA) is added to the prepared sawdust and the mass is kneaded well until a viscous consistency with high adhesion appears.
- Then you can proceed to preparing the floor - all cracks are cleaned of dust and dirty deposits. Sometimes, if necessary, their upper part widens slightly.
- Prepared glue mixture using a narrow spatula, apply it to the cracks and carefully compact it inwards as far as possible, but without much effort.
- The mixture is leveled on top and excess is removed.
- After complete drying, after two to three days, the cracks are sanded with sandpaper or are looped using a special machine/
Video: homemade putty from sawdust and PVA
Second option
You can repair flooring in another way using repair composition made from sawdust and glue, but with the addition of cement.
- To do this, take two parts of PVA or wood glue, add 15 parts of very warm water, everything is mixed well until completely homogeneous. Next to the resulting glue solution 5 parts of cement and the same amount of sawdust are added. The mass is mixed and left for 7 ÷ 10 minutes. If the mixture needs to be given a certain color to the wood, then you can add a special coloring pigment or thick oil-based paint.
- Next, the cracks in the floor are cleaned and lubricated with glue, which was used to make the repair composition described above.
- The mass itself needs to be warmed up a little, and then quickly seal the cracks with a narrow spatula, trying to level the surface.
- It will take about two weeks for this composition to dry completely. Then the cracks must be treated with abrasive materials until they are perfectly even.
This method is often used not only to seal widened cracks, but also to level the floor surface to a smooth state.
Repair using putty
If you don’t want to bother with making complex compositions from numerous ingredients, you can, of course, do it easier: buy a special wood putty at a hardware store and seal the cracks with it. This option is suitable if the gaps not big at all. But you need to know that such fall putty is often quite short-lived - it can crack and crumble over time. Therefore, it is better to use it when you plan to then cover the old boards with plywood flooring.
The finished putty is also applied narrow or rubber spatula, pressing it into the cracks. After it has dried, you need to level the sealed surfaces using available abrasive wood processing products.
Sealing cracks with paste and paper
This method is easy to implement and not at all expensive. To perform such a process, you will need paste, paper and a little copper sulfate or, as it is also called, “blue stone”. This ingredient of the composition is necessary in order to adhesive mass over time, nests of various small insects did not appear.
- The paper is torn into small pieces or cut, then it is filled with water. The paper needs to be given time to soak.
- While the paper pulp is being prepared, you need to prepare the paste. It is cooked from flour or starch and water. The water is brought to a boil and one of the selected ingredients is gradually poured into it, stirring constantly, so that there are as few lumps as possible. The composition should cool to a warm state.
- Then add to the paste copper sulfate 1:10.
- Next, the paper pulp needs to be squeezed out, crushed with your fingers, added to the paste and mixed thoroughly. You should get a fairly thick and homogeneous consistency, similar to putty.
- Preparing cracks for sealing occurs in the same way as in other cases. The main thing is to achieve their absolute purity.
- Next, the mass is applied to the cracks and compacted into them. It needs to be thoroughly leveled on top, and after drying, smoothed with sandpaper.
- After this, the floor can be safely painted.
Sealing cracks with cord
A method has long been known for sealing cracks, not only between floorboards, but also in walls, using a cord selected according to the width of the holes. The use of this popular technology will not only help get rid of cracks in the floor, but will also relieve residents from the unpleasant creaking of boards.
For the repair process in this way, you must have twine, rope or cord made of any material, sawdust, wood glue or PVA and putty.
- The cord must be passed through the glue so that it is completely lubricated with it.
- Next, a mixture of putty, sawdust and glue is made.
- The rope is laid on one of the cracks and deepened inward to such a state that there is 2 ÷ 4 mm from it to the floor surface - this is a necessary condition.
- The distance from the cord carefully compacted into the crack to the floor surface must be filled with the prepared mixture with a small margin on top, since when drying, the adhesive putty composition will certainly shrink.
Sealing cracks using slats or wedges
A more complex method of sealing cracks has long been used - using thin slats, hewn at an angle in the form of wedges. These parts must be carefully adjusted and should not push the floorboards too much, but, at the same time, completely cover the cracks. The work is carried out in several stages.
- As with others repair work To repair floor defects, the cracks must be cleaned and their upper part must be slightly expanded.
- Next, a strip is made according to the size of the gap, narrowed to its lower part, so that it, like a wedge, fits into the prepared and cleaned groove.
- The gap and the lath are thickly treated with PVA or wood glue.
- Next, the lath is glued into the gap; it can be slightly knocked down with a rubber hammer or mallet, or you can place a board on top and hammer the lath through it with a regular hammer.
- If the lath does not fit completely into the gap, and a small part of it protrudes above the floor surface, then it is removed with a plane after the glue has completely dried.
- When using this method of sealing cracks in floors, the color of the wedge slats driven in will be significantly different from the main coating, so they can be evened out using stain or well-chosen paint.
- If there is a thick layer of paint on the floors, and it is cracked and peeling around the cracks, it can be removed using construction hair dryer or clean it using special attachments on a drill with a soft iron brush. You can also resort to sandpaper installed on the grinder.
Other repair methods
In addition to the methods mentioned above, there are many other known techniques. In addition, hardware stores can offer numerous modern materials for these purposes.
- Tow - familiar to everyone construction material from flax fibers, which has long established itself for its positive qualities. Therefore, even with the advent of numerous new compositions for sealing cracks and cracks, they are in no hurry to abandon it.
This material is treated with wood glue and compacted into the cracks using available tools. After the glue has dried, the cracks are tinted to match the overall floor.
- A composition of epoxy glue and cement, which is prepared based on equal proportions of the material, is perfect for repairing floors with small cracks. This product is carefully poured into the openings with the top in the expectation that the mass will sag. Since the epoxy mixture sets quickly enough when mixed with cement, it will not have time to seep into the subfloor.
Then, after the glue has dried, the cracks are sanded and covered with paint.
- Composition made from thick oil paint, sawdust or small shavings and wood varnish in proportions 1:4:1, mixed into a single mass of uniform consistency, also great for sealing cracks different sizes. The process can be carried out in one stage, When the cracks are filled immediately, or maybe several times stages,
Sometimes it's much easier to simply cover the old floor with plywood.
This option is used in cases where there are so many gaps of different sizes between the floorboards that sealing them is unproductive. Therefore, it will be easier, following all the technologies for working with plywood, to fix it on the floor surface with self-tapping screws and close all the defects that appear at once.
- The well-known sealant, which has a convenient packaging and a syringe attachment, is also well suited for sealing seams. Thereby special device, you can carefully fill both a wide gap and a very narrow one by cutting the tip to the desired thickness.
The sealant perfectly closes the cracks and eliminates the resulting creaking. Spreading under the pressure created in the syringe, it covers the entire internal surface without compaction or other effort. This is a durable and fairly reliable material that will eliminate problems for many years.
Sealants made from acrylic and silicone based, which are designed for working with wood. They are very easy to apply and dry quickly. Therefore, if there is no experience in the manufacture of special compounds or there is no desire to tinker with them, but it is possible to purchase ready-made product For such repairs, you can opt for sealant.
Eco-friendly, heated floor pure wood was and always remains outside of any fashion or trends. Everything about it is good - design, comfort, and practicality. But there is one “but” - cracks. Their formation is perhaps the most significant drawback of any wooden floor. First of all, cracks in the floor bother many people because through them it's getting cold. This is inevitable if the foundation under the floor is ventilated through external vents - it is through them that frosty air enters, which is simply drawn into the room. Another bad thing about cracks in a wooden floor is that everything possible gets clogged up in them - dirt, dust, organic matter. This not only gives the surface an unaesthetic appearance, but also turns out to be detrimental to the boards themselves - they can begin to rot.
But the problem is completely solvable - just choose the method or method that will be easier for you to apply.
We find out the reasons and solve the problem
But let’s first look for the source of the cracks, from which we will build.
Reason #1. Wood shrinkage
It is clear that any wooden boards dry out over time - and this is the first and most common reason for the appearance of cracks. In this case, then it is better to purchase boards that are processed at the factory using the “ vacuum drying", when intracellular moisture is completely removed, followed by impregnation. With this material you don’t have to worry about drying out.
But a regular wooden floor takes three to six years to dry. And the most problematic thing in this regard is pine - it needs to be re-laid three times in three years, and only after that you will have a normal floor that you can scrape. That's why if batten still in good condition and, in fact, still drying - go over the floor. You'll be surprised, but after shrinking you may suddenly have a few extra boards going in!
Something similar happens when working with Euroboards. And this is when you have previously acclimatized the boards themselves, and no problems should have arisen, but even with forceful pressure, up to 0.5 mm gaps remain between the boards. In this case, even before sanding, you need to fill such openings with a mixture of PVA glue, sawdust and paint, and you can rub it all in with a rubber spatula, then sand it and remove the excess.
Reason #2. Dry air
Place a bucket of water next to the heating radiators and monitor the behavior of the cracks throughout the day. If they have become noticeably smaller, the air in your home is simply too dry. And if you now go through the entire floor and pull the boards together as closely as possible, then in the summer they will bend and go in “waves.” Therefore, for greater confidence, purchase a hygrometer - a humidity meter, and check the air for this parameter.
To be fair, we note that dry air is also bad for health, and therefore you should think about sprayers and other devices that can solve this problem.
Reason #3. Small rodents
If the cracks have arisen due to the active activity of mice, it is not enough to simply seal them. After all, new ones will appear! Therefore, we first get rid of rodents or control their population as much as possible, and only then work with the cracks. How to get rid of it? Here are some ways:
- Start good cat. Precisely a cat, cats are by nature lazier. And it will be enough that the mice smell the hunter’s scent - now they will not risk gnawing their way to where there is such danger, and will peacefully remain under the floor. Ferrets are even more feared, by the way.
- Arrange glue mousetraps– if there are too many mice and they have become insolent, then this method is good as a mechanical reduction in the number of rodents.
- Scatter dry peppermint under the floor - animals strong odors do not like.
- Buy a modern one ultrasonic repeller. Only good device, and not a cheap Chinese knockoff that will be of no use.
- There is also such effective way: sealing cracks with cement mixed with broken glass. small uninvited guests I don't like it, believe me.
It is impossible to completely remove rodents from your home, just like bacteria. But making your home as clean and safe as possible is fine.
Reason No. 4. Installation errors
Sometimes cracks occur because the boards are “walking.” And this is a direct consequence of improper installation. And if the boards “walk”, then even the most best sealant– it will simply remain on one side. Here everything depends on how “tightly” the floor is immobilized. If it’s maximal, not a single putty in the cracks will crack, but if the boards sag even a little, then it’s a must.
To prevent the boards from “walking” and the sealants in the cracks coming off, nail them to the joists - with regular nails, but at an angle.
Reason #5. Ventilation failure
Cracks of this kind arise from the fact that the wood simply turns into dust. Be sure to thoroughly inspect the wood floor – what condition is it in? Perhaps the top is still solid, but all the boards underneath have rotted. In this case - only major renovation with complete restyle, and nothing else.
If the situation can be corrected, then proceed as follows:
If the cold is coming from under the floor, and even unnoticeable cracks allow a draft to pass through, in this case it is better to close the vents themselves tightly (which is being done more and more often in Lately), draw a ventilation hole through the room itself (there are special grilles for this), and leave the small distances between the boards alone until spring, when they tighten themselves.
But, if the lags just sank a little, do this:
Please also pay attention to this important point. If your only crawl space ventilation is through cracks in the floor, then closing them completely will cause the boards to rot. Just research first if you have any products or ventilation grille. After all, it often happens that city residents buy themselves in early spring dacha with wooden floors, and by summer they already sag when walking - the former owner simply closed the vents for the winter, which is technologically correct, and in the spring no one opened them. And the boards, as they say, “suffocated.” And damp basements are also loved by fleas, which easily jump into the living space in winter.
If your underground is not ventilated through the foundation or special system air flow, then make ventilation holes in the corners of the floor. Otherwise, dampness and quickly rotting wood will be ensured, because before this your floors had small or noticeable gaps between the boards, where required air, but now you will block them. If the crawl space is too cold and you are concerned about insulating the floor, supply ventilation Instead of corners, organize through the foundation.
But sometimes, when the board has deteriorated and the cracks have made themselves felt, an entire section of the floor has to be replaced:
We use modern means
The choice of such funds today is huge!
Remedy No. 1. Special putties
Let's be honest: factory putties for cracks are not the best option. Firstly, they often crack, and secondly, the number of colors is limited, which is why the seams then stand out on the floor. Although some are quite optimistic about this point - after all, this method produces a good imitation of a deck.
Remedy No. 2. Silicone sealant
Wood is a living material, and therefore gap fillers must also be elastic. Wood sealants today are sold mainly in two types - acrylic and silicone.
You need to use silicone sealant to seal cracks correctly:
- We carry out a thorough drying and then wet cleaning surfaces.
- Dry the floor well.
- We fill all the cracks.
For ease of insertion of sealant, use a mounting syringe - it not only saves material, but also makes it possible to reach the most inaccessible places.
Remedy No. 3. Acrylic sealant
We buy a special sealant for wood. It is sold in all modern hardware stores, in special tubes and different color. One of best brands– Kimtec Laminate. This sealant tolerates changes in humidity and temperature well, and is easy to sand and varnish. Good feedback also about the Sikaflex-11FC sealant - even with expansion up to 200% of the thickness of such a gap, no cracks or tears will occur.
Unlike silicone sealant, acrylic does not smell like vinegar, it is absolutely transparent (it is water based), and washes well from hands.
Remedy No. 4. Foam gun
Place a thin cocktail tube over its spout, flatten it and stick it into the slot. It is convenient to compress the tube using simple pliers. Adjust the gun to low feed. Work quickly because... the foam hardens quickly, so it’s better to have several of these tubes with you. If the gap is too narrow for the flattened tube to even fit through, then just lean it against the hole. You need to press the foam with a flat object - a wet, soapy bar. Don't worry about environmental friendliness: dry polyurethane foam does not release anything into the air.
Just don’t try to remove it with a spatula while it’s still damp - it will smear everything around, and it will be difficult to clean later. Just after drying, carefully cut with a sharp knife. But even when dried, it is quite sticky and porous; all the dirt that can be found will be drawn to it. In addition, the foam is destroyed by sunlight, so be sure to paint over such cracks in several layers.
Polyurethane foam as a material for sealing cracks is also good because it creates additional thermal insulation.
Remedy No. 5. Reinforced tape
If the aesthetic moment is not at all important, or there is carpet on a wooden floor, then simply cover the cracks with gray reinforced tape, 5 cm wide. Secure it around the edges with a stapler, and you can forget about drafts or odors.
We use proven “old-fashioned” methods
But there are also older, but centuries-tested methods. Each of them has its own pros and cons, but sometimes simple solutions turn out to be more effective than modern means.
Method number 1. Rail
You can also close large gaps in the floor using slats:
- Step 1. Milling manual machine We cut the gaps so that their edges become smooth.
- Step 2. Cut slats that will fit required sizes. As for the wood material, it will be most convenient for you to work with pine - it is quite pliable.
- Step 3. Apply glue to the edges of the crack and the sides of the slats. Use a sealant container for this.
- Step 4. We fix the rail in the gap, and fill the voids that remain with an adhesive mixture with sawdust.
- Step 5. Sand the boards with an electric sander tape machine. Be sure to wear a respirator and goggles and cover your respiratory system.
- Step 6. Apply masking tape to the treated boards to hide the joint.
- Step 7. Select paint or varnish of the desired tone and thus mask the entire restoration process.
Method number 2. Homemade putty
You can make a good putty for cracks yourself. For this, purchase a composition based on a binding resin, and collect small sawdust. Mix it all, and use the resulting component to seal the cracks.
Osmo resin is also suitable for this purpose, but the reviews about Borma are not the best - those who tried to seal cracks with such a binder complained of a strong unpleasant odor and a small amount of the product itself in the package.
Method No. 3. Regular tourniquet
Cracks that do not exceed one centimeter can be easily sealed with a tourniquet. Next, fill it with the same red or varnish as the floor itself. It's simple.
Method number 4. Glue with sawdust
But the “old-fashioned” way of mixing PVA with wood dust is bad because such putty darkens over time and looks sloppy.
Method No. 5. Tow with paint
We take ordinary tow to fix the joints plumbing pipes, mix with PVA glue, place in the cracks and cover with paint.
Method number 6. Oil with wax
Small cracks cover linseed oil with wax, always hot - this is how the wax flows into the cracks. The only requirement is that the floor must be perfectly clean before such work, otherwise dirt will get stuck in the cracks along with the wax.
Method No. 7. Plywood and chipboards, OBS
In very bad cases, when the gaps are huge, we simply fill them with wood plugs and lay a layer of wood-laminated board or plywood on top. Only on top of all this will it be possible to lay the finishing decorative coating.
A little more about the process itself. The plywood is secured with self-tapping screws and plastic dowels. And so that the plywood does not deform in the places where the screws are attached, it is necessary to make holes in it and process them with a drill large diameter. Alternatively, use a countersink. This will allow you to fasten the screws “sunk”, flush with the surface.
Buy self-tapping screws 90 mm long, and a couple of 120 mm pieces for attaching the joists to the flooring itself, and self-tapping screws 36 mm long for sheets. You can also attach plywood to joists using “liquid nails” and fix it with nails.
You can fill the sheathing sections with any heat-insulating material, except mineral wool. Leave gaps - if the plywood sheets come into contact with each other, you will not be able to avoid squeaking in the future. Also carefully screw in the screws - “sunken” caps often end up with the screws themselves breaking and splinters appearing around the caps. See the process itself in more detail:
Method No. 8. Bustilat with ropes
This method works well for the largest gaps that are difficult to fill even with sealant.
Method number 9. Wood dust
Another " old-fashioned method» - wood dust mixed with floor varnish. It’s not easy to assemble, but the result will definitely please you.
Method No. 10. Cord
This method is one of the fastest and most reliable:
- Step 1. Mix the epoxy mixture with the hardener in a 1:1 ratio.
- Step 2. Add the resulting mixture to the cement mortar.
- Step 3. Fill the cracks with the mixture as tightly as possible so that shrinkage does not ruin everything later.
- Step 4. We thread the rope cord through the wide slots.
- Step 5. As soon as the mixture hardens, which will happen quite quickly, cover it with paint or varnish to match the floor.
If the floor slab is uneven, then it is necessary to place bosses under the joists, and on them - pieces of linoleum or roofing felt. For one only wooden coasters The logs cannot be supported - there must be compensators, because wood is subject to thermal expansion.
That's the whole collection of methods - choose the one that seemed most simple and rational to you.
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 building for housing. It is pleasant and cozy to be in, however, there are a number of problems that the owners of this building face, for example, cracks in the wooden flooring.
Good to know: how to seal cracks in a wooden floor
Gaps may occur due to drying out of the wood. The tree dries within 10 years. Wood deformations are possible in the off-season. In winter, wood swells, and in summer it dries and decreases in size. This cannot be detected visually, however, in the microcosm, under a microscope, you can see how the fibers in the wood change over time.
Other possible reasons:
- Incorrect calculations by builders or incorrect installation of floorboards.
- Improperly prepared wood for use – low-quality paints and varnishes.
- Poor ventilation.
- Insufficient floor contact.
- The appearance of mice and termites.
Preparing your own grout for cracks in the floor is very economical method, however, it is not aesthetically pleasing and is mainly used in dilapidated housing or in the country
All cracks, depending on the size and location, are eliminated; you just need to select correct solution. There are many methods for fixing cracks in wood floors. Filling gaps up to 15 cm is done with sealant. IN in this case There are 2 types of sealant you can use: silicone or acrylic sealant for wood. Special wood sealants vary in color, which allows you to eliminate joints and cracks as discreetly as possible.
Sealants have a number of advantages: resistance to moisture, favorable consumption in the process of sealing cracks and long service life after eliminating defects in the floor.
You can fill the gap with wood putty. The choice may be acrylic-based, solvent-based, oil-based or water-based polymer putty. You can putty not only cracks and holes, but also uneven surfaces on plywood or wood, as well as cracks. You can seal the gap with foam. However, it is necessary to eliminate the cracks extremely carefully, without splashing the foam. Excess foam can be removed only after it has hardened.
Seal the cracks with polyester paste. There may be either one or two-component options. Suitable for sealing cracks and seams up to 5 cm. Sealing cracks with improvised materials, such as slats, tow with paint, glass wool, grout made from paste and paper, sawdust and making your own putty is also relevant.
High-quality sealing of cracks in wooden floors
Regardless of the size of the gap between the boards in the floor or in the parquet, before eliminating it, it is necessary to do dry and wet cleaning, remove dust and clean the gap area, and let it dry.
Sealing options:
- If the gap in a wooden floor is up to 1 cm in size, then it can be sealed with a rope, grout or filled with sealant.
- If from 1 cm to 3 cm, then a special putty is suitable.
- If the gaps are very large, then mounting foam, wedges or slats will work well.
The most common sealing of large gaps in a wooden floor is polyurethane foam.
After the operations have been completed, it is better to cover the floor with sheets of plywood, the joints of which are also processed and leveled with putty. Small cracks or joints can be covered with self-prepared putty made from glue and sawdust.
The sawdust is selected in small fractions, poured with boiling water and mixed until smooth.
After the solution with sawdust has cooled, add PVA glue and apply it with a spatula to the location of the crack that has been cleared of dirt and dust. After the surface of the sealed crack has been leveled to the floor level, it must be left for a couple of days for the mixture to set and dry. After everything has dried, the uneven areas must be treated with abrasive and fire protection applied, and only then the selected paints and varnishes.
Need to know: how to seal a mouse hole
How in rural areas, and in urban areas there are mice. If there are any cracks in the houses, then mice can easily enter the living space; they will not only harm human health, as they are carriers of leptosperosis, toxocariasis, streptobacillosis and many others, which can lead to death, but also harm the room, its decoration, can penetrate into food products.
A mouse hole can be sealed to prevent them from gnawing a new passage in a wooden floor. concrete mortar, having previously put metal shavings there
The most proven options for sealing holes in the wall from mice are:
- Glass wool sealing;
- Repairing the defect with cement;
- Polyurethane foam also helps a lot, mice don’t chew it, and it seals the hole tightly.
Expert advice boils down to broken glass being placed in mouse holes.
How and with what to seal the seams between plywood on the floor
On plywood flooring you can often find seams and joints that need to be eliminated. You need to know that the most important thing in choosing putty is elasticity, since plywood consists of wood veneer, and the tree is subject to seasonal deformation. Over time, the plywood dries and the joints become more visible. It is also worth choosing putty according to the color of the wood, as well as a special one, that is, for wooden material.
To seal seams, use:
- Acrylic putty;
- Elastic sealant;
- Hot melt adhesive;
- Sawdust with PVA and gypsum;
- Epoxy adhesive.
To seal the seams between the plywood on the floor, you need to choose exactly the putty for wooden floors, because the other simply won’t withstand the load
It is worth considering that chipboard and plywood must be well secured so that they do not move or vibrate, then the chosen putty (putty for wooden floors) will not crack and will hold tightly, closing the gap.
This work is also done for plywood, on which linoleum will subsequently be laid.
It should also be covered with putty or better silicone sealant, dents in plywood and all joints, cracks. Plywood needs to be coated with an antiseptic. Before laying linoleum, you need to pay attention to the evenness of the plywood and its cleanliness.
Types of putties for floorboards
Today there are enough wide choose wood putty. Before choosing putty, you need to decide on the price, scope, type and brand.
Elastic floor putty 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 water-based, 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 treating the crack, 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 floors. flooring, however, is not the most environmentally friendly option.
- The putty is elastic, which is ideal for “floating” cracks and joints. It holds its shape perfectly and has good adhesion to the surface.
- Wood putty is pigmented, that is various colors(white-birch, teak-mahogany colors, wenge-dark oak colors, beech-oak colors). It is necessary to take into account that often the color does not match what is stated on the packaging; you should request a demonstration of the product or a stand with these putties.
- Putty for wooden floors, which is used to smooth out unevenness, 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. The putty is applied with a spatula of the selected size by pressing it deep into the crack. After the putty has dried, it is necessary to level the surface using abrasive products for wood.
How to seal cracks in a wooden floor (video)
When cracks appear, it’s not a problem, any crack can be sealed with your own hands, and a wooden floor is easy to install and repair.