Hardwood floors repair & installation
POUND RIDGE RUG CLEANING
All cleaning and repair is done in our own facilities which makes it possible for us to have competitive prices and guarantee top quality service.
Replacing Hardwood Floors:
Mark the floor board plank and drill holes
With hardwood floor repair, you need to first determine what should be removed. Look at the damaged flooring plank and decide how much length to remove. You want the new butt joint to be staggered about 10 in. from the butt joints of any adjacent flooring courses. Draw a line for the cut, then use a sharp chisel (1 in. or wider) to carefully cut the line through the top 1/8 in. of the flooring to create a crisp edge that defines the new butt joint.
With a spade bit, drill three relief holes next to the layout line to remove the bulk of the wood. Complete the cut by using the chisel to trim the full edge of the butt joint completely square and clean.
Replacing damaged or hole-filled hardwood tongue-and-groove floorboards takes a couple of hours, sharp tools and an understanding of how to break the interlocking tongue-and-groove board edges. When removing old flooring, create a new butt joint on just the side of the plank that’s closest to the hole or where the damage ends.
Using the technique shown in Photos 1 – 4 and a carbide-tipped flooring blade that can cut through nails, remove the old hardwood flooring and install a perfect replacement piece. New flooring usually stands “proud” next to older, worn flooring.

Also, matching the color of aged flooring is difficult. For these reasons, the best time to repair flooring planks is when the entire floor needs to be sanded and refinished. Otherwise, using belt and orbital sanders, you’ll have to level and then finish the new plank so it blends into the existing flooring—a tough job.
Hardwood Floor Installation
Remove the bottom of the groove from the new floor plank
Rip cut and remove the bottom groove from the replacement flooring piece using a table saw, circular saw, or sharp chisel and utility knife. Set the saw fence to cut 5/16 in. off the width of the plank and the saw blade depth to cut into it 1/4 in. deep. Once the bottom groove has been removed, measure the length required for the replacement piece and cut it. Pencil the location of floor joists on the new board.
Fit and nail the new floor plank
Install the replacement flooring board by inserting the tongue side into the groove of the adjacent flooring plank and dropping the board into position. If necessary, tap the new board flush into position using a rubber mallet. Drill pairs of 1/8-in. nail holes near the ends of the new board and at each joist and fasten the flooring with 8d finish nails. Set the nailheads.

Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.
- Circular saw
- Cordless drill
- Drill bit set
- Hammer
- Knee pads
- Nail set
- Safety glasses
- Square
- Tape measure
- Wood chisel