How to fix flaky timber floor and bits coming out?

[anonlas]

 Hi there, 

This section of my timber floor in my kitchen Is flaking apart. It appears the previous owner must have filled it in with some form of clay consistency/putty filler to match the colour of the timber. However it has now disintegrated. 

What are some products you would recommend for me to fix this?  

thank you kindly!

 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @anonlas. It's fantastic that you've joined us and many thanks for your question.

A wood filler was likely used to fill the gaps. I'd suggest you dig out the remaining filler with a flathead screwdriver and then replace it with Timbermate wood filler in a similar colour to the timber. There's a wide range of colours to select from, so you should be able to get a closer match than what was originally used. It's also suitable for use on a wide range timber and perfect for flooring. If you apply it with a plastic scraper, you should avoid having to sand the surface.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or have questions.

Mitchell

[TedBear]

Hi @anonlas, how you tackle this depends on how long you want it to last and whether or not it is in a prominent location.

If it were mine, I would not be filling it with wood filler again because it doesn't have the strength to cope with a large hole with the movement that a floor is subject to.

The ultimate solution would be to replace that piece of board, but that could be difficult to match it and to remove it. Actually it's more difficult to get the new piece in, since you could saw along it to remove it. 

One possible option that might be available, depending on your circumstances is... 

if the end of that board's run goes under a cupboard, you could cut across the broken section with a multi-tool saw blade, remove it and slide the remainder of the board up to the existing join. (Nails will have to be levered out.) The gap will then be under a cupboard and can be filed in with any board, cut to fit. (I've done that before.)

However, since that may not be an option for you, I'd suggest filling the gap using Plasti-bond, since it is very strong, leaving it a bit below the top surface so that you can add wood filler of the correct colour on top of the plasti-bond, so that it also looks better.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-plastibond-150g-heavy-duty-bog_p1210326

You will need to leave a small gap at the edge to match the normal existing gap between the boards.

Plasti-bond sets fast and hard, so if you haven't used it before, mix a little up and do a test run on some scrap wood, so you'll see how it works and what result you get. (Go easy adding the hardener, you don't need much.) It dries light in colour, so maybe it will be as close a match to your surface as a wood filler.  It can be chiseled or trimmed with appropriate tools if need be, to get it right once set, but it's best to get it in correctly before it sets.   

This will give you a much stronger and longer lasting repair for your situation than wood filler alone.