You should know that if you want to replace one or more of your prefinished wood slats, you should follow a well-established working method. For this reason, we’ve developed a guide that will allow you to replace the boards in your prefinished wood floor yourself. Although we’ve designed this guide to the best of our knowledge, we cannot guarantee the final result of your work. However, if you don’t think you have the manual dexterity and the know-how required to perform such a repair, you can contact us. Or, if you simply want to let prefinished floor repair professionals take care of the work for you, our floor repair specialists will be pleased to offer you turnkey service.
First of all, you should make sure that you have prefinished wood slats that are identical to your existing floor. Gather the following list of tools and equipment: circular saw, table saw, mitre saw, vacuum cleaner, extension cord, saw blades, wood chisel, punch to drive in the nails, rubber mallet, glue spatula, wood glue, and wood block. Vacuum and clean your prefinished floor thoroughly to make it free from any residue. Identify the prefinished slats that you want to replace. To do this, you can use brightly coloured tape and apply it to the slats that need to be replaced. Using a circular saw, you should make two lengthwise cuts in the board. Take care not to damage the neighbouring prefinished wood slats, since you’ll need to make additional repairs to these slats. Remove the part in the centre using a wood chisel and a hammer. Then, delicately remove the two other remaining sections. Repeat the same process for all the prefinished slats that you want to replace. Remove any nails or staples you see so they don’t harm you when you install the new slats. Remove the building paper, adhesives, wood trim, wood splinters, and any residue that would impede a proper installation. Select the prefinished board of your choice. If it’s not the right size, cut it very precisely using a mitre saw so that it exactly fits the space you want to fill. Using a table saw, remove the lower part of the female groove on the long side of the board and the end of the male slat located on the short part of the board. Don’t forget to adjust the height of the blade before performing the work. You can now check if the size of your prefinished wood board corresponds to the space you want to fill. With a spatula, apply some wood glue to the place where you’ve removed your slat. Then, place the prefinished wood slat that you prepared beforehand in the space you wish to fill. Use a mallet and a wood block to force the board into position. Once it’s properly positioned, put a heavy object on top of it to ensure that the slat remains in place. To achieve a proper repair, wait 24 hours before removing the weight. You can now clean your prefinished floor, taking care to remove any visible glue. You can finally admire your prefinished floor repair!
Note: Consult our varnished floor maintenance guide to preserve your prefinished flooring even longer.