Carpet removed & need help with floorboards

Hi, I’ve just ripped up 50yo carpet & have hardwood floors. I’m not sure what the next step is but hope I don’t have to sand. What do I use to fill nail holes from carpet track? Should I also fill the slight gap between architrave & floor? Should I be filling in between the floorboards & if so, will it stop squeaking? Any advice appreciated.

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Nicole27. It's lovely to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about finishing timber floors.

Whether you need to sand or not depends on how smooth the current boards are. Although they appear in spectacular condition, they do look a little unfinished. There's a distinctive milling pattern across the board's surface that would be best taken out. A light sand would certainly perfect them and remove any splinters, ready for sealing.. Speaking of splinters, I can see that the nails from the carpet track have blown out the wood grain, so you need to give these areas a quick sand at the least. You can then fill the holes with timber putty in an appropriate colour.

If the gaps between the floorboards and skirting are unnoticeable, then they don't need to be filled. However, if they are large enough to trap dirt and dust in them, it might be worth running some gap filler along there. Once again, if there are significant gaps between the floorboards, then they can be filled with timber putty. However, unless the colour is a great match, I'd suggest using it sparingly. Timber putty will not stop the floorboards from squeaking. I'd recommend you take a look at this step-by-step guide: How to fix a squeaky floor. Since your floor is so blemish-free, I recommend you don't screw from above and just adjust the nails or wedge the boards from underneath. Some of your nails look quite proud and would benefit from being tapped down so they are slightly below the surface of the timber. This will be a necessary step if you intend to sand the floor. Here's a useful guide on How to sand timber floors.

Once the above is taken care of, you will be able to coat the floor. I'd suggest a good quality and hard-wearing coating like Cabot's CFP. Here's a helpful guide on How to seal a timber floor.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

All comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Nicole27. It's lovely to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about finishing timber floors.

Once the above is taken care of, you will be able to coat the floor. I'd suggest a good quality and hard-wearing coating like Cabot's CFP. Here's a helpful guide on How to seal a timber floor.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Nicole27

Thank you so much Mitchell. You’ve answered all of my questions & yes, you are correct as I did see some splinters when pulling out nails. There are other nails that need to be tapped down as well. I greatly appreciate your detailed response. Many thanks.

MitchellMc

Not a problem at all, @Nicole27! We're here to help.

Please let us know if you get stuck or have further questions. I can't wait to see your results.

Mitchell

Nicole27

Hi Mitchell, what type of sander should I be using? It’s not a large area as I’ve started with bedrooms. With thanks. Nicole

Nicole27

My apologies Mitchell - I’ve just had a look at the link you sent me which answers the question about the type of sander to use.

MitchellMc

Hi @Nicole27,

Even though these are small areas, I highly recommend hiring a floor sander. Each room will only take you an hour or so, and it will save your knees and back a lot of strain. You could attempt to use a hand sander, but anyone I know that has attempted to do so has cursed the day they made that decision. Some people love sitting on the floor for hours of sanding, but that's not for me.

Please remember your PPE when sanding timber, including safety glasses, a dust mask and hearing protection. Also, when using chemical products like the coating, follow the safety precaution guidelines on the packaging.

Mitchell

Nicole27

Thanks again Mitchell. I actually went in store today & purchased what I need to fill the nail holes (colour matched) & other bits & pieces and discussed hiring a floor sander. I don’t suppose you’re available for hire! Actually I do have another question - built in wardrobes. Am I right thinking that I need to remove the sliding doors (easy), remove the frame & take out the carpet - but will I be left with a frame that no longer fits due to the extra space?

MitchellMc

It's great to hear you're getting your materials ready for this project @Nicole27.

In the best-case scenario, the cupboard would have been constructed on the timber floor, and the section of carpet inserted inside it after. However, if the cupboard was built upon the carpet, then you'd need to shim out under the bottom of the frame with a thin piece of timber to accommodate for the thickness of the removed carpet. You'll then need a small quad moulding in front of the bottom of the frame to hide this shim piece. Given this, I suggest instead of removing the frame, cutting the carpet on the inside and outside of the frame and leaving the frame in place. You can do your sanding and then install the quad moulding to hide the carpet under the frame. No one will ever know it's under there, and you don't have to pull out the frame.

Mitchell

Nicole27

No, the wardrobes were built in at a later stage so are over the carpet. I will do as you suggest & remove the carpet on the inside & take it from there. Again, much appreciated, thanks Mitchell.

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