How to match hardwood floor patches after removing wall?

Question

Removing a wall during renovations has left us with a band of unvarnished hardwood floors and some filler to try and patch finish as best we can so it's slightly less glaringly different 😂

I'm under no illusions that we'll be able to get it totally blended in to floors that have enjoyed years of use and light exposure BUT some tips on how to tackle would be much appreciated.

The Bunnings fancy-pants-AI has recommended the following which seems broadly sensible:

1. Prep and Level: If you have high bits of filler, use a Fine (180-220 grit) sanding sponge to make them dead flush with the wood. Wipe away every spec of dust with a damp cloth.

2. Color Match the Filler: Filler often stays lighter than the wood. Use a Timber Touch Up Pen(choose a color like Walnut or Jarrah depending on your floor) to "paint" over the filler spots so they disappear into the wood grain.

Products recommended for this were:

- The wax crayons but reviews look very mixed:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/waxstix-walnut-timbermate-touch-up-crayon_p1580186

- Touch up pen - reviews look better:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/cabot-s-10ml-walnut-brown-touch-up-stain-pen_p0442779

3. Build the Stain: Use a Combined Stain & Varnish or a Stain Pen on the raw wood areas. Start with a light coat. It’s better to do two or three very thin coats to slowly darken the wood rather than one heavy one that ends up too dark!

Products recommended were along the lines of

https://www.bunnings.com.au/cabot-s-250ml-cedar-gloss-water-based-stain-and-varnish-250ml_p1520314

4. The "Feather" Finish: As you apply the varnish, use a nearly dry brush to "feather" or blend the edges of the new patch into the existing finished boards. This prevents a hard "halo" line around the repair.

5. Sheen Match: Once you're happy with the color, if the patch is still too dull, apply a final thin coat of Clear Floor Polyurethane in the matching sheen (usually Gloss or Satin) over the whole board.

^ I'm hoping as it's a small patch I might be able to skip this stage and rely on the stain and varnish… as it says varnish in the name 😁

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @kitfriendesq,

As a first suggestion, as Jason mentioned, I'd recommend sanding and recoating the entire floor if possible. We do hire floor sanders, which can make the job much more manageable.

If that's not an option right now, I wouldn't recommend staining just the affected area. Instead, prepare the surface thoroughly and apply a coat of Cabot's CFP to the repaired section.

The reason I wouldn't use a stain is that the floor was most likely finished with an oil-based floor varnish rather than a stain originally. Before coating the whole repair, I'd suggest testing a small, inconspicuous area first to see how closely it matches the existing colour.

If you apply a stain now, it will soak into the timber grain. Then, when you eventually sand and refinish the entire room, you'll need to sand much more aggressively to remove the stained timber before you can achieve an even finish.

Here are some helpful guides: How to sand timber floors and How to seal timber floors.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

kitfriendesq · Answer

Thanks all - good feedback 👍

@Jason I won't be going for a full re-sand currently but at some stage we'll do it I imagine (this is the only way to get something approaching real consistency I'm sure). Definitely just a quick fix patch job for now.

Jason · Answer

Hi @kitfriendesq,

Would you consider sanding the floorboards in the whole room to get back to a uniform surface?

Jason