How to Patch a Chipped Wood Floor | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva patches a chipped wood floor using a Dutchman and hand tools.
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Time: 4 hours
Cost: $50
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Patching a Wood Floor:
Drill []
Block plane []
Hand saw []
Utility knife []
Chisel []
Forstner bit [] (optional)
Shopping List:
Polyurethane glue []
Wood glue []
Rags []
Floorboard [] (same type as rest of floor)
Prestain []
Stain []
Painters tape []
Polyurethane []
Steps:
1. Drill a hole through the chipped part of the floor using a countersink bit. Drop a little bit of water in the hole, then add some polyurethane glue.
2. Drive a screw through the hole, securing the floorboard back to the floor.
3. If you saved the chipped piece of the floor, you can glue it back on the floor with wood glue. Be sure to cover all the exposed wood with glue before re-securing the patch.
4. Wipe off any excess glue on the patch with a wet rag.
5. If you don’t have the chipped piece or it doesn’t fit back into the hole perfectly, you’ll need to make a Dutchman. Examine the floorboard and find a section of it that matches the grain around the rest of the floor boards near the chip.
6. True up the edge of the floorboard chosen for the patch using a block plane.
7. Cut the patch roughly to size using a hand saw. First, rip the patch to rough width. Then rip the patch in half so it’s half the thickness of the floorboard.
8. Square one end of the Dutchman using the block plane.
9. Hold the Dutchman up to the section of the floor requiring the patch. Mark the length just slightly past where the chip ends.
10. Cut the Dutchman to length based on the mark.
11. Hold the Dutchman over the chip. Trace around the outside of the patch using the utility knife.
12. Chisel out the outlined section of the floor roughly the thickness of the patch. To save time, you can use a drill with a forstner bit and then switch to the hand chisel for fine tuning.
13. Pitch the Dutchman at an angle and shave off a little bevel on each side with the block plane so the patch will fit easier in the floor.
14. Once the Dutchman fits the hole, prestain it with a rag. Let the stain sit for about five minutes.
15. Stain the Dutchman with a rag. Let it dry for a few minutes.
16. Apply wood glue to the hole in the floor. Make sure all the raw wood is covered with glue. Wipe off excess glue with a rag.
17. Tape around the patch and let it sit overnight. After about 24 hours, add a few coats of polyurethane until the patch blends in with the rest of the floor.
Resources:
Everything Tom used for this project, including the hand saw, block plane, utility knife, and stain, can be found at home centers.
Tom used flooring saved by the homeowner, but flooring can also be found at home centers, lumber yards, and flooring retailers. For a patch, use the same type of wood and look for a piece that has a similar grain to the floor being patched.
Tom secured the Dutchman to the floor using wood glue [] and polyurethane glue [], both manufactured by Gorilla Glue (/).
The workbench Tom made the Dutchman on is manufactured by Kreg (/).
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Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Patch a Chipped Wood Floor | Ask This Old House
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