I finally gave up on wood filler for my floor gaps

For years, I'd pack every little gap between my old pine floorboards with filler, but it always cracked and fell out after a few months. Last fall, I saw a video from a guy in Vermont who uses a mix of fine sawdust from the same wood and a clear drying glue. I tried it on a 2-inch gap in my hallway, and after letting it cure for a full day, I sanded it smooth. It's held perfectly through the winter heating season. Has anyone else found a better way to match old wood for repairs?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher9037h ago

That sawdust and glue trick is the real deal. My own attempts with wood filler were so bad they looked like the floor had a grout problem. I think I actually made the gaps more noticeable, like I was highlighting my mistakes for guests. Your method sounds way smarter than my old plan of just putting a rug over everything and hoping no one looked.

jesse_burns81h ago

That rug-over-it plan from @christopher903 is a classic move, right up there with just pointing at the ceiling and saying "what's that?" to distract people. The sawdust trick is smart because it actually moves with the wood instead of just sitting there like a brittle scab waiting to crack.