Floorboard repairs and timber floor restoration

Most floors do not need replacing. They need a section repaired, the cause of the problem dealt with, and then a sand and polish to tie the repair into the rest of the floor. That is almost always cheaper than a new floor and it keeps original timber that cannot be bought again.

The part people underestimate is matching. Board width, profile, species and age all have to line up, and a repair that is technically sound but visually obvious is a failed repair.

What we repair

Common jobs, in roughly the order we see them.

Typical repairs

• Water damage from a leaking dishwasher, washing machine, bathroom or roof — including the black staining that follows it.
• Cupping and crowning, once the moisture source behind it is found and fixed.
• Squeaks and movement, usually from loose fixings, a failed joist or an inadequately supported subfloor.
• Gaps that have opened up over years of seasonal movement.
• Holes and infill strips where a wall, hearth or built-in has been removed.
• Termite and borer damage, replaced back to sound timber.
• Insurance work, with photographic reporting for the assessor.

Fix the cause first

Cupping — boards higher at the edges than the centre — means moisture is reaching the underside of the floor. Replacing the boards without finding the source produces a floor that cups again in one season. So we look at subfloor ventilation, blocked or painted-over vents, ground clearance, drainage against the building, and whether there is a vapour barrier over the ground beneath a suspended floor.

That last one is common in older Northern Beaches and North Shore homes: a suspended timber floor over damp ground with no barrier and vents that were blocked when a deck or paving went in. Fixing the ventilation is often most of the repair.

At a glance