Wood Floor Gap Filling

Wood floor gap filling is important for enhancing both the beauty and functionality of your wooden floors. As gaps can accumulate dust, decrease thermal efficiency, and create an unstable walking surface, our expert gap filling service in London offers tailor-made solutions to restore your floors to their former glory. Utilising high-quality fillers, such as resin mixed with matching sawdust for smaller gaps, we ensure a seamless finish that preserves the natural aesthetics of your wood. For larger voids, we employ the use of solid wood strips that are carefully fitted and sanded down for a polished look. This process not only prevents drafts and pest infestations but also improves the overall durability of your flooring. Our experienced team understands the intricacies of wooden flooring expansion and contraction, ensuring that each filling method is appropriately selected based on the specific gap size and type of wood. By choosing our professional gap filling services, you can achieve a cohesive and inviting look to your hardwood floors while prolonging their lifespan.

Wood Floor Gap Filling - Stability and Durability

Wood floor gap filling is a popular service suitable for all real wood floors. Over time, moisture, humidity, and temperature fluctuations cause floorboards to contract and expand, resulting in gaps of various sizes.

Neglected gaps can impact the structural stability of the floor and affect its appearance and insulation. Our professional gap filling service in London provides high-quality, efficient, and time-saving solutions. We take pride in achieving outstanding results, delivering smooth and even surfaces, improved stability, and solidness.

Enhanced Insulation for Your Wooden Floor

Our professional gap filling service not only fixes gaps but also improves the insulation properties of your wood floor. Gaps compromise insulation, leading to heat loss and increased heating costs. By sealing the gaps, you can enjoy cost-effective heating, cosy warmth, and reduced draughts.

We use high-quality products that ensure long-lasting and hard-wearing results, withstanding high traffic and everyday use. Choose our professional wood floor gap filling service in London to invest in the lasting power and comfort of your floor.

Expansion Gap Considerations

While not all wood floor gaps need to be filled, expansion gaps play a crucial role in wood floor installation. These gaps allow floors to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Professional installers create sufficient expansion gaps, typically ranging from ¼ to ½ inch, to ensure the floor's condition and aesthetics are preserved over time.

Resin Mixed with Saw Dust

A widely used method for gap filling wooden floors is mixing clear resin filler with sawdust collected during the floor sanding process, to create a thick putty with the same colour as the floors, applied with a spatula between the floorboards. This method is ideal for gaps on parquet floors and floorboards where the gap is less than 5 mm wide.

The advantage of this wood floor gap filling method is that it provides a basis for a smooth floor finish, dries quickly, and the gap filling mixture has the same colour to your flooring because the sawdust has been collected from the sanding of your floors.

The downside of resin gap filling is that it is not suitable for solid and stable planks over solid base/joist support. On non-grooved floors such as the original pine floorboards, it is difficult to guarantee their durability as any movement caused by weak, cracked or over-sanded boards, as well as movement in the joists will cause displacement of the filling. That is why this method is often more efficient when applied to parquet flooring or lock joint floorboards, where the gap filling putty will not fall through.

To minimise the risk of gap filling putty falling through, we use exceptionally high-quality resin filler products and our wood floor gap filling service comes with inspection and refitting of the flooring, prior to the restoration.

Wood Strips Filling (Slivers) - Durable and Natural Solution

Another effective method for gap filling is using wood strips, especially for floorboards. This involves cutting strips of wood and gluing them into the gaps. Wood strips provide durability and a natural visual effect. They sit on the joists, preventing them from falling through.

The advantage of filling the gaps with wood strips is not only the durability but also the visual effect, which is natural and nice. All gap filling methods are applied before the floor sanding process, ensuring a smooth surface ready for varnishing or oiling.
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Wood Floor Gap Filling

Why is gap filling necessary for wooden floorboards?

Gap filling improves both the appearance and performance of your wooden floors. It stops draughts, prevents dirt and debris from collecting between boards, and helps create a smoother, more stable surface.

How do you fill gaps between floorboards – what methods are used?

We typically use two professional methods: a resin mixed with fine sawdust from your floor for small gaps, and solid wood slivers for larger gaps. Both options are durable and blend seamlessly with the surrounding boards.

Will gap filling eliminate cold draughts in my Victorian house?

Yes — gap filling is one of the most effective ways to reduce cold draughts in period properties. Many older London homes have gaps that allow cold air to rise from below; filling these can noticeably improve comfort and energy efficiency.

Does the filler stay put if the wood expands and contracts?

We use flexible resin fillers and carefully fitted slivers that move with the natural expansion and contraction of wood. This ensures the gap filling lasts through seasonal changes without cracking or falling out.

Can gaps be filled without sanding the entire floor?

While small gap repairs can be done without sanding, we recommend combining gap filling with sanding for the best results. Sanding ensures the filler is perfectly flush with the floor and creates a uniform finish once sealed.

Our flooring service comes with obligation-free site visit, quick quotations and free advice. Give us a call on 020 88309782 to speak to a member of our staff, who can arrange for a free assessment of your floor sanding or wood floor fitting service at a convenient for you time.