Do you Have large Gaps on your Floor?
Gap Filling will gives completely different look to your
It is possible to give your Parquet Block Floors or Hardwood Flooring or Pine Floorboards a much more attractive overall look if all the major Gaps are filled.
There are two main methods that are commonly used for the filling of unsightly gaps in wood flooring.
The most popular (and easiest) method is the Dust & Resin Mix. This is where the fine dust generated during the floor sanding process is mixed with a resin to form a paste, which is then worked into the gaps. This method is undoubtedly the most commonly used form of gap filling used on wooden floors by Floor Sanding Contractors.
The second method – “Solid Wood Fillet Strips” is when usually reclaimed Pine strips are used, these strips are covered with PVA glue then knocked firmly into the gaps, left overnight to dry, then the excess material is chiselled away before being Sanded off.
This method of Gap Filling is a much more involved process overall, but the results are usually aesthetically better and also more permanent as the Fillets tend to expand and contract with the timber.
If you pour too much product onto the dust and it appears too runny, simply add small amounts of dust to the mixture and re-mix until the desired consistency is reached. Product Open times vary – Solvent based products go off quickly, 15-20 minutes max, whereas the water based products take quite a bit longer depending on how wide the gaps are, normally about 45-60 minutes. After a small area has been Gap Filled, scrape off any excess residues straight away while the product is still workable, because when the product dries, it dries really hard and could be difficult to remove when re-sanding the area.
This process is also better at filling the larger, wider gaps.
Gap filling is highly recommended for Wooden Floors, especially Floorboards and Hardwood floors, this can be very effective in ground floor rooms with voids underneath, this is one of the best ways to address cold air droughts coming up from beneath the Floor.
We would strongly recommend that you only use the floor sanding dust which is 80 grit level or finer e.g. 100 – 120 grit is better again. We would recommend you do not use below 80 grit as it would be too coarse and would more likely have a rough appearance when it has dried in the Gaps in the Floor.
Be especially careful when using a water based gap filling product, the dust needs to be as fine as possible due to the fact that the mixture will not bind correctly if the dust is too coarse – just be careful.
There are generally two types of filler – Solvent and Water based.
Solvent based Fillers DO have a strong initial odour, make sure you have the room/area well ventilated and wear a mask, the odour will dissipate shortly after the product has been applied.
Water based Fillers have little or no odour, but the drying times are longer.
To start with use 2-3 handfuls of clean dust, using as wide a scraper or mixing tool as possible to mix the dust and the filler together, pour on the mixture, in the early stages too little is better than too much…. the consistency needs to be mixed until any signs of the dust has disappeared.
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