Filling gaps between wooden floorboards - how?

[ReneeVivien]

It's that time of year when the wind whistles up between our floorboards again. Ideally, I would like a new wooden floor, or to lift the boards, lay insulation, relay the boards. But I have a budget of about, ooh £3.80 or thereabouts. Well, perhaps £200.

What is my best solution? Is it that stuff you squirt into the cracks, or is it true that is dries up and falls out? And what kind of professional do you call in to do this - a handyman or someone from a wooden flooring company?

I'm sure I saw a Sarah Beeney show once where she used the powder from sanding the floor mixed with pva glue to fill the gaps...but can't say I know anything more about it

PVA/resin plus sawdust as milk says is what looks best. It can dry up and fall out but mostly doesn't if the gaps are reasonably small. You could use expanding foam which won't fall out but looks ugly. Maybe try a combination if you have big gaps - foam then sawdust mixture on top?

I'd try to find a carpenter ideally, but a handyman can probably do it fine. really you just need someone who is careful and will care about how it looks at the end. I wouldn't bother with wood flooring specialist.

Thanks both. We had the floor sanded last year, and are not planning on doing it again anytime soon. Can you buy sawdust, or does it have to be YOUR sawdust, to match your floor?

I'm sure any sawdust of similar coloured wood would do fine. (It never ends up the exact same colour once mixed with the pva/resin anyway). Try a local builders merchant for sawdust.

What about strip gapping? We had it done when we had the carpets removed - after course sanding and before final sanding / staining / varnishing. The guy just hammered in tiny long strips of wood between the gaps. Not sure you can do it with finished floors though.

Hi
we used a round foam profile on a roll which came with an applicator. It worked really well. It stopped all draughts.
Angie

Ah, now what is that, Angie?

I have used this stuff on my floor and am really impressed with the results. It is probably what Angie is referring to.

It is a bit of a fiddle to install if the gaps aren't uniform width, but it works well and you really only see it if you know to look for it. It gives the floor a neat finish too.

Sorry Thistledew, I couldn't make that link work. What's it called, so I can google it?

This stuff is really good:

www.diy.com/nav/decor/tiles/adhesives-sealants/sealants/Unibond-UPVC-and-Wood-Exterior-Frame-Sealant-Brown-310ml-9254323

It's meant for sealing the gaps between exterior window frames and walls.

It's not like kitchen and bathroom sealant - has a very different texture/consistency. Works well.

Try this. I posted from my phone last time. Floorboard Gap Filler

There's a similar product to the one Thistledew linked to, but I don't know what it's called. It's a flexible strip with a V-shaped profile. The base of the V goes down into the gap. The top of the V opens up to fit the gap, so it's practically invisible. It may be a trade product - my sister used it but got it from an interior designer.

Think this might be what Chippy is referring to?

It looks brilliant

That's it minipie. Well done for finding it!

That stop gap stuff minipie links to is fabulous. Forget all the other things, seriously. I have tried to save money by filling with sawdust mixed with pva, its a complete nightmare, takes FOREVER and looks really crapola. The foam stuff would cost a fortune to do a whole room. The stop gap stuff is so easy to fit and works a treat, no need to do any additional sanding/varnishing. Did our through lounge and dining room in a couple of hours, cant remember how much it cost but well worth it for saving on the hassle factor. No drafts, no more loosing stuff down the gaps!

Have been looking for advice on this for ages now, so thank you all! The stop gap stuff sounds perfect, but would love to hear your experiences with it: can you paint the boards with stop gap between them? Can it be used on quite wide gaps, say 5 mm? Does it stay in place when you hoover???

Yes yes yes! And their customer service is good, too.

Thank you, Devora - will try it!

Ooh, exciting. This looks perfect to stop cooking smells stinking up my bedroom...

If you've got a crawl space under the floor you can install underfloor insulation. We did this eventually and after force nine gales blowing up my skirts all winter long it was lifechanging

Thanks Mumsnet -I have filled the gaps in my sanded floorboards with a mixture of PVA and sawdust as advised (the consistency of peanut butter!) and it looks great. I would advise putting masking tape either side of the gaps for a nice, clean finish. Good things take time!

Or you could use stopgap, which is cheap, quick and easy. And doesn't involve masking either side of every floorboard in your 10 metre long living room...

Is the stopgap stuff really good?

I've also used the brown window/door sealant and it's worked just fine.

Would www.tradefixdirect.com/sealants-adhesives-etc/everbuild-one-strike-filler do the job?

Trying to find you the cheapest option! Depends on how big the gaps are though...