How to Fix a Broken Floor Board

Broken floor boards on your deck or in your home require replacement to avoid injury and damage to the surrounding floor. Floor boards, unlike laminate, do not interlock on the sides, and that makes them less difficult to replace. However, it is necessary to purchase a replacement board that closely resembles the floor. Most standard floor boards are 3¼ inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Replacement floor boards are available at home improvement centers and flooring dealers. Take a piece of the existing floor board to ensure you purchase a close match.

Masking tape
1/4-inch paddle bit
Drill
Wood chisel
Hammer
Pry bar
Tape measure
Hand saw
Spiral flooring nails
Nail set
Stain (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Place masking tape on the floor boards surrounding the broken floor board. This protects the surrounding floor boards from damage when prying up the broken board.
- 2
  Insert a 1/4-inch paddle bit into your drill. Drill two holes next to each other 2 inches from one end of the broken floorboard. Position the end of a wood chisel over the small space between the two holes. Tap the chisel with a hammer to cut through the board between the two holes.
- 3
  Position a pry bar into the cut section of the broken floor board, and pry the board out of the floor. Remove the small portion left on the floor joist with the pry bar as well.
- 4
  Hammer down any nails left in the joist from the removed floor board. Measure the length of the area for the new board with a tape measure.
- 5
  Transfer the measurement to the new floor board and cut it with a hand saw. Fit the new floor board into the empty space. If necessary, sand down the edges with 220-grit sandpaper until the board fits snugly into the floor.
- 6
  Drive spiral floor board nails into each end of the board and into the floor joist with a hammer, leaving the head of the nail slightly above the floor board surface.
- 7
  Place a nail set over the head of the nail and tap the nail set with a hammer to drive the nail into the floor board, slightly countersinking the nail head. A nail set looks similar to a center punch.
- 8
  Finish the new floor board with a matching stain, if you purchase an unstained replacement board.

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