hard pine floor question

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 17:50:16 GMT, wp715 <> wrote:

>Hi all,
>I have an old schoolhouse that someone put T&G yellow pine flooring
>in. The widths vary from 4 inches to almost 7 inches wide. Over time
>gaps have opened up between the boards leaving spaces from 1/8 " to
>almost 1/2 " wide. I'd like to refinish the floors a room at a time
>and would like to fill the gaps with something that would look ok
>after the finish coat is applied. Anyone with some thoughts on
>this...I'd sure like to know what you think. Thanks! Pat


The filler MUST be flexible enough to allow the pine to move with
changes in humidity. When I lived in an OLD hous in Mass. the floors
were, in places caulked with a strip of what can only be called "rope"
It was a fibrous material, pushed between the boards to fill in the
gaps, then finish was applied over both. Looked fine, just very
"old".

Clif

Hi:

This was addressed in an episode of "Ask This Old House", see:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tvprograms/asktoh/qaarticle/0,16588,441630,00.html

If they offer a video of that show it may be worthwhile, it was fairly
complete, As I recall, Tom soaked the rope in a bucket of the stain prior
to stuffing it into the gaps in the flooring.

Good Luck


<wp715> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
> I have an old schoolhouse that someone put T&G yellow pine flooring
> in. The widths vary from 4 inches to almost 7 inches wide. Over time
> gaps have opened up between the boards leaving spaces from 1/8 " to
> almost 1/2 " wide. I'd like to refinish the floors a room at a time
> and would like to fill the gaps with something that would look ok
> after the finish coat is applied. Anyone with some thoughts on
> this...I'd sure like to know what you think. Thanks! Pat