This could be down to it getting damaged or because it is what we call a ‘rogue’ board that behaves differently to others (this is simply down to it being a natural product and not a product or manufacturing fault) but no matter what the reason, it can be done quite easily, depending on the finish and the length of time the floor has been installed.
If the floor has been installed for some time, it may be necessary to re-finish the whole floor after the board has been replaced to enable the new piece to match up with the surrounding, 'older' and used boards.
If the floor has been recently installed and hasn’t received much wear, then the new board will probably match up fine without any extra work.
Although the
process is quite simple, it does require some specialist tools, so an
experienced floor fitter (or good carpenter) should be employed to do this
work, and in our opinion it’s always easier to replace a complete board than to
try to cross-cut it part the way along its length.
Step 1
Cut both ends of the board that needs replacing about 60-70mm from each end, with a suitable saw but make sure the cuts don't reach the surrounding boards either side (something like a Fein Multimaster is a perfect tool for doing this).
Step 2
Use a circular saw (or similar) to cut two parallel cuts along the length of the board, deep enough to cut through the whole thickness of the board being replaced. Make sure you make these cuts far enough in from each edge to miss any possible nails that may be fixing the board down.
Step 3
Using the circular saw again, cut some diagonal cuts between the two parallel cuts about 50-70mm apart, so that the pieces of board between become loose and detached from the actual board. Be careful not to cut too far and into the boards at either side of the board that’s being replaced.
Step 4
Use a
chisel (or similar) to break up the board and remove the loose pieces between
the parallel cuts, until both sides become loose enough to remove also, leaving
a clear board ‘space’ within the floor. Be careful not to damage the edges of the
surrounding boards when removing the pieces of old plank.Step 5
Remove the bottom lip of the grooved side and also the end of the new replacement board, and also chamfer or angle the remaining bottom corners of each.
Step 6
Then machine off the tongue at the end of the board to allow it to ‘hinge’ down into the space available for a perfect fit.
Step 7
After making sure that the replacement board fits well into the space within the floor, remove it and apply the adhesive (either the flexible adhesive to the underside for gluing the board to the subfloor or the joint adhesive to glue the board joints to the surrounding boards).
Step 8
The new board should be tapped down to ensure a good fit, and then a heavy weight should be used to weight it down until the adhesive has set completely. Make sure any excess adhesive is wiped away now before it sets.
Step 9
Finish as necessary to blend the board into the surrounding boards and that’s it.
