How To Repair Termite-Damaged Hardwood Floors?

Termites are a major problem with hardwood floors as they can constantly infect the wood and start feeding on it.

This can make the wood weak and hollow from the inside, which can go up to the point where the hardwood floors start to crack and break.

While preventing termite attacks is a topic for another day, let us find out how to repair termite-damaged hardwood floors and make them look new again.

You can repair termite-damaged hardwood floors by using epoxy fillers for holes, joist repairs for squeaks, and wood putty for cracks. These simple yet effective solutions address common issues caused by termites.

While there are other types of damages and solutions, these are the most common ones with the easiest yet the most effective solutions.

Therefore, if your hardwood floors were also attacked by termites this year and they have left damaged boards which you want to repair and not replace, keep reading as this article contains much valuable information.

What Are Termites?

Termites are wood-eating insects that cause infestations from under the wood’ surface and can also target the subfloor.

They feed on wood fibers and cells and reproduce inside, making them very dangerous as they spread quickly and make the planks hollow before moving to the next ones.

While there are types of woods that resist termites, not all of them are strong enough.

Besides, there are also types of termites that can have different tactics and ways to eat away the wooden content in your hardwood floors and damage them in all ways.

Types of Termite

Termites usually thrive in moist wood but can also target drier types of wood and eat them away.

While different types of termites have different preferences, it would be best to look at them yourself to know what type of damage is caused by which type of termite.

This would make it a lot easier to identify the damage and the right way to repair it so your hardwood floors can be restored to the best condition possible.

Subterranean Termites

These termites are the most abundant in most areas, mainly the U.S. They attack residential houses and tend to establish massive colonies very quickly.

Besides, they are also renowned for being the most destructive among all types.

Dampwood Termites

These termites are usually found in moist, humid areas such as wood piles after rainfall, tree stumps, near drainage pipes, etc.

They are not as destructive as the subterranean termites but can be nuisances if not countered correctly.

Drywood Termites

These termites are often overlooked but pose a major threat to households. They target dry wood, such as fences and furniture.

Still, most prominently, they target structural wood found in the base structures of houses.

How To Repair Termite-Damaged Hardwood Floors? – Causes And Solutions

There are several damages that termites can cause to your hardwood floors and engineered wood floors. Knowing them is important as only then would you be able to determine the right solution.

Therefore, we have compiled a list of these possible damages and their suitable repair methods to make it easy for you to fix the floors to look as good as new again.

Holes In Hardwood Floors

Termites feed into the wood from underneath the floors as they are mostly found in the ground and seep up the floorboards from the subfloor.

Moreover, as they move through the wood fibers while eating them away, they often cause holes in the wood. These can be small initially but can increase in depth and width over time.

While you would need to eliminate these from your floors for optimum protection, you still need to get the hole filled to maintain the stability and durability of your hardwood floors.

Otherwise, the holes can expose the subfloor to moisture and other factors of the atmosphere.

Besides, it can also cost you the strength of the boards and may lead to cracking and even breaking of the boards over time.

The easiest way to take care of these holes is to use wood or epoxy fillers to fill them up. Both are the same thing and work best in securing the hole and increasing the strength of the wood.

The packaging contains 2 components which are chemicals that must be mixed in the recommended composition to make the fillers fix the holes in hardwood floors.

You can find the instructions on the packaging and make the solution by following the guidelines.

Another important factor is that it dries quickly once the filter is made. Once you have made the filler, there is approximately a 20-minute window in which you are supposed to fill the hole with the wood filler to cover it completely; hence, you must be quick and precise.

Try covering the edges and walls of the hole first to ensure smooth filling. After that, you can move towards filling in the hole completely.

The best thing about these fillers is that they bond with the wood rather than simply filling the hole.

Once dried, sand the hardwood surface to level with the rest of the floors, and you are good to go.

Squeakiness And Joist Weakness

Another common problem caused by termites is the squeakiness of hardwood floors, mainly due to the weakness in joist structures.

Termites not only feed on the hardwood planks but also on the subfloors and joists.

A suitable way to fix this is to add supporting blocks and reinstall the plank in areas that show signs of squeakiness.

1. Firstly, identify the areas which are shaky or squeaky.
2. Remove the boards from the area using a suitable method.
3. Cut small blocks of wood and attach them along with the joists at equal spacing.
4. Use wood glue or screws to fix them in place.
5. Reinstall the planks using the same method which had been used earlier.
6. If using glue, place some weights on the boards so no air gaps are formed.

By following these methods, your floors will be durable again and will not show signs of weakness in any area.

Cracks In Hardwood Floors

In some cases, cracks can form when there are no holes in the wood but enough damage in the cracks.

These cracks can start from the hairline and move forward toward the center of the wood. If not dealt with at the right time, they can cause breakage or splinters in the wood.

There are 2 ways you can fix this:

• Using the same method mentioned earlier for holes in the wood (using wood fillers).
• Using wood putty.

Woody putty is suitable for filling shallow cracks and preventing them from increasing. You must apply the putty in the crack and leave it to dry. It does not require sanding because it doesn’t bond with the wood.

However, it is easy to fill the cracks and prevent moisture exposure. You can stain the putty to match the color of the floors.

Bottom Line

Termite attacks are pretty common on hardwood floors and it is best to get your boards fumigated beforehand to prevent this from happening.

However, if your floors have already been infested and suffered from damage, it is best that you use the methods mentioned above to fix them.