Gap filling is one of the most popular services in the wood flooring industry. Gap filling is an easy way to ensure the good insulation, stability, sturdiness, and hard-wearing power of your floor. Gap filling also contributes to the improved appearance of every real wood floor, ensuring a sleek, uniform, and smooth surface. The best part is that gap filling is neither a time-consuming and complex service, nor one that requires a big investment of money or a number of tools and state-of-art machines and equipment. Let’s learn more about gap filling and how your floor can benefit from a professional gap filling service.
Why Consider Gap Filling Service?
With time and due to a number of factors, including high traffic, heavy footfall, a lot of everyday use, moisture damage, temperature fluctuations, etc. some gaps may start appearing in between the floorboards. While this is not an issue that requires an immediate reaction, it is still something you want to tackle down as soon as you can. Leave the problem neglected and you may end up with a floor that requires more serious repair in future. However, gap filling is important and very beneficial for every wooden floor struggling with gaps between the boards. At the end of the day, the occurring of gaps means that the durability, stability, and sturdiness of the floor becomes weaker. In addition, gap filling contributes significantly to improving the insulation properties of the floor. At the end of the day, even small gaps can have a major effect, especially in wintertime when the rooms are heated. Floor gaps decrease the insulation of the room and allow drafts of cold air enter the room, while the heated air from inside the room escapes through the gaps. Therefore, if you start noticing some gaps between the floorboards, make sure to consider a gap filling service.
Whenever you are on a hunt for a professional and reliable gap filling service in London and surrounding areas, we can provide you with the help you need. Call us today on 020 88309782 and book free visit to get a free quote and inspection of your floor.
What is Gap Filling?
As the name suggests, gap filling is the process of filling in the gaps between the floorboards. There are different methods of gap filling and different materials can be used. In general, which method of gap filling would be chosen is mainly affected by the size of the gap. Different methods of gap filling come with the same quality and the products used are always with high quality. Remember, always choose a professional gap filling service if you want the job done well and great results. In addition, remember that only the gaps between the boards are a subject of gap filling. There is an expansion gap left during the installation of the floor between the floorboards and the wall. This gap is left intentionally to allow the “movement” of the floorboards, when moisture and temperature fluctuations affect them.
Methods of Gap Filling
As mentioned, there are different methods of gap filling and whether one will be used or another is determined by the size of the gap. Here is a bit more about gap filling methods:
Gap Filling with Sawdust and Resin
One of the most popular, commonly used methods of gap filling is by filling the gaps with a mixture of sawdust and resin. This method of gap filling is used for smaller and finer gaps. It has a lot of benefits. Gap filling with sawdust and resin is not only a method involving natural products, pretty eco-friendly and absolutely safe for the whole household. This method of gap filling also ensures that the floor’s surface will look very sleek, even, and uniform after the gap filling service. The reason for that is that the sawdust used for the process is sourced from the sawdust accumulated during sanding the floor. This means that the gaps will be filled with sawdust from the existing floorboards and there will be an absolute colour match.
Gap Filling with Pine Slivers
This method of gap filling involves the use of pine slivers of wooden strips that are placed in the gaps to fill them in. This method of gap filling is usually required when the gaps are larger and wider. A professional gap filling service contractor will be able to supply wooden strips that are an exact or very similar colour and texture of the existing floor. Pine slivers and wooden strips for a gap filling project are usually sourced from reclaimed wood.
Bona Gap Master
Bona Gap Master is a high-quality and advanced product designed for the needs of a gap filling service. This gap filling product by Bona can be used for both smaller and larger gaps. It is usually used for gap filling services for floors that are not very stable and some of the floorboards are a bit lose. Thanks to the flexibility of the product once it dries, it can handle a bit of a movement between the boards without the risk of cracking. Unlike this product, gap filling with resin and sawdust is not recommended for looser floorboards, because once it is dry, the resin becomes very hard, not flexible enough, and can easily crack.
Why Choose Professional Gap Filling Service?
With all that explained and discussed gap filling above, it is safe to say that gap filling is a pretty simple service. Therefore, you may be tempted to attempt a DIY gap filling project and save some money from a professional service. However, with everything else designed to take care of real wood floors, gap filling also requires experience, knowledge, the right skills. It is easy to buy a professional gap filling product and simply place it between the boards, then let it dry. However, there are other important aspects of the service you are not aware of, if you are simply a DIY enthusiast. Only an experienced and reliable gap filling specialist would know exactly how to approach the project and what to do. Furthermore, a gap filling professional will inspect the overall condition of the floor and suggest or recommend some further repairs, if required.
Different Types of Wood Floor Stains
Wood floor staining products come in a really impressive variety and not just of colours and undertones. In fact, the variety of wood floor staining products is enough to satisfy even the most creative persona and unique taste. What type of wood floor staining product will be chosen for your floor highly depends on the floor itself and also on the time, energy, money, and effort you are ready to invest into wood floor staining. Of course, the finished look you desire is one of the major factors determining your choice of wood floor staining products. In general, there are two main categories of wood floor staining products – oil-based wood floor staining and water-based wood floor staining products. Oil-based wood floor staining products are the most advanced version and what many people opt for. Oil-based wood floor staining products are better at sinking deeply into the wood’s structure and creating an even and smooth coverage on the surface. Such wood floor staining product are commonly used for dense wood species. However, water-based wood floor staining products are easy to use and apply, durable, and very hard-wearing.
Book free visit for gap filling services in London today. Or give us a call on 020 88309782 to learn more about our gap filling services.
Did you know…
The process of filling in the gaps and wood floor sanding go hand in hand. First of all, if the gaps are filled with a saw dust-resin mixture, the sawdust is sourced and gathered from the initial round with the sanding machine. However, after gap filling, the floor’s surface should be sanded and refinished for a perfect smoothness and evenness. The outcome is not only a sturdy and durable floor thanks to the gaps being filled, but also a very beautiful and elegant one thanks to sanding.