FLOORING FIXES

Your floors are one of the first things people notice when they enter your home, so if you have a crack, burn or some damage, Y it is hard to hide. In this issue we'll tell you how to get your flooring back to its best, whether it is laminate flooring, tiles, or carpet

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How to replace a laminate floorboard in the middle of a floor

When a board sustains damage in the middle of a laminate floor, you have two options for replacing it. One is to disassemble the floor down to the damaged board, replace the board and reassemble the floor. The other option is to cut out the damaged board and glue in a replacement.

Removing a damaged board

1. Draw a line down the centre of the damaged board using a straightedge and pencil. The line should span the length of the board.

2. Set the cutting depth of a circular saw blade to 3mm more than the thickness of the boards. If the subfloor is concrete, set the depth exactly equal to the board thickness.

3. Plunge the blade into the line near the centre of the board and cut toward the one end. Stop cutting when the blade reaches the edge. Pull out the saw, reverse direction and cut to the same point on the other end. Finish the cut on either end of the board by tapping along the cut line with a hammer and chisel.

4. Drill a 12mm hole at each corner of the board. The hole should be 12mm from both edges that form the corner.

Draw a line at a 45-degree angle from each hole toward the cut line in the centre.

5. Plunge the saw into the centre of the board and cut along each 45-degree line, stopping at the hole in the corner. This cutting procedure creates four triangular pieces that you can pry loose from the ends.

6. Lift the pointed end of each triangle with a pry bar and pull the triangle toward the centre of the board with pliers.

Remove it when it snaps loose. When you have removed all four triangular pieces, pry out the two centre pieces.

Installing a replacement