Hi, everyone. I have a customer who lives on a third floor condo and wants a few boards in the middle of the floor replaced because they've been gouged.

How would this best be acomplished. I think I can handle the tear-out easy enough, I just need some advice on how to install the new stuff properly.

The flooring material is made by Boen and is a two strip, engineered product. It does NOT appear to have a locking "click" mechanism. Can I modify the the bottom half of the groove section or remove the tongues so I can fit the boards in? I'm thinking I'll have to use glue somehow, but because I haven't done any floating floor repairs, I'm not sure where it should go (glue to the floor or just the other floor boards). If I just glue to the other floor boards only, I'm worried that the modified edge will be over-wood. Is it unprofessional to use top nailing in this case? Should I weigh it done until the glue dries?

All your help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Boen flooring can be either floated, nailed or glued downed. First, make sure you know what method was used.

You can patch them, but you will more then likely end up with a bit of ridging around the patch area since they can't be totally interlocked. Quick set epoxy (5 minute) works great for the tongue and groove. Cut off the bottome groove and drop the new piece in and epoxy it to the sournding flooring if it's floating. Weight the patch boards down with sand bags or some other method (5gallon buckets with water also work).

If it's nailed or glued, epoxy the tongue and groove and glue the new pieces down to the subfloor. Weight them down until epoxy sets up and you're done.

Main thing to watch for when using the epoxy is to clean up any that squeeze up through the cracks. We tape off each board with blue tape first so if some does come up it stays off the finished flooring.

I wouldn't suggest to top nail, in a pre-finished flooring it's very noticable.

Mr. Hance is correct. You remove the bottom portion on the groove of the replacement board. It is then glued to the other boards either using epoxy or the glue originally recommended by Boen. Weighting it down is key to a successful repair. One needs to ensure a flush fit by using a wood block and hammer to tape the replacement board down flush to the existing floor boards. Be careful not to damage the new floor board nor the existing floor boards. Applying heavy weights while the glue cures will ensure a flush fit. Sometimes, block planing the bottom of the upper groove of the replacement board is needed to allow for it to "slide" into place.

That's been my experience too. Make sure you have very straight and non bowed boards for the repair too. If you have low ceilings, 2 x 4's may work as a good pressure clamp while protecting the ceiling. Plexiglass over the seem areas will give you a better idea if the boards are flush or not with other areas. Glue ooze is a problem like David says.

I'm almost positive the flooring has been floated. I didn't find any evidence of glue from some of the areas where the side of the flooring is exposed (removable vents). Also the floor feels bouncy, not stiff/sturdy like a glue-down or a nail-down.

Update: The customer was told by the original installers that it was floated.

So I'm assuming the boards were glued to each other. My main concern is this ridging that will result. One of the repairs is in the middle of the floor where a repair will be very noticeable.

Sounds like I'll have to talk to the customer about reasonable expectations.

With the float install it's very tough to get that "new" install flush, when you weight the floor it will slant/bow/tilt/sage, what ever, do to the padding under the flooring.

Last winter we did a patch on a floated boen floor, dishwasher leaked, so we patched a couple panels and then sanded and refinshed the whole floor. Insurance claim so prices wasn't an issue and they said they liked the floor better now then new since it was compeletly flush.

But that is the option if flush is required and it didn't happen with the patch, sand and finish after patch. Makes the patch work worth your time