Ouch! My Hardwood Floor Gives Me Slivers!

Question:

My hardwood floor gives me slivers when I walk on them.  Can you tell me an inexpensive way to fix this problem myself?  

Answer:

It’s easy to fix the occasional splinter in your wood floors, especially if the splinters are of a medium or large size.  Here is an easy fix in 6 steps:

1. Lift up the splintered piece of wood with a utility knife.

2. Place some wood glue on the underneath side of the piece of wood.

3. Push the splinter back into the floor.

4. Wipe the area with a damp cloth.

5. Place a weighted object such as a book on top of the splinter. Leave the object on the splinter for 24 hours.

6. Lightly sand the splintered area and refinish the floor.

Please note that if the wooden plank has severe splintering it will most likely have to be replaced.  If you are experiencing very small splinters in different areas of your floor, you may need to take a fine grade sand paper to the rough areas to smooth out any imperfections.  Refinish the sanded areas when you are done.

(Image by Dan Zen; special thanks to ehow.com)