How To Fix Splintering Wood Floor? – Best Methods!

How to fix splintering wood floor can be so easy. In fact, it is a DIY thing. These splintering must be fixed immediately. They pose a great threat to your feet and to the entire floor.

Do you have a wooden floor in your home that is splintered? If you do, tread carefully and softly. Splintered wood floors are a trap for injuries.

If one piece gets to your skin, you will experience excruciating pain like no other. 

And that is why you must move with speed to fix the splintered wooden floor.

In this article, we have gathered for you the top ways how to fix splintering wood floors and the causes of the splinters you must look out for.

There are a couple of DIY ways to fix wood splinters. Either by sanding and vanishing or by holding the floor with glue.

What Are Splinters?

You know what splinters on your wooden floor are right? But again we would love to give you a clearer definition of what they are.

One, you know they are deadly, and when they pierce you, screaming might become an option. But screaming won’t help much. Fixing the splinters will.

In the dictionary definition, splinters are fragments of a larger object that penetrate through your body, especially accidentally. 

They cause untold pain and suffering by tearing off the flesh and muscle tissues, which leads to bleeding and the chances of an infection.

That is it, but our definition here, based on furniture is a little more different from the one above.

Although there are close similarities, In this context, wooden splinters are thin pieces of wood, that have broken off a large portion of wood, that are sharp and raised above the normal level of the floor.

That was a layman’s definition, was it?

Causes of Splinters on a Wooden Floor

So, what makes your wooden floor splinter? Have you observed anything that could be making them splinter?

There are several causes of these splinters, it is upon you to establish the cause and deploy the necessary mechanisms to fix your wooden floor.

Your wood must have been splintered as a result of any of the following causes. 

Poorly Installed Floors

Poorly installed floors will in no time before you even know it splinters.

Poor installation is reportedly one of the main causes of splintering has been observed in wooden floors.

Before laying the hardwood floor, a lot of prior planning is required. The floor must conform well with the subfloor.

It is non-conformity and misalignment that causes most splintering issues. Another reason for a poor installation that could make your wood floor splinter is if it has been installed on uneven ground.

Note: Floors encounter contractions and expansions over different seasons, or with a rise or fall in temperature.

If you are contemplating doing it yourself without a lack of prior knowledge, drop your quest and instead find a practitioner to do the fitting.

Poorly installed floors are likely to develop splinters. A huge waste of time and resources.

Excess Water Used for Cleaning

Cleaning hardwood floors is key to making them clean. Wooden floors make your home exquisite, they add to its glamor, furnishing your rooms with extra beauty.

Hardwood floors do not call for a lot of intensive cleaning. Thus a lot of water or washing detergent must not be used while cleaning wooden floors.

But how does excess water used for cleaning cause woods to splinter?

Water is quite porous, it must not be left to sit on the wooden top for long before being wiped off. 

The wood will suck up the water and moisture that will in the long term cause wapping. As a result, the wood will break off and begin to splinter.

Wear and Tear

It goes without mentioning that wear and tear contributes chiefly to the splintering of wood. In any case, it should be the main cause of wooden floors splintering.

If wooden floors are placed in areas with high traffic, with time, their finish starts to gradually wear out, at long last, there is no more finish or there is left a weak finish.

With a weak one, the wood can’t stand moisture or shifts in temperature which skyrockets the rate at which splinters befall your wooden floors.

Or instead, huge traffic will in time make the boards that hold the floor in place loosen, hence shifting slightly every time traffic goes through them.

In the long run, the floor will splinter out.

Seasonal Changes

You know the four-season right? Winter, summer, autumn, and spring. These seasonal changes might well be the reason behind the splintering of your wooden floors.

But when does it happen?

Shifts in seasons must not be the cause for the splintering of your wood.

But they will be especially if the wooden floor has not been installed correctly. In summer, wooden floors expand and shrink in winter.

In the event that they were incorrectly installed, the shrinking and expanding will cause the floors to begin splintering because they are left with no room for expansion or contraction.

Tip: Contractions and expansions of wooden floors must not cause Splintering. They will if the floors were incorrectly installed.

How To Fix Splintering Wood Floor

So, how do you fix splintered wooden floors?

You must fix them, as soon as possible before they begin piercing and injuring you and any other occupants in the room. If you do not know how this is how to go about it:

Don’t Pull the Splinters

Now, this is less of a warning than a way of fixing the wood. But still, it helps if you plan to fix the wooden floor minus replacing the whole of it.

I know how the human mind works, you will easily be tempted to pull out the splinter once with the hope of locking the problem.

Do not, that is an awful idea, a bad one.

Pulling out splinters other than extending the damage could likely pierce through your skin. You will regret it.

Prep the Floor and Hold With Glue

So, instead of pulling out splinters, this is how you fix it. It is a DIY thing that doesn’t call for a lot of effort.

Get glue, wooden glue with the power to hold the splinters back in place again. Apply the glue to the surface and press the splinters back in place.

This should take a while, leave the splinters to dry back before walking on the surface again.

Sand and Vanish

Or better still, opt for sanding installation. This basically means that you will use wood filler to hold back the splinters to their place.

You start by sanding the surface until smooth using sandpaper, then hold it back in place by sanding before applying varnish for the floor to look more uniform.

How to Avoid Splinters in Wood

They say prevention is better than cure. So instead of curing a splinter, or worse fitting in a new floor, make sure that you avoid splinters on your floors.

You do not need rocket science knowledge. Just one or two basics.

Plan Properly Pre-installation and Correct Installation

 Poor wood installation might just be the main cause of wood splintering. Occasionally, it is a result of unprofessional installation.

If you deem yourself unfit for this task, no matter how hard you read and attempt to follow the installation guidelines, that won’t help much.

Call in a woodworker, a carpenter, or any other expert in wood floors installation.

The floor and subfloor must fit in properly, this is something you can hardly do without prerequisite knowledge. 

Plan properly pre-installation, and install properly. If you do not trust your instincts, a pro then will save you the unprecedented splintering.

Keep Wood Dry

Another thing, keep your wood dry. Moisture will affect your wooden floor badly, it will result in splintering.

Wooden floors do not need a lot of water while cleaning, dry clean them, or use a vacuum cleaner.

Just ensure the floors are ever dry, and in case of spills, wipe them off immediately.

Conclusion

How To fix splintering wood floors shouldn’t be the reason you spent more, or why you call in an expert.

If you can DIY, well. If you cannot, it is not worth the risk. Meanwhile, fix those splinters today,  wooden floors were not designed to have splinters.

They will cause you injury and destroy your floor in very little time.

Do it now.