Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - How to fill large gaps in old floor?

I am about to refinish a beautiful but poorly maintained hardwood floor. The problem is what I should do about large gaps between the boards. Some gaps run the length of the board between the board running parallel to it, while other gaps are between the butt ends of boards.

Wood filler? What to use?

I would wait until the high humidity of the upcoming months to let the wood swell as much as possible, before trowel filling the floor, sanding & finishing.

If you fill now, chances are when the wood swells in the humid months to come, you will have filler ridges and fall out, from the pressure of the swelling pushing it out of the gaps. Maple is real bad about moving. Gapping during the winter, and swelling during the summer.

Perry,

Thanks foir the advice. It was helpful with respect to WHEN to do it.. I was hoping for a way to put off this job and your advice to wait was much better than any excuse I could have given my wife ;-)

Problem is, when it comes time to really do it, I don't know what product (type of..) to use. Any recommendations?

--jim serrat

Timbermate comes to mind.

You can tint the filler to match your floor better, if needed.

In your phonebook(if you live near a metropolitan area) should have a wood distributor in the area. Not a retailer or store, but the place the retailers and stores go to, to get their supplies.
Look under "flooring supplies" even under carpet supplies. Call and as who has a good trowelable wood filler in your area, if they don't carry wood finishing supplies.

Sherwin-Williams has floor finishing supplies.

Perry,

That's exactly the sort of help I needed!

What's a trowel?... just kidding.

--jim serrat