Floorboard repairs cover any work that fixes the boards themselves rather than their finish: replacing damaged or rotten boards, patching holes where a wall, heater or hearth used to be, refixing loose or squeaky boards, and dealing with gaps. In most cases repairs are done before a floor is sanded, so new and old timber can be levelled and coated together.
Older Bendigo homes are full of repair jobs. Houses from the gold-rush era and the decades that followed have often been extended, re-plumbed, re-wired and re-stumped, and every change leaves its mark on the floor. A typical list might include a patch where a wood heater stood, a strip of mismatched boards where a wall was removed, and a few cracked boards near the back door.
Bendigo Floor Sanders is an enquiry service and does not carry out repairs. With your consent, we pass your enquiry to an independent local floor sander, once one is appointed, who will inspect and quote. Some repairs, such as subfloor or structural work, may need a carpenter or restumping specialist.
Common floorboard problems
Damaged, split or rotten boards
Boards crack under heavy point loads, split along old nail holes, or rot where water has got in, for example near laundries, bathrooms and external doors. Rotten or badly damaged sections are cut out and replaced. Before replacing anything, the cause needs to be found. Replacing a rotten board without fixing a leak or a damp subfloor just means repeating the job.
Termite damage
Timber that sounds hollow or crumbles when pressed may have termite damage. If you suspect termites, have a pest inspection first. A floor sander can replace affected boards, but they can't tell you whether the activity has stopped or whether framing below is affected.
Patches and infills
Removing a wall, fireplace hearth, heater or kitchen leaves an area without matching boards. Infilling it well means finding timber of the same species, width, thickness and profile, and weaving the new boards into the old ones with staggered joints, so the repair doesn't read as a neat rectangle. Recycled boards are often the best match for old floors.
Loose and squeaky boards
Squeaks come from boards rubbing against each other or against nails as they flex. The usual fix is to refix the board to the joist with screws or nails punched below the surface. Widespread bounce or sagging can point to a subfloor problem, such as a failing stump or bearer, which is a job for a carpenter or restumper.
Gaps between boards
Timber moves with the moisture in the air. Bendigo's long-term climate averages show low summer humidity, and winter heating dries indoor air further, so gaps often open noticeably at those times and close again in damper months. The Australian Timber Flooring Association describes this kind of seasonal gapping as normal movement in many cases rather than a defect.
Options for gaps
There is no perfect solution, and forum discussions reflect that. The main choices are:
- Leave them. Gaps are part of the character of old floors and often close up in cooler, damper weather.
- Filler. A filler mixed with fine sanding dust can be applied before the final sand. It works on small, stable gaps, but hard fillers can crack and drop out as boards keep moving.
- Timber slivers. Thin strips of matching timber are glued into wider gaps and sanded flush. This is more labour but more durable on large, consistent gaps.
- Relaying. For very wide gaps across a whole floor, boards can be lifted, pushed together and refixed, with a new board added at the edge. It's the most effective and the most expensive option.
Ask your contractor which approach suits your floor and what they expect to happen over the next year.
How repairs fit into a floor sanding job
- Inspection. The floor sander identifies damaged boards, checks for movement and talks through gap options.
- Source timber. Matching boards are found, either new stock in the right profile or recycled boards.
- Repairs. Damaged boards are cut out, new boards fitted and fixed, squeaks addressed and nails punched.
- Sanding. The whole floor is sanded together so new and old boards sit at the same level.
- Colour matching. New boards are often paler than old ones. A finish or stain can help blend them, though some colour difference may remain at first and soften over time.
- Coating. The floor is finished as a whole.
If the floor is only being recoated and not sanded, a replaced board will usually stand out. That's worth knowing before you choose between a recoat and a full sand.
What affects the cost
Repairs are usually priced per board, per square metre of infill, or as a labour allowance. The main factors are:
- how many boards need replacing and how hard they are to reach;
- whether matching timber is available, especially for older profiles;
- whether the subfloor needs work;
- the amount of gap filling;
- whether the repair is part of a larger sanding job.
Price guides for 2026 show board repair and gap filling commonly added to a sanding quote as an extra of a few hundred dollars to over a thousand, depending on extent. See typical prices.
Frequently asked questions
Can you match new boards to my old floor?
Usually, if the species, width, thickness and profile can be found. Recycled timber yards are a common source for older floors. Even a good match may look slightly different in colour for a while, because older timber has aged.
Should gaps be filled before sanding?
If you want them filled, yes, filling is usually done during sanding so the filler can be sanded flush. Whether to fill at all depends on how wide the gaps are and how much the boards move through the year. Many people leave seasonal gaps alone.
Why do my floorboards squeak?
Usually because a board is loose and rubbing against a nail or the board next to it. Refixing it normally solves the problem. If large areas bounce or slope, have the subfloor checked.
Can a floor sander fix termite damage?
They can replace damaged boards once the termite problem has been dealt with. Confirming that termites are gone, and checking joists and bearers, is a job for a pest inspector and possibly a builder.
Is it worth repairing an old floor, or should I replace it?
Old solid floors can often be repaired and sanded for less than the cost of a new floor, and the original timber is usually better quality than modern equivalents. Replacement makes more sense when large areas are rotten or the subfloor needs rebuilding anyway.
Ask about repairs
Tell us your suburb, what's wrong with the boards and roughly how many are affected. Photos of the damage and of an edge of a board help a contractor assess the job. With your consent, we'll pass your enquiry to one independent local floor sander for an inspection and quote, at no cost or obligation.