My daughter has pine trim inside her house which she intends to finish with oak colored polyshade. Press matching colored putty into nail holes on your project or trim with the tip of your finger after staining and varnishing. I've tried two ways, but one marred the wood and the other just didn't work out. When a nail is pushed very deep into a piece of wood it is referred to as a lost nail head. By the time I graduated to a nicely balanced wooden-handled model, I'd learned how to pull nails quickly and efficiently enough to hardly break my nailing rhythm. I am attempting to refinish an old dresser and somebody decided to nail a veneer piece of wood that was coming off instead of gluing it and now I don't know how to get the darn nails … You'll have an old looking distressed floor if that's what you want. The wood is red pine. Let the spackling dry for 2 to 3 hours, then apply a second coat or sand off any excess with a fine-grit sandpaper. Product Overview . I'm sorry to hear you're having problems... FORTUNATELY... as long as the finish that is currently in place isn't literally "stripping", there's a strong likelihood that SOMEONE capable can save the day by screening, cleaning, & coating the floor with a GOOD product... Make sure you exercise due diligence before proceeding down that road. https://www.askthebuilder.com/how-to-drive-finish-nails-into-wood nail head and tap the hammer on the other end until the head of the nail is no longer sticking out. Other possibilities that come into play are the products used were SEALERS intended as 1st coats or the literal "watering down" of the product to increase spread rate... either or both cutting costs for the individual applying them. Caulk the seams. A finishing nail, made of steel wire, is a specific nail used to hide the presence of the nail. Blunt the point of the nail with your hammer. We used a pneumatic nail gun with an air compressor. Filling nail holes or patching flaws in woodworking projects is fairly easy using the various wood filler products available. To learn how to hammer in any nails that are protruding from your trim, keep reading! Not all wood fillers take stain properly, no matter what the manufacturer claims. Amply caulk a length, then run a wet finger over it to wipe away excess. Add them to the resin part, usually part A, before mixing in the hardener. You can also smooth over these holes with a fine-grit sandpaper, which should be able to get rid of any raised fragments on the trim that the putty knife couldn’t get. Use a small hammer to cut a sliver from the surface of the wood (Image 1). With its small head and diameter, a finishing nail is much tinier and easier to hide than a larger nail. Filling nail holes in trim molding with white wood filler All Posts , Door and Window Casings , Painting , Remodeling 101 Last week while filling all the nail holes in the plank ceiling, crown molding, baseboards and window casings and all the trim moulding I’ve been installing, I ran out of wood filler and when I went to pick some up I found something new – new to me anyway. when you have the old finish ripped off, throw down some sample colors over the area and see what you like, and see how well you can see the nail holes, then go from there. As you’re working on a baseboard, it’s recommended for you to use a thinner nail which will leave a small or acute hole that can be easily covered with any wood filler. Hardwood flooring is something that should be a long term proposition... which is often overlooked in our modern..."planned obsolescence, use it then toss it" frame of mind. These may include the nail size, steel wire gauge, head diameter, number of nails needed per pound, and the length of the nail.Each finishing nail should be three times the length of the thickness of the wood it will be used in to ensure proper cohesion. A finish nail will split a narrow piece of oak almost instantly, so if your trim is less than 1/2 inch thick or 1/2 inch wide, pre-drill the nail holes. Force the filler into the hole. Be careful in what 'putty' you choose to fill any holes. Thank you gregmills_gw & jfcwood. Right after you spackle the holes, use a damp cloth to wipe away any excess around the hole. Advice on filling and hiding nail holes at the finishing step in a furniture project. Hammer the nail underneath the sliver (Image 2). This has been one of the problems with the boom in the hardwood floor biz... everyone becomes an "expert" overnite... and the objective for many (not all), is to get the work done then race for the door with a HAND out expecting payment. Acrylic-based wood filler (Greg likes this kind) — note: if you want to stain the wood after you fill it, make sure you use stainable wood fillerPutty knife; Damp paper towel or rag; Sandpaper or sanding block (fine grit); Wood with a nail hole, screw hole, scratch, gouge, chip, or crack; Note: Wood filler/wood putty comes in two types: Acrylic-based and nitrocellulose-based. Step 3: Nail gun the baseboard or trim to the wall . then find a second plug cutter to make a matching plug (don't forget, it needs to be the exact size to make a plug that won't show too much) and fill in the hole. 8 D finishing nails will work but you could also use 6 D finishing nails. To do it properly, they'll need to cut back some of the existing wood and weave in the new with staggered joints to keep your eye from seeing the single straight line on a floor of random lengths. Finishing nails: Also known as finish nails, are strong enough to hold in place trim such as door jambs, crown moulding and baseboards. To prepare the wood for paint, sand to 150 grit using separate blocks for flat and contoured areas, as shown. Depending on the situation, it may be perfectly acceptable to leave the nail and wood filler in place. when you have the old finish ripped off, throw down some sample colors over the area and see what you like, and see how well you can see the nail holes, then go from there. set, fill with filler, and then stain a color you like, darker the better they will hide. Fortunately, filling in nail holes in trim is a simple process. You don’t want to cause damage to the trim around the nail holes. To use a putty knife, take up a small amount of filler from the container, about the size of a dime. Already ruined one blade on my table saw. Drive finishing nails through the floor into the subfloor. Then you can fill them in with spackling and paint over them. Filling nail holes in trim molding with white wood filler All Posts , Door and Window Casings , Painting , Remodeling 101 Last week while filling all the nail holes in the plank ceiling, crown molding, baseboards and window casings and all the trim moulding I’ve been installing, I ran out of wood filler and when I went to pick some up I found something new – new to me anyway. Approved. (Attaching pictures). Then, use needle-nose pliers to remove the staple or nail from the trim. These nails often feature small dips in the center of the nail heads to allow the tip of a nail set tool to rest inside while countersinking the nail. It's rather easy to add hardwood to the areas around it and either sand and refinish those area to match/approximate the pegged room and/or refinish the pegged room area and change all of it to a new color. You do have a lighter stain on your floor currently. To smooth out the spackling and/or fill the holes, you can also use your finger. Fill the gaps Despite our best efforts, we often have to deal with gaps at joint lines, cracks in the wood, nail holes, and other surface flaws. Continue hammering until the nail is about 1/8-inch below the surface of the wood. And let's also assume that it will be painted white. Use the finishing nails. Some of those benefits include: general peace of mind & confidence, the ability to refinish if desired, longer lasting performance and the probability that the selection will have a more "timeless" effect. Then carefully align the nail gun with the path you want the nail to take, just like when you line up a pool cue before striking the ball. Before you fill in the holes, you’ll need to go over them with a putty knife and sandpaper to make sure they’re smooth. As for ths thickness of the boards, I think they are 3/8 ". 1st contractor said he would have to punch in or pull out every nail and will cost a lot. You can read about red oak vs white oak in this article. To learn how to hammer in any nails that are protruding from your trim, keep reading! In removing nails from wood, you can choose from any of these tools: Claw Hammer: This is the simplest tool for getting soft nails onto wood.Use the back portion of your hammer to do this. This answered my question fully. We used a pneumatic nail gun with an air compressor. You can probably find one that's a close match to your baseboards. Use the flat and angled edges of sponge sanders, damp rags, sandpaper, putty knife to scrape, finger nails or whatever works until you get a smooth chiseled look. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? I’m not saying it’s crazy; just missing some parts. depending on while they are there in the first place, they might have been the attempt to quiet a squeeky floor, and while its over kill, pulling them out may bring the problem back or make it worse, plus its too much work it looks like. Once I have tapped all my nails under the surface of the wood I use wood filler to conceal and fill in the hole. Start by pre-drilling pilot holes to prevent the wood from splitting. Then you can give your wooden floors a brand-new look, See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it, Give feet a soft landing, protect your floor, hide a stain ... with area rugs in your arsenal, you can win any flooring battle, We give you the details on cost, installation, wood varieties and more to help you pick the right hardwood flooring, Gleaming wood floors are a thing of beauty. When selecting a finishing nail, a carpenter or manufacturing worker will base his or her choice on a few different requirements. Use a nail set to countersink beneath the surface. On the other hand, nailers that range from 18 to 23 gauges are more likely to use for finer finishes. Remove from the Back. on that note, going dark has advantages and disadvantages. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Casing and finishing nails are similar, differing primarily in the shapes of their heads. Filling nail holes in trim. Once satisfied, paint all trim with 2 light coats overlapping onto the wall a couple of inches to fully seal the trim and spackle. In the same motion, scrape the putty knife down the trim to remove the excess. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Zinc-Plated Wire Brads (1.75 oz.-Pack) $1.50. Phillips Flat Head Zinc Plated Wood Screw (6-Pack) $1.18 #15 x 1-1/2 in. There can be cracks in a knot, voids in a burl or other anomalies The head is designed to accept the pointed tip of a nail set, making it easier to countersunk the nail without slipping and gouging the wood. A finishing nail has a small, slightly rounded head that is just slightly bigger than the nail shank. I'd like to think that the hickory flooring we've provided doesn't "seem cheap"... it's all relative (IMHO). The next best option is any dry pigment powder, wood swarf, metal flake or pearl powder. Learn costs and other important details about renewing a hardwood floor — and the one mistake you should avoid, Know how to apply nail polish? Avoid scratches or hammer dents by using a nail set to finish driving the nail. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. I sympathize with folks who have to consider their budget... we all do... but some decisions simply shouldn't be considered on a "lowest cost" basis. It is most likely square edge with no tongue and groove, and was 3/8" thick originally. The most common type of nails to countersink include casing, brad and other types of finish nails. This is the proper way of doing it. As gregmills points out, someone may have done this to eliminate squeaks. It was there I fell in love with the beauty of the grain of the wood, either hidden beneath an old dark finish or highlighted with a new coat of stain. Is there any alternative way to hide these nails instead of pulling them all out? As I try to suggest (frequently) here on Houzz & elsewhere... flooring is a decision that should be considered in depth because it needs to PERFORM as well as look good. This will prevent the tools that you use from leaving marks around the head of the nail, which will cause damage to parts of the molding which are not covered over by the nail head. Countersink nails by hammering them below the surface of the wood. Support wikiHow by However I run across two minor issues. Removing buried nails from wood is one of the most painful tasks for sure. Will try the samples out after ripping off the old finish (DuraSeal Color Card). Selecting the Perfect Gauge Number: A baseboard stands on the surface of your interior wall that hides the area between your floor and the wall. These I call 'shiners' for obvious reasons. Center it on top of the nail and hit it with the hammer. If the trim has ridges or raised edges, use a butter knife to remove the fragments so you don’t damage the details. If you're still undecided, try pulling one out. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Sometimes the perfect piece of wood is not all there. the stain is a sealer/gives the wood the color. Since this type of quick repair will not work in most cases, especially if you are dealing with rare wood, it is be best to exercise utmost care when removing the finishing nails. They show less soil but as was pointed out, the ultimate durability is determined by the quality and amount of surface finish applied. That concept may work well with laptops & printers... but WITH FLOORING, even the cheap stuff represents a sizeable investment. In some cases, lost nail heads have been covered by wood filler in order to hide them. In a pinch, you can also use pigmented artist’s oils and Japan colors. Pry Bars: With its fissures on each end, you can remove deeply buried nails on wood. Test everything for compatibility before you commit to your product selections. You can just sand the nails, depending on how much depth you need to take down, but I'd advise against doing this. Ponder how you would remove these nails and I think you can answer your own question. Some wood fillers will seal the wood surface and prevent any stain from penetrating the wood; you could end up with an unsightly end result. This looks like top nailed thin slat flooring. Before you fill in the holes, use a putty knife to scrape off any raised fragments around them. The head is designed to accept the pointed tip of a nail set, making it easier to countersunk the nail without slipping and gouging the wood. Finish nails, or finishing nails, are generally made of 15- or 16-gauge steel wire, making them slightly thicker in diameter than brad nails. We all know that. The head of your finishing nail is larger than the nails that are used for a brad nailer. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Good luck! Wood, on the other hand, has a tendency to splinter a bit around the nail. um, does anyone know how to take out finishing nails that have been nailed a little too far in. If you use the right tools and supplies, you'll have brand-new looking trim that's free of unsightly nail holes. @sophieshouse... Not to imply that I know everything, because I've only been in the hardwood floor business for 38+ years... but this is a subject that comes up FREQUENTLY... and as I almost always suggest... every product on the market CLAIMS to be a great choice. This article was co-authored by Art Fricke. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in bathroom and kitchen renovations. As I am working with 200 year old reclaimed wood I am coming across a lot of nails that are below the surface. Filling nail holes or patching flaws in woodworking projects is fairly easy using the various wood filler products available. The make wood putty in a range of colors to match different types of wood. Good luck to me! ", Unlock this expert answer by supporting wikiHow, https://projects.truevalue.com/paint/interior/prep_cleanup_and_safety/proper_spackling_techniques.aspx, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd1tyDuewPo&feature=youtu.be&t=56, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd1tyDuewPo&feature=youtu.be&t=102, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd1tyDuewPo&feature=youtu.be&t=105, https://www.familyhandyman.com/painting/tips/trim-painting-tips-for-smooth-and-perfect-results/view-all/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Finish Nailers generally use bigger nails. need to add on to the existing oak hardwood floor and don't want to refinish entire floor. The nail will then cut its way through the wood grain, rather than wedging a pathway. The advantage of "dumpster diving" for cheap imported or "liquidator" type flooring is that with any luck, the consumer won't feel the "sting" too badly if/when the product fails. If you are reluctant to take the nail out of the back, as you are worried about the kind of damage that this may … March 13, 2009 : Nail Hole Filling and Blending ... To prevent the filler from filling the grain surrounding the nail hole I place a piece of blue painters tape on the wood and nail through the tape. The installer will match the wood as closely as possible as to size, profile, grain pattern etc and then work on matching the existing wood by matching stains. Photo 1 shows what can happen if you get careless and angle the gun wrong. Indem Sie weiterhin auf der Website surfen bzw. My previous home had floors similar to Red Mahogany (125), and my wife and I loved those floors. it does show dust and harder to keep looking clean, but on the flip side scratches are a bit easier to hide, with simple tricks like using a sharpie or a stain pen to color the scratches in, those are just a few. I usually use a wood putty to fill the finishing nail/staple hole. Because seasonal movements in the wood create slight movement, parts of the tongue tend to become exposed over time. Since I am not used to doing this kind of work, I am a little apprehensive. But first, you have to remove the nails. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/23\/Fill-Nail-Holes-in-Trim-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Fill-Nail-Holes-in-Trim-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/23\/Fill-Nail-Holes-in-Trim-Step-1.jpg\/aid9269232-v4-728px-Fill-Nail-Holes-in-Trim-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"