How to Patch a Hole in a Wood Floor from a Furnace Grate

To patch a hole in a wood floor left by the removal of a floor furnace grate – such as we had in the Kuppersmith Project house – start by installing floor joists across the opening, followed by a subfloor, felt paper, and flooring. Here’s how to go about patching a wood floor in your home.

Once the gas line had been disconnected, and the old gas floor furnace taken out:

1. Remove Grate: Remove the metal grate covering the opening.
2. Install Floor Joists: Install floor joists across the opening from underneath.
3. Cut Plywood Subfloor: Cut a piece of plywood the correct thickness and size to fill the opening, so it’s flush with the bottom of the flooring.
4. Attach Subfloor: Place the plywood subfloor into the opening, and attach it to the floor joists using nails and construction adhesive.
5. Remove Existing Flooring: Remove any short pieces of flooring, and/or stagger the joints in the flooring by chiseling back every other board.
6. Install Felt Paper: Cover the exposed subfloor with felt paper.
7. Patch Flooring: Replace the missing floor boards with matching wood flooring of the same species and width. When possible use matching flooring from the house, such as that found in a closet or flooring that may have been removed during renovation
8. Sand and Refinish Floor: Sand and refinish the floor so the old and new flooring match.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Heart Pine Flooring for the Kuppersmith Project House (video)
• Installing Heart Pine Flooring in Kuppersmith Project (video)
• Heart Pine from the Kuppersmith Project House (video)
• Problems Sanding and Refinishing Heart Pine Floors (article)
• How to Refinish Wood Floors (video/article)
• How to Choose and Install Wood Floors in Your Home (video)