How to Fill Pipe Holes in Wooden Floors | Ask This Old House

In this video, This Old House removing a radiator will typically leave large holes in otherwise beautiful wood flooring. General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner solve this exact problem in his new baby’s nursery.
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General contractor Tom Silva takes us on a road trip to help a homeowner patch holes in the floor left by the previous homeowner. With some of Tom's decades-old stock, the two set to work cutting and patching a piece into the floor. Then, once installed, Tom shows the homeowner how to finish the patch so it blends in perfectly.
Radiator systems require installers to drill holes through the floor. When it’s a finished wood floor, and the homeowner eventually removes the radiator, those holes become an eyesore. General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner solve this exact problem in his new baby’s nursery, patching the floors with a “new” piece of wood milled to match the existing flooring.
Difficulty: ⅗
Cost: Under $40
Time: One day
Where to find it?
Tom Silva helps a homeowner patch holes in their wood floors left over from radiators previously removed.
Tom plans to cut straight across the two boards with holes to remove them, and then drop one board in to look like two.
A miter saw [amzn.to/3ALefR1] is used to rip the board to match the width of the existing floorboards. Then, a table saw [amzn.to/3LNfKVf] is used to cut the board to length. Adjusting the blade depth, Tom cuts in a shallow joint line, making sure the rip fence is 4-½” to the right of the blade.
An oscillating saw [amzn.to/3NxD62r] is used to cut a straight line across the old floor board. Then, a pry bar [amzn.to/3p036cH] and hammer [amzn.to/42kGylh] are used to gently pull up the old floor boards. Debris is then cleaned up with a HEPA vacuum [amzn.to/44jYAps].
Tom places the new board into place and face nails [homedepot.sjv.io/LXKM4Y] it secure using the original floors square cut nails. Finally, an orbital sander [amzn.to/3ngmeTf] is used to sand the board smooth. For the finishing touch, a coat of oil-based polyurethane [homedepot.sjv.io/AWPv27] is applied to the floor with a paintbrush [amzn.to/3VnYdpU].
Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: bit.ly/2GPiYbH
Materials:
Matching wood [homedepot.sjv.io/WqyMAX]
Nails [homedepot.sjv.io/LXKM4Y]
Stain or varnish to match [homedepot.sjv.io/AWPv27]
180- to 220-grit sand paper [homedepot.sjv.io/OreMOn]
Tools:
Miter saw [amzn.to/3ALefR1]
Table saw [amzn.to/3LNfKVf]
Oscillating tool [amzn.to/3NxD62r]
Hammer [amzn.to/42kGylh]
Pry bar [amzn.to/3p036cH]
Random orbit sander [amzn.to/3ngmeTf]
Vacuum [amzn.to/44jYAps]
Foam brush [amzn.to/3VnYdpU]
Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/st...
About Ask This Old House TV:
From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Fill Pipe Holes in Wooden Floors | Ask This Old House
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[@ncc74656m]

Tommy is just such an awesome instructor. I feel like he could make anyone not only a fully qualified carpenter, but a better person, haha.

[@richboy249]

Awesome book that gives you step-by-step photos kzbin.infoUgkxTNB_zFBSnTo_O1PqfVUwgi7ityw0JlKt and directions to make every day project. I can see myself making a few of these projects and giving them as housewarming and holiday gifts!

[@greywolfwalking6359]

" Old carpenters don't die,they just blend away into the cracks of the floorboards"!! Thanks for sharing Tom!! 👍🧙‍♂️!

[@MrHowieZ1973]

I wish I had had a Master like Tommy to teach me all those years ago. I had to learn the hard way lol

[@2loco]

Tommy is such a good fellow.

[@middy774]

I love how Tommy is like “I had just the right board laying around…”

[@rightlanehog3151]

Videos like this help me justify the sky high fees I pay to be a "This Old House" KZbin subscriber. 😁

[@RedheadedMusic]

You mean people pay for this free information?

[@NarNarHD]

TOH does such a great job of proving real information in a way that isn't overly dramatic and fake! It's so refreshing compared to similar shows

[@nw6gmp]

and they prove you don't need to go out and spend $$$ just to get a perfect matching finish.

[@johngriswold]

It occurred to me as I was redoing my kitchen floor that all I know came from Tommy and Norm. Thank you both.

[@JimDean002]

If I'm working on a car it's a safe bet I'm using knowledge I got from my dad. But if I'm working around the house or doing any woodworking, there's just as good of a chance that whatever I'm doing I'm using knowledge I got from this show and most often from this man or Norm. Unless of course it's plumbing then we know where that came from...

[@ericcartmansh]

My gosh, Tommy is such a good teacher

[@cpee656]

Tommy saves old nails too?!? Ok, I don’t feel so bad about it now. hahaha. Great video!

[@ricksampson6780]

Tom Silva is a true master craftsperson!

[@uncouthboy8028]

Craftsman. Come on now.

[@GrahamDIY]

Not on this occasion. That patch looks dreadful. He’s so much better than this.

[@Phantomas2011]

Tommy I hope you read the reviews…. I LOVE watching you work what a pro

[@rupe53]

take matching wood out of a closet and do the repair patch in the closet where nobody will see it.

[@Whocares.........]

I loved teaching people how to use power tools. Empowering.

[@lsudaddy]

i was waiting for the scream after he hammered his own hand 7:58

[@santaclaus179]

wonderfull maintaining these old houses , and also our great teacher mr tom as always making clever remarks

[@TheBorrito]

Geez, this guy is a national treasure.

[@johnkozlowski8782]

A true Craftsman Tom Silva is.

[@kalijasin]

Tom Silva is amazing!

[@mitchdenner9743]

The only thing i would have done differently is i would've stepped the end joint so the two joints didn't line up.

[@jameskern1526]

Yea I don't really get the point of faking the gap instead of just ripping the board into two. A real gap would've looked a little nicer and they could've staggered the boards for like barely any extra effort

[@sofiep7861]

And add shim, it was higher on one side and lower on the other side. Not exactly butting against current floor.

[@shanew7361]

I agree that looks like 💩

[@rupe53]

@@sofiep7861 ... I have used shims of tar paper or roofing felt to match floorboards.

[@karenfries170]

Same thought I had.... seems I always notice irregularities like that...

[@WisconsinWanderer]

The home owner did a good job with Tommy’s perfectionist help

[@bryangsmitty]

Does Tommy know his hat has signal flags for Whisky Tango Foxtrot?

[@ikust007]

Always splendid info

[@komaboi19]

"So--have you ever used a cross cut saw like this before?" "Uh, lighty, yeah." Sure you have, bud. 😉 Sure you have. 😅

[@saljablo2767]

Looooool.

[@WilliamMurray-lr1bb]

Tom's got a great personality , ie. ' I'm too cheap ! &. ' hit it like you hate it !

[@virginiarocks]

Tom Silva is the best

[@regularguy9264]

Push stick should be closer to the blade than the fence of the table saw, but Tommy was on the receiving end making sure it didn’t twist and then kick back. He partly corrected the fellow on the second rip.

[@frankvaldez2769]

Great work.

[@Hollyrock712]

Tommy is the best !!!

[@davidkrocks]

looks really good!

[@miroslav-kalapov]

I think it would look better with 2 individual boars cut to different lengths so that the joints are staggered.

[@carpenter52kg]

probably can't find a nailer for a short board. Old houses aren't 16 in on center

[@awade4232]

I wonder if the homeowner knows that royalty helped him with his repair? I have a Tom Silva bobblehead in my shop. I touch it for good luck every time I do a project.

[@charliekline3975]

Tom is awesome

[@thaicheng6047]

you the best old man

[@ikust007]

You are not cheap : it was the good thing to do !

[@robertblackman3451]

Well done men!

[@robertpolka630]

1 man and a clueless boy

[@heroknaderi]

Love it 😍

[@handytbutler7380]

i follow alot of the shows you guys do but must admit i was shocked when i saw you using a table saw without the riving knife on it. I think that is one of the biggest safety features that are absolutely needed. i dont usually mock people but you should always always use the riving knife on a table saw. Safety on those saws are the biggest things.

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

Usually removed for TV so people can see what’s happening

[@uncouthboy8028]

Only person deserving mockery is you hoss

[@jonarse]

oh man, look at that staircase, that looks so nice.

[@franciscoramos8964]

1:00 1:01 p

[@franciscoramos8964]

😅p 1:44 😅

[@Guardducks]

Ole pops to the rescue .

[@eduardoquintero7205]

Like your work Tommy great job God bless you

[@peep39]

Most of the wood I pulled out of my 1920 house split like a mother, so incredibly dried out. I wish I could have tried to save what was left of the HW T&G from the screened in porch, but it just was not in the time or energy budget

[@SPMech1]

👍👍👍👍👍👍 Tommy Silva 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@ikust007]

5:53 brilliant

[@buck9739]

This home owner looks handy😂

[@1dayUllC]

Hey Gents, Thank you so much for the awesome content. Any proven idea, how to fix a cca d: 1,5 cm, 2-3 mm deep hole/damage in a laminated floor panel (at a very visible point), when neither you, nor the stores have any (not even similar) of those laminated floor patterns? Thank you so much in advance.

[@DetroitJCS]

I want to do this! TEACH ME TOH!

[@ikust007]

9:48 ahahah! Good for him !

[@godbluffvdgg]

The holes are tiny, just cover them..I'm in philly, I use a piece of copper cap, If you've been doing remodeling for decades, you always have some old patinated copper laying around...Make a square to cover the hole, cut the corners off glue it in...

[@rupe53]

If the hole is the right size, you can glue in a piece of closet pole then saw it flush and sand it.

[@godbluffvdgg]

@@rupe53 That'll work too!

[@uncouthboy8028]

Or you can do it the right way.

[@godbluffvdgg]

@@uncouthboy8028 New heating system?

[@R_A_3000]

​@@godbluffvdgg Yeah I don't know why they took out the radiators. I know my dad doesn't that to his rental properties to cut down on maintenance cost.

[@robgeach8105]

tommy: "I just want it to look like there was water damage here where the radiator used to be."

[@supernovasky]

I love the ‘WTF’ hat hahaha!

[@nezbyodella2943]

😂 If this guy says "okay" one more time 😂😂

[@degenwow]

okay

[@DallasRUSHian]

How do you match the stain?

[@mdc4runner]

That homeowner was super awkward around a saw!😅

[@SonicOrbStudios]

That table saw made me nervous

[@BlackHoleForge]

Dutchman? Thanks Tommy.

[@Hockleberry]

Whoa, so when he was talking about mixing the satin finish, he said to stir it slowly so as not to create bubbles because the bubbles will transfer to the finished product? How does that work? I've definitely not been following that rule before, with some outdoor furniture I built for my patio. Hell, I used to mix the can by shaking up and down :/

[@Scubamike4499]

Nice video... But was with this guy playing pocket pool the whole video?

[@VideoNOLA]

About the only manual labor that homeowner has done before involved stirring a martini.

[@TheFishSquad]

Hit it like you hate it! HAHAHA

[@michaelsnell4034]

I wonder if Tommy has ever used an old curved bottom flooring saw before they came out with oscillating tools.

[@tmacfan927]

Hello

[@michaeledwards1432]

His hat says WTF!

[@crownmoldingbyspectaculart941]

End grain to end grain butt joint needs biscuits or a spline

[@miker6516]

Good stuff.. but couldn't you have sanded it outside ?and darkened the line then sanded the top then done the varnish

[@lulutileguy]

times up on this craft

[@gpslightlock1422]

He called Tom Silva and got Norm Abram.

[@odoroussmegma2191]

I was waiting for Norm to jump out from the bushes and break this guys back for being so unsure of himself on the table saw.

[@nancynga6820]

Yes. And come up with a jig to cut one board perfectly.

[@DetroitJCS]

I would need painters tape on the floorboards

[@holdemNE1]

4:22 Clean that nasty saw blade.

[@PhilWithCoffee]

Does anyone recognize the brand finish they are using?

[@dmhutchi]

Rustoleum

[@ticticmtm]

"Hit it like you hate it"

[@timmoriarty133]

I need a WTF hat!!

[@halfdohm]

Dan, take your hands out of your pockets.

[@michaelsteinbach]

7:33 I bet they lose so many cameras doing this.

[@degenwow]

Tale says homeowner had a racoon in the pocket

[@peehandshihtzu]

I would have done it differently by calling it a "Dutchy". 🤔

[@mistereric416]

Tommy is getting a bit spicy has he gets older

[@saljablo2767]

What’s the odds this guy followed Tommy’s instructions?

[@sethwpierce]

I know the homeowner and I asked because I too was curious. I'm happy to report back he followed the instructions given. The patch looks great. He also went on to patch some other holes in his house.

[@agruici]

Reusing nails. Must be how Tommy saved so much to buy those Festools.

[@agruici]

@@Kevin-mp5of Of course! He had to work with Bob Villa so he deserves it!

[@GrahamDIY]

Tom is my hero. He’s amazing and taught me loads BUT this was a horrible patch. Tom, what happened?? The score line didn’t line up to convince us it was two boards. You should have ripped two boards and staggered that one big butt join. Shame. Tom is so so much better than this.

[@kingplumber]

Why wouldn't you just put in two Dutchmen pieces . Or at least actually use two boards and stagger the joints.

[@rupe53]

take pieces of matching wood out of a closet then do the patch in the closet.

[@bennoble2049]

With all that been going on the past few years how insignificant do these holes seem? Guys worried his baby he gave birth to will fall down the hole… Jesus.

[@trustone8540]

Came out a little poopie in the corner there.

[@patmash]

Looks like the only thing this guy made in his life is money. But that’s ok, TOH has his back. Great repair as always Tom.

[@HAMRADIOJOE4178]

LQQKS GREAT, AS ALWAYS. YOU DA MAN

[@Farm_fab]

Many of the projects that ask toh does are things that shop classes and trade schools teach, but the students got into computing and other things unrelated, and can't do simple projects for themselves.

[@lordhoho1]

One more thing take your hands out of your pockets

[@user-nh5cr1mh2l]

ummm, why aren't we removing pieces from an area like a closet to use for the patch pieces? I know it's more work but you will NEVER match the color of a stained floor w/ different wood & new stain.. never

[@buck9739]

Banker with six fingers

[@johnroberts2444]

What if a person has a wood leg & it gets damaged, how do you fix that ? Do you put a stain on it or do you paint it with a primer first & put semi - gloss on it ?🤔

[@johnroberts2444]

I'm just yanking your chain Tommy , nice job my friend !!! 👍🤣🤣🤣

[@jumbowana]

I want Tommy teaching other stuff as well. Tommy teaching programming would be great.

[@FXAllThingsFun]

The owner pushed the wrong side of the board when he's ripping it down at the table saw. what he did will have a serious risk of kickback

[@jasonsgroovemachine]

Tommy, too cheap to buy new nails after using his $600 oscillating saw.

[@glorygloryhallelujah]

I definitely would not have let that guy touch the table saw

[@uncouthboy8028]

"my wife and I had a baby"

[@mitchdenner9743]

"I used it lightly " that means no tommy.

[@johnlebzelter4208]

STHU Biden

[@stevendavanna]

First comment ❤

[@johnlebzelter4208]

@Steven Davanna First off your not. Secondly, do you really think people care? I just commented to let you know your embarrassing yourself.

[@edward8930]

@@johnlebzelter4208 isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black?

[@ShadowzGSD]

@@johnlebzelter4208 It is 'you're', get it right as you are just embarrasing yourself.

[@johnlebzelter4208]

@@edward8930 wth are you trying to say? I was just telling a little troll who thinks commenting first is a joke. They are low lives who just want attention or think they will get a big trophy 😂

[@johnlebzelter4208]

@@ShadowzGSD oohh I made a spelling error. Big deal! Say that to my face someday. You troll.

[@bugtusslealien3931]

Such an annoying home owner! I thought he was going to handle the wood and tools with his face the way he keeps his hands in his pockets.