Plank Replacement/Removal Guide
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Often, a plank or several planks may become damaged beyond normal wear. This might be due to damage by furniture or impact. If a plank needs to be repaired, the most effective visual repair is to replace the damaged plank. The step-by-step replacement of a plank is shown below and should only be done by a skilled craftsman experienced with the correct and safe operating procedure of wood cutting power tools.
A plank can be replaced by using a very sharp fine toothed carbide blade on a “skill” style saw. The saw and guilde channel used below is made by Festool ( http://www.festoolusa.com/) and is the best tool set-up for this procedure. The first step is to establish a “guideline” ¼” from both edges onto the plank. You should use some type of saw guide to prevent the blade from “wondering” as well as mark the plank with a straight edge. Make a “plunge” cut through the plank and follow the line to 1/8” from both ends of the plank to be replaced. Repeat the procedure on the opposite side. This procedure is shown in Steps 1-3 below.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
A cut is made across the plank to allow a small pry bar to lift the cut sections of the plank. Since the planks were not cut completely through, there will be some cracking apart. Be careful not to damage any of the adjacent planks
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Use a chisel to remove the pices left in the grooves and tonges of the adjacent planks. The saw blade should have cut the fasteners.
Step 7
Once the plank has been completely removed, remove the vapor barrier in that space. Take a new plank and cut it to the exact length of the open space. The ends of the plank will be square. Take a sanding block and add a bevel to each end of the plank that matches the side bevels. Use a small amount of liquid urethane sealant to seal these bevels. Cut away the bottom of the groove and approximately 1/8” of the tongue. This plank will be glued in place using a quality wood-to-wood adhesive. DO NOT USE FACE NAILS TO ANCHOR THE PLANK – they are unsightly. Place a chair with some books for weight until the adhesive cures.
