Wood parquet is beautiful, but damaged blocks can be a problem.
Parquet Flooring Tiles to Use
For invisible repairs, replace the damaged wood with matching parquet tile.
To replace a damaged section of parquet, use a matching prefinished tile.
If you can’t get pre-finished tile, finish the new tile to match before Installing it.
Use the whole tile or one piece of the unit, as required; replace as small an area as possible.
Removing the Damaged Parquet Flooring Tile
Remove the damaged piece of wood.
Removing an Entire Tile
If the entire tile or unit is damaged, make a row of large holes across the block, against the grain, with an electric drill or a brace and bit.
Drill completely through the damaged block, but not into the subfloor under it.
Then, with a sharp wood chisel and hammer, carefully split the block and pry up the pieces.
Make sure you don’t damage the surrounding pieces of wood.
Most parquet tile is held together with tongue and-groove joints.
At the grooved sides, carefully pull the pieces of the block out over the adjoining tongues.
If the grooved sides stick, use the chisel to cut through only the top side of the groove.
Be careful not to damage the tongues of the abutting pieces.
At the tongued sides of the tile, carefully pull out the tongue that held the damaged block to the next tile.
If the tongue piece sticks, cut it off with the chisel and then carefully pry out the cut piece.
Removing a Piece of Tile
If only one piece of a parquet tile or unit is damaged, remove only that piece.
With a sharp chisel and a hammer, very carefully split the damaged piece and pry out the splinters.
If the pieces of the unit are held together by a wire spline, hold the damaged piece of wood with long-nosed pliers.
Cut the spline with wire cutters to free the damaged piece
Finishing the Removal
To replace a whole tile, carefully cut all protruding bottom edges of the grooved sides with a sharp chisel and a hammer, the replacement the wild it on top of the abutting tongues.
After removing the damaged piece of wood, prepare the gap for the replacement piece.
Scrape the subfloor to remove any remaining adhesive make sure all parts of the old piece of wood have been removed.
If you cut a wire spline to remove the old piece, trim the cut ends flush and tap them lightly with a hammer to flatten the sharp points of the wire
Preparing the New Installation
To replace the damaged wood, use a whole matching tile or one piece of a matching unit.
Whole Tile Installation
If you’re using a whole tile, match the tongue-and-grooved edges to the surrounding tiles.
With a sharp chisel and a hammer, carefully cut off the protruding bottom edges of the grooved sides, the new tile will fit on top of the abutting tongues instead of locking around them.
Test the tile for fit to make sure you’ve cut enough.
One Piece Installation
Remove the needed piece of wood from a parquet tile by cutting the wire splines that hold it in place.
If you’re using one piece of a matching unit, carefully take the unit apart to remove the desired piece of wood: if necessary, cut the wire spline that holds the piece into the unit.
Trim the cut ends of the spline flush, and tap them lightly with a hammer to flatten them.
Test the piece of wood for fit in the gap.
If the piece is too tight in the opening, sand the edges of the replacement piece lightly with medium grit sandpaper.
Be careful not to damage the finish on the wood.
Installing the New Wood
To complete the repair, glue the new block of wood into position.
Whole Tile Installation
If you’re replacing a whole tile, use floor tile adhesive.
Apply the adhesive to the subfloor in the opening with a notched spreader.
On the grooved sides of the tile, apply a thin coat of wood glue to the bottom edge of the top groove.
Carefully set the new tile into place, tongue sides first, to lock into the grooves of the abutting tiles; set the grooved sides firmly down over the abutting tongues.
When the tile is correctly positioned, set a block of scrap wood over it and tap it firmly down with a hammer to bond and level it.
The edges of the new tile should be flush with the surface of the surrounding tiles.
Quickly remove any excess adhesive with a damp cloth.
One Piece Installation
If you’re replacing one strip or one piece of a unit, use epoxy cement to bond it in place.
Mix the epoxy as directed by the manufacturer, and apply it to the back and to the edges of the replacement piece.
Set the piece into place in the opening and tap it into place with a wood block and a hammer to bond and level it.
Quickly remove any excess epoxy with a damp cloth.
Letting the New Parquet Flooring Installation Dry
To make sure that the new piece of parquet bonds firmly, cover it with a piece of scrap wood and weight it for the entire curing time of the adhesive or epoxy.
Let the adhesive or epoxy dry completely before removing the weight.
Finally, if the finish on the new piece of wood doesn’t blend in with the surrounding floor, polish or wax the entire floor.
Repairing Warped Parquet Flooring
Here’s a video covering how to repair warped parquet flooring: