# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  When to putty nail holes in hardwood floors and sand ???

## globalmark

Hi guys  
We are in the middle of sanding and sealing old hardwood floor . 
I have read lots info online and they all say different when to putty nail holes and sand . 
should this be done before initial drum sanding , or after final sanding or In between , 
if done after final drum sanding what's best way to sand or clean up putty in hole ? 
we are doing this no worries our way but would like to know the correct way to do it , still have a few rooms left to do .. 
so putty/ fill before or after and why ? 
thanks

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## Micky013

Fill before or during drum sand, before you get to final. Why? Its much harder to get it off with a fine sand.  
It might look gone but when you coat your left with a putty ring. Yuck!

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## r3nov8or

Pretty sure they do it while punching nails, so early on in the process.

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## ringtail

Yep, punch, putty, edges, main floor.

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## globalmark

Hi guys  
thanks for that.  I only ask as read quite a few PDF's and online sites said do after finish sanding , tried both ways but yes lots hard work just fine sanding off putty at end so Best to do early on in sanding process .
thanks all .

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## seriph1

Sorry to be a pedantic dill here but putty is not what should be used

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## Pulse

I did it after initial sand, let's you repunch any nails that are under punched and means you use less putty, because the floor is already level. If the floor is new and in good nick then probably doesn't matter  
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## ringtail

> Sorry to be a pedantic dill here but putty is not what should be used

  
Please don't say wood glue and saw dust  :Rolleyes:

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## seriph1

Nah. Just wood filler

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## ringtail

> Nah. Just wood filler

  Putty / wood filler, same same  :Tongue:

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## Micky013

If your savy you can save some coin and mix your own. Buy the standard white putty and mix with oxide to colour or buy the ready made stuff which is easy but more expensive.  
Im with pulse - putty after the first sand sssooooo much easier, less messy and you can see if youve missed anything.

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## globalmark

Hi guys  
thanks all for info , agreed I didn't use putty I did use wood filler which is what I meant anyway ..
just for info , luckily all our floors under the old carpet were already punched , needed to punch maybe a couple dozen deeper but was done already ,,trouble was every hole was full of fluf and dirt but quick jiggle with bradel and small wire brush and holes were clean to fill. 
new question anyone know .
most rooms had carpet and floors level and flat , had to sand as had some sort dark stuff on .  But half the main room is the kitchen (open plan) and there was a carpet strip on one half which took up and polished sealed floor on other half. The polish is scratched and worn through in few places and scratched .
Q. Do I need to sand down the polished part completely to bare wood to blend into other half or can I just scuff or light sand the polish half to blend in .. 
Thanks Mark

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## Ashore

Punch the nails , do a first sand , collect some of the sawdust and mix with wood glue to form a paste , fill nail holes and *Allow o dry* , then complete sanding, done a couple and this woks well

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## seriph1

Ringtail: putty is a linseed oil based material used for glazing windows. It isn't for wood filling.  The oil releases into the timber around any hole and causes discoloration and at times, reduced adhesion of the finish.  
Wood filler products like timbermate are designed for the purpose.

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## seriph1

Global mark you should be able to just to a light sand to get a key surface. Back to bare wood shouldn't be needed.

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## barney118

good luck punching hardwood boards, probaly also hardwood joist well seasoned.

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## seriph1

Barney: it's often not too hard because you may be only re-seating nails that have lifted. Of course a quality hammer and correct punch helps a lot!  :Biggrin:

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## ringtail

> Ringtail: putty is a linseed oil based material used for glazing windows. It isn't for wood filling.  The oil releases into the timber around any hole and causes discoloration and at times, reduced adhesion of the finish.  
> Wood filler products like timbermate are designed for the purpose.

  I know, I know.  :Biggrin: 
When someone says they will " putty it up" , " stop it up" , " fill it" etc... They are generally referring to wood filler. It's a generic term these days. Mind you, an awful lot of old school painters still stop up with linseed based putty but use an oil based primer before and spot prime after.

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## globalmark

Hi guys  
seriph 1 - with a light sand , the old sealer is flaking and not sure the type , seems also to be more red-orange the old area ,the 2 rooms we have sealed already are more brown , presuming same wood .
also being a older type sealed floor , probably oil based poly .
we are putting down water based poly . 
so with this in mind would i still I just need a light sand or go back to bare wood on the half that's already sealed ???  
And how to blend in the bare sanded floor and the sealed half of floor (this floor is basically the lounge /kitchen and no set area just approx half is sealed and half is not . So not sure how would make it all look the same if some is bare wood and some is just st lightly sanded ?? 
thanks mark

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## Gaza

All floor need to be bare sanded   
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## seriph1

Hi Mark: based on your info I think you'll probably be best to go back to bare wood. The additional work will likely give you the peace of mind necessary. That said, the important thing with paint is to create a key ...

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## seriph1

When different types of clear finishes are being used, they will be extremely difficult to match. For peace of mind, maybe trial a small section of floor.

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## Dusty

Given that you're doing it yourself my recommendation is....fill it '_after_' the first coat of polyurethane has been applied. There are several reasons; the holes are easier to find when it's been coated, the holes are easier to fill as there won't be any dust floating around on the floor, the surplus putty, err, umm, filler is much, much easier to remove during the cutback process, then it is during the sanding process.... 
There. Focus on making sure you've got all the punching done throughout the sanding process, so that when it comes time to fill you don't have any to punch.

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## globalmark

Hi dusty  
thanks for that imput 
Wouldnt filling after first coat , then sanding back filler cause lot more sanding around fill hole , therefore you will see that area highlighted more ? At the moment we have just been cutting back by hand with sandpaper on a pole with pad on the end .. 
Whereas if sanding filler before doesn't matter ,  maybe being amateur sander makes difference where might work being a pro ?

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## Dusty

...I'm assuming you've used a polyurethane coating, which is quite tough. The degree of sanding that goes into a _decent_ cut back is pretty severe and is more than ample enough to remove any excess filler. In fact, you'd probably be well served to cut the floor back with a cheap orbital sander and 100 or 120 grit paper....it would be quicker and do a more thorough job. 
However, I'm guessing you've already done your filling along the way and I'm sure it looks the goods. Good luck with the rest of it.

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