Repairing parket flooring Help, advice, information, answers and tips on all types of flooring from laminate and carpet to timber and vinyl

[geraldferreira]

I have replaced my fireplace hearth which was smaller than the original, so I need to infill where the parket flooring is now missing. I have lifted some parket blocks ( solid pitch pine 8" x 3" x 3/4") from under the stairs cupboard ( under carpet area) and cleaned off the old bitumen.
Now my question is: 1 - What adhesive should I use that is compatible with the old bitumen that remains on the blocks and is still on the sides of the blocks already on the floor.
2 - Once fitted and glued, how can I blend in the repair, in particular as the original part of the floor shows dark lines where the gaps are, as if some of the bitumen has risen up the sides, I have no problem with the colour match of the wood itself, this I think will blend in quite well but the gaps lines are definately very dark. Your help would be appreciated

Gerald Ferreira

[thedoctor]

Its very likely the dark gaps are simply a result of years of traffic, many wax or polish applications and just general floor grime Gerald. The adhesive we use for patching on bitumen is solvent free gripfil. You can get it from our project on adhesives used at home. As for the gaps, try waxing the tiles when they are in place and pushing the wax down into the joints well. It will not be long before they appear dark.