I live in a house built in the 1870s with beautiful wood floors that have those old square nails with rounded heads. There's a particular nail in my bedroom that keeps rising out of the wood. It's not coming out enough for me to pull it without potentially damaging the floor. I've been hammering it back down, especially since heat makes this issue worse. With cooler weather approaching, I'd like to find a lasting fix.
My bedroom is tiny, and the nail is positioned right near my loft bed ladder. Stepping on it is always painful, like stepping on a Lego! Unfortunately, I can't move the ladder, so I need a permanent solution. I'd like to fix the nail without using wood filler or anything that takes too long to cure. I considered UV resin, but I'm uncertain if it would be effective. Drilling seems risky due to the nail's size and shape. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
Try using a hammer and a nail punch to drive it down just below the floor's surface. This way, the wood can expand with heat, holding the nail in rather than pushing it back up. It’s a clever trick!
If it’s a major pain to remove the nail, consider just slathering it with some Loctite before you hammer it in next time. It might help it stick better.
One option is to carefully pull the nail out a bit, apply some two-part epoxy, and then hammer it back down. You might want to use painter's tape around the nail to protect the floor while you do this. It should help keep it in place for good!
That sounds like a solid plan! Just be sure to also use a punch to drive it a bit deeper if you can, so the epoxy really has a good grip on it.
If you want to go for a different method, you could gently pull the nail out, stick a toothpick into the hole, and trim it flush before hammering the nail back in. It might give it more stability.
I’m not sure about using Loctite; I thought it was more of a lubricant than an adhesive. Might be worth a try, though!