Floor screws

[JoceAndChris]

What should they look like? Some of mine look like bent over blackened nails, then others are a more round-headed looking black nail. The new silver screws with a cross head, that my father in law put in, stick out like a sore thumb.

The floor is waxed now and like dark honey. It's my best yet. We won't be able to afford a rug for a long time, so I'd like to replace them with something nice. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Flyfisher]

Unless you want to replace the screws with more traditional nails then I can only think of replacing them with black screws. Or painting them to blend into the floor colour perhaps? That should make them less obvious, though cross-head screws are always going to look a bit out of place in old floorboards.

 

[LadyArowana]

I had a similar problem with the ceiling hook ( metal, patinated to match lantern at vast expense ) in the hallway. I splodged it with a bit of acrylic paint I mixed up to match but that's not an area of traffic. For a cheap and reversible "something" I would probably try some nail enamel. A darker browny colour over a shiny screw might disappear it enough, easy to apply with it's own little brush, light scuff with sandpaper on the screw head to help it stick I would think.

 

[Penners]

I agree with FF - the best plan is probably to colour them down to match the colour of the wood as closely as possible.

Did Dad countersink the screws, so that the heads are slightly below floorboard level? If so, you could fill the countersink hole above the screwhead with coloured wax that matches the floorboards. You can buy sticks of filler wax in a variety of wood-matching colours. Melt a few drops into the hole then scrape it off flush.

It can be a nuisance if/when you need to remove the screws, but it's easier to gouge out a bit of wax than to chip out paint, wood filler or a wooden plug.

http://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/wood-finishes/wood-fillers/wax-filler-sticks.htm

 

[JoceAndChris]

Great suggestions all round - many thanks! I knew you could all be relied upon to sort this one quickly.

As I can imagine us needing to access this bit under the floor from time to time, I think the best plan is to get Chris to replace the screws with black ones and countersink them. ( Dad didn't) Then, to get a few of those coloured wax sticks Penners recommends, see which matches, and fill the holes. I see many of the old nails have indentations above them - I was careful not to put the Liberon wax in them as it dries orange. But the darker coloured waxes look perfect.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I would probably try some nail enamel.

:lol: very nice girly solution. I bet you use the nail varnish wipes for stubborn little paint fleck removal - I do!

 

[Penners]

get Chris to replace the screws with black ones and countersink them.

TIP: with black 'japaned' screws (ie: black enamel paint) it's easy to chip the black paint off when you're screwing them in. If you use drywall screws, they have a black anodised finish which is much more durable, and resists corrosion. Just be sure that you have a Phillips crosshead screwdriver bit, rather than a Pozi.

 

[JoceAndChris]

"Pozi" was new and sent me to this page http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives. I'm a bit sleepy after reading it but thank you anyway. I've counted 47 screwdrivers in the garage before, there must be one that's alright.

Thanks for the tip about the screws - most useful to know.

 

[MdB]

TIP: with black 'japaned' screws (ie: black enamel paint) it's easy to chip the black paint off when you're screwing them in. If you use drywall screws, they have a black anodised finish which is much more durable, and resists corrosion. Just be sure that you have a Phillips crosshead screwdriver bit, rather than a Pozi.

I use drywall screws for everything as I generally have them to hand and the sharp point makes them easy to screw in. However, they do seem to rust really quite easily I've found so I wouldn't use them anywhere they are likely to get damp. They are also quite thin and not very strong. I've snapped a few especially when trying to remove them.

 

[AMc]

Agreed - popping the screw heads off drywall screws when fixing board really made me cross as you can't pull them out and you can't screw them in.

Previous occupants used normal screws to fix our hall boards as they carpeted - when I stripped and sanded it I removed the screws and replaced them with ... floorboard nails...through the same holes. These are exactly the same design as the original nails in other rooms and were bought by weight from the hardware store in Acle near by. Obviously it would be easier to unscrew the boards then prise them up but I can't see any reason to need to do that and it looks better.

You could also paint the screw heads with enamel paint (from model shops used for AIrfix kits).

 

[Penners]

I use drywall screws for everything ... However, they do seem to rust really quite easily ...They are also quite thin and not very strong. I've snapped a few especially when trying to remove them.

I've never found that drywall screws rust any more than other screws. Indeed, I find they rust less than most. I suggest buying good quality ones, like Knauff. Painted screws, IMO, are more vulnerable to rust, because it's easy to scrape the paint off.

Yes, it's possible to snap off the heads of drywall screws if you're over-enthusiastic when tightening them (like most screws). The trick, I find, is not to be over-enthusiastic when tightening them.

 

[robgil]

I wouldnt bother trying to disguise them , they are what they are. A badly disguised ''something'' will always look like a badly disguised ''something''.
Will they unscrew OK?, If so I would be tempted to replace them with nails.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Yes, they'd unscrew. Excuse my ignorance, but can you get nails out OK without damaging the boards? For when the boards needed to be lifted?

I'll upload a pic so you see how prominent they are Rob.

 

[Penners]

can you get nails out OK without damaging the boards? For when the boards needed to be lifted?

It's extremely difficult, and given the age of your property, the chances of getting them all out without damaging one or more boards are extremely remote.

Depending on the type of nail, it's sometimes less damaging to use a narrow drift to drive the nail down through the board and into the joist, rather than pulling it out. This leaves a hole in the board, but that can often be less noticeable than the cracks, dents and splintering that can result from trying to pull the nails out.

 

[MatthewC]

Unless you want to replace the screws with more traditional nails then I can only think of replacing them with black screws. Or painting them to blend into the floor colour perhaps? That should make them less obvious, though cross-head screws are always going to look a bit out of place in old floorboards.

I used "easy drive" Pozi screws (available from W_ck_s and others) which have a "zinc yellow wax finish". They don't stand out in my old and new pine boards, especially as the heads sunk in the floorboards gather lots of camouflaging dust...

Matthew

 

[JoceAndChris]

I agree with you about camouflaging dust Matthew! Glad you found your perfect solution.

can you get nails out OK without damaging the boards? For when the boards needed to be lifted?

It's extremely difficult, and given the age of your property, the chances of getting them all out without damaging one or more boards are extremely remote.

Depending on the type of nail, it's sometimes less damaging to use a narrow drift to drive the nail down through the board and into the joist, rather than pulling it out. This leaves a hole in the board, but that can often be less noticeable than the cracks, dents and splintering that can result from trying to pull the nails out.

Thanks Mr P - this is what Chris has been trying to tell me as to why he can't use nice old nails. You explain better than him though.

A few pics, which explain the appearance better than words do.

You come through the front door into the hallway and see the entrance to the dining room:

Then look down in that doorway and the screws arethe first thing you see, alright maybe that the first thing I see but I really do think this is a case for fakery and covering up:

And compare those glaring things to the nice old blackened indentations of top of elderly nails:

But I think black screws and black wax will sort it.

 

[Penners]

Joce, you may be interested to know that those nailheads might be cut nails. These may not be that old - they're still in routine use today.

But I see what you mean about the screwheads.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, the photos are quite clear - even I would want to do something about those bright screws.

It would be very easy to try black screws and they would hopefully blend right in along with the black nails. When replacing them I would countersink them a bit more so they lie just under the surface of the boards. Then, if the black colour alone isn't enough to make them blend in, I'd favour Penners suggestion of using wax to match the boards and cover the screws completely.

 

[88v8]

Yes, those are standard cut nails. Crosshead screws, yuk.
And, there should be two screws to each board, just as there were two nails, to prevent the board from cupping and lifting up at the edges. Bodge...

I'd remove the screws and stick them in a plasticine model of whoever put them in.... and replace them with slothead brass screws, which will eventually tone down to a nice warm colour and will look just fine.

Ivor

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Ivor's right that there should be a couple of screws in the end of each board - line them up with the nails in the adjacent board. Brass slotted screws will dull down and look more 'correct' than cross-head ones, or if you really want to push the boat out use silicon bronze screws which are much stronger and dull down with a nice old bronze patina. Also those screws in the pics are huge! If you use gauge 6 screws then you'll hardly notice the heads; 8's at a push if you need the extra length. Bronze screws are available individually from GTC fasteners, online.
It's these little details that make all the difference.....