Gaps In Hardwood Floors

Q: I'm trying to fill the gaps in my wood floor with wood filler. My plan is to stain and then coat with poly but the filler seems to be flaking and chipping (there's some movement in the boards when we walk on the boards nearby). Will this stop when I poly it? Also, how many coats of stain does it take to turn this yellow stuff (wood filler) brown?

A: The floor must be solid, wood fill will not strengthen the boards! It is chipping and splitting because the adjacent boards are moving - there is no flex in wood fill. The stain will not make the yellow fill look like the wood - ever!! Wood and fill take stain completely differently.

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Removing a Popcorn Texture From Walls & Ceilings

Q: Our bedroom has popcorn texturing on the ceilings AND the walls. Why oh why?? Who knows...but I want it gone - it hurts when you graze by it, and is ugly. I was reading about skimming joint compound over rough walls to smooth them out - would this be the easiest way to deal with this? I am not trying to achieve a perfectly smooth wall, I don't mind a little texture...but this is a bit much!

A: You can remove the popcorn texture by scraping it off with a 8" or 10" drywall knife. Be careful not to gouge the wall surface. It should come off quite easily.

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