How would you fix this?

[maa. melee]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/maa_melee/Photo13001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/maa_melee/Photo13003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/maa_melee/Photo13002.jpg

White oak step, 43x43x20.5" (on square edges) with large split connecting 2 finish nails (Didn't split when installed). The step was glued up out of 2 boards on edge. It's been split for about 15 years now and no attempt has been made to fix it. Usually, it swells in summer and closes up but for the past couple years, it hasn't closed up completely and now you can see the plywood subfloor. Should I leave it alone?? Any ideas will be considered, even exotic ones. Sorry for the poor quality pictures and thank you in advance.

(editted to fix pixtures)

[ 02-13-2005, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[ssor]

I repair houses for a living and most of the time when I have seen a problem such as you discribe,debris has gotten into the crack and wedged it open while it was in one of the shrunken periods then when the humidity went back up and the board swelled it pushed the nail a little. As this process repeated its self the crack got wider until it would no longer close.
If you very carefully clean the gap, especially on the ends, you may be able to force it back together. But the problem occured because a very wide board was constrained at its edges and therefore split down the middle. You will also see this on six panel doors the panel are designed to float but the paint can bond them to the stiles and they split when the wood shrinks. Next someone will caulk the crack and when the panels swell they push the stiles way from the rails.

[Mike Vogdes]

Your dimensions don't make sense to me but it apears to be a landing maybe?

If so maybe you could just overlay with some 2"x1/4" white oak hardwood flooring.

[maa. melee]

yes it's a landing. 43" on one wall, 43" on the half rounded front, and 20.5" on the other wall. In order to remove the step I'd need to remove the moulding, which would be a HUGE pain. I'd like to remove it only as a last resort. It doesn't bother me really but I thought I'd throw the question out there. At this point on one side of the crack the step has raised slightly and I'm afraid it will splinter with the daily traffic and I'd lose the original wood. Don't think overlay would work Mike. Any other ideas?

[ 02-13-2005, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

A couple of things. You could fill it with expoxy heavily laden with fine oak sawdust as a color blender. You could also use a very fine straight bit in a router and expand the crack a little..... then fashion a full depth spline that is slightly tapered, and epoxy the crap out of it. Then chisel off the excess and give it a sand to level it.

Ultimately, you might find yourself better off taking it out and rebuilding it.

[ssor]

Peter, Planning to wedge it open a little more? :D

[ 02-13-2005, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: ssor ]

[maa. melee]

i've heard of using a mix of fine powdery oak sawdust and a binder, either polyurethane or the like and putty knife it in after i clean up the crack. i'm not looking for perfection per say but a good honest repair.

[Rob Hazard]

If you want a long-term repair, you'll have to take out the baseboard, remove the floor and glue it back together.
Then when you put it back down, fasten it only near the center, where the crack is. Leave the outer edges free to come and go, holding them down only with the baseboard. It may squeak sometimes, but it will be less likely to crack again.
If you tie the edges down again, it'll split again.