Nothing beats the beauty and warmth of hardwood flooring. It's a gleaming focal point in any home. But no matter how careful you are, accidents happen, and planks do get damaged. And, over time they develop nasty black stains. At that point, it's time for replacement, but not the whole floor. Replacing individual planks is easier than you think. If they're square-edged, use a hammer and chisel to remove the bad planks and nail the new ones into place. But, if they're tongue-and-groove, as many are, it's still as easy as 1-2-3.

1) Use a circular saw to remove a half-inch center strip from each bad plank.

2) With the center out, pry the remaining sides inward, away from the tongue and groove interlock.

3) To install a new plank, remove the bottom lip on the groove side and insert the tongue in the old groove. Then carefully nail it into place.

All that's left is a little sanding. Stain it to match, add a clear protective finish and presto, it's hardwood, made easy as 1-2-3.

And that's the On The House tip for today.