Hardwood floors can take a fair amount of abuse, but after a few years of pets, furniture rearranging, heels and dirt, they’ll start to show some wear and tear. Luckily, it’s actually fairly simple to fix those scratches and have your floor looking new again. Before you get started on repairing your floor, you’ll want to see how far into the wood the scratch goes. A scratch in the finish will need a different repair method than one that’s cut deeper into the wood itself.
Shallow scratches
Shallow scratches generally occur in the finish and have not reached the actual hardwood. There are a couple options for treating these minor damages.
Floor cleaner & protective finish: Using a cloth dipped in hardwood cleaner, rub over the scratches. Repeat this process with another cloth to wipe up the cleaner and allow it to dry. After it’s dry, apply a protective finish.
Warm water or mineral spirits: Fill in the scratch with warm water or mineral spirits and allow it to fully dry. Rub the area out with a cloth and you’re done!
Semi-deep scratches
These scratches have gone through the finish and have penetrated the hardwood. For a damage like this, wire wool is a good solution.
Simply clean the area of the floor that is scratched. Next, rub the area with the wire wool being sure to move in the same general direction as the grain. You’ll want to treat the surrounding floor area as well so the floor blends together. Buff the area and wipe it down with a soft cloth.
Deep scratches
Deep scratches are those that have gone through the finish and are well into the hardwood below. So long as it’s not a giant gash in the floor, these can be easily repaired as well with wood putty.
Instead of trying to buff out a larger scratch, fill it using wood putty. Use a plastic knife to do this instead of metal which could potential damage the floor even more. Let the putty settle for a few hours and then sand out the area with fine-grade sand paper. Wipe it clean and apply a finishing coat.
Taking care of your floors does not have to be an expensive, time consuming ritual. Some light maintenance here and there can make all the difference in keeping your floors looking brand new and helping them last for years.
