Hardwood floors are both attractive and functional. They clean easily and add resale value to your home. However, dings, dents and scratches can mar their beauty. With a few simple tools and supplies, dents and scratches can be filled and the surface blended to match the surrounding wood color and grain.
Fixing scratched hardwood floors is essential for any homeowner lucky enough to have wood floors. For minor scratches or dents in your hardwood floors, Chico Carpet One is providing the following tips on how to repair and conceal them. For large scratches or deep, wide gouges, we always recommend you call in a professional for the repair.
Scratches are generally removed by filling in the scratch or sanding the wood floor down to remove the scratch. To remove light scratches, you’ll need mineral spirits and a fine steel wool pad. Rub with the grain along the length of the scratch; rubbing against the grain can cause more scratches that you will have to fix later on. Once you can no longer see the scratch and the wood is smooth, follow by rubbing with mineral spirits.
There are also many wood floor repair kits that you can purchase that contain touch up markers and sticks in multiple stain and finish colors. These kits are available at most hardware stores or through the hardwood floor manufacturer. If you don’t want to purchase a complete repair kit, you can also purchase individual floor markers in the shade you need to match the stain or finish on the floor.
Some scratches, though, are more difficult to deal with and require some additional work. For deeper scratches or gouges in your hardwood floor, you’ll need some additional materials. Allow about 24 hours to complete the removal process.
Note: During the removal process, don’t forget to vacuum after each sanding, so that when you fill the scratch and refinish the floor, you aren’t including any dust from the sanding. Failure to vacuum or clean between sanding’s can result in a gritty feeling finish.
Removing dents from hardwood floors is a different process from removing scratches. Many dents can be removed by using a combination of heat and moisture to raise the wood back to its original form. Dents happen when something heavy or blunt strikes the wood hard, such as a baseball, or even dishes that are dropped and broken.
Inspect the dent carefully to be sure that no wood is missing. If you’re sure that there is no missing or splintered wood in the dent, you can start steaming the wood to swell it back into place or you can place a dampened towel over the dent to raise the wood. You can also combine placing a damp towel on the dent and alternate with a hot iron. After the wood has been raised, be sure to sand it in order to smooth it into place with the surrounding boards. If the dent is too deep, it may be necessary to wood filler and treat it like a scratch.
Scratched and dented hardwood floors can spoil the appearance of a beautiful floor. As durable as hardwood floors are, accidents still happen and it’s important to take care of even the most minor scratches or dents in order to preserve the look and longevity of your the hardwood floors. Click here to view more Flooring Tips & Tricks >
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