Wood flooring is beautiful and one of our favorite ways to upgrade any Austin-area home. How wood reflects light, how it feels under your feet – we get why so many people love wood flooring. But one common thing we don’t love is scratches and damage to our wood floors. Here’s what you need to know about repairing scratches and damage to wood flooring.
Step One in Repairing Wood Floors: Cleaning
The first step before you look to repair any hardwood floors is to clean the area. There are multiple options of hardwood floor cleaner that work well, but so does a few drops of dish soap and water. Just make sure not to soak the floor and to wipe it dry.
Step Two In Repairing Wood Floors: Small Scratches
This will take some estimating from you – whether it’s a small or a large scratch. The smaller ones are pretty simple to handle and cost effective. Typical scratches that fall into this category are from pets running on the wood floors.
If the scratch isn’t deep, after cleaning you can use a simple mixture of baking soda and olive oil (make it into a paste) and then rub it into the scratch with a soft cloth. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before buffing it off and drying it with a towel.
Step Three in Repairing Wood Floors: Deeper Scratches
While the previous option works well for dogs that scratch up the floor, for something deeper – like if someone dragged furniture across the floor and there was a nail sticking out – we’re going to need a bigger fix.
If the baking soda/olive oil paste doesn’t do the trick, you can use wood putty or wood filler. Follow the directions on the product you get, and when it’s dried sand it down with 180-grit sandpaper. Then, use the same shade stain the wood has (and apply it in the direction of the wood grain).
Step Four in Repairing Wood Floors: Replacing a Board
One of the key reasons we always recommend buying a little extra flooring to store in your attic is it makes it so much easier if you need to replace a board. Otherwise, even if the manufacturer still makes that type of flooring with the same stain, it likely won’t match perfectly.
If you think you need to replace a board, it takes a bit more work. A step-by-step on our website is likely not enough because it depends on the type of floor, how it was installed, and your geography (ie the process is different for us in Austin than it would be in say, Minneapolis).
If you’re in Austin and want us to help, contact us.
