How to Repair Damage to Hardwood Floors
Interior hardwood floors can get damaged by sand and grit from shoes, animal claws, boxes that got slid across a floor instead of being carried, etc. You can sometimes get professional repair results with minimal effort.
If a scratch is not deep and you have decent hand-eye coordination, you can use small, fine artist brushes to add a thin coat of your clear finish on just the scratch. I've done this for years with great success. It's important that you match the gloss of your existing floor for this to work. If you're not sure, test clear finishes in an out-of-the-way area of the room.
CLICK this image and listen to the first call on the podcast. I talked to Jill about how to repair wood kitchen flooring, and possibly installing an inlay border as an option. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter
Widespread areas of finish scratches will probably require a simple refresher coat of clear urethane over the floor. While you may think this is a job for a pro, believe it or not it's within the realm of the DIYr that possesses attention to detail.
All you need to do is clean the hardwood floor, sand it lightly with medium sandpaper using a standard drywall pole sander, and then recoat the floor with clear urethane. You apply the urethane by pouring it onto the floor and spread it evenly with a lambs wool applicator.
After you sand and before you recoat the floor, you need to get up all the dust. I prefer to use rags soaked with mineral spirits for this. Burn the rags after you do this to avoid a spontaneous fire hazard.
If you have deep scratches that go through the finish to the floor, these will have to be fixed by a pro. You don't have to refinish the entire floor and go through that hassle. Just call any fine furniture store in your area.
These stores have employees or independent contractors that carry a magical box that contains colored hard lacquers and an alcohol lamp. These magicians can fill the scratches and gouges and match the floor finish in no time. When you see what they can do, you'll simply not believe it.
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Hi!!! We own a Folk Victorian home and the original floors are still there, now exposed and without carpet and laminate. Is sanding. The best way to revive them? Then is minn wax good enough or is there a better way to keep them like new?
Can we insulate them at all??
Just did some work on a clients house, they bought an older home and the hardwood is beautiful. They do have some deep stains from water damage in one of the rooms. The finish is probably 40 years old, they are going to have to do some work to restore them but it looks so much better than the laminate you get today.
Hello everyone,
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our dishwasher leaked onto our hardwood floor. the spot is only about a foot x a foot. It appeared as though only the glossy polish (Bona) was "eaten" away but that's not so. It's deeper than that. What can I do to fix this. Hopefully there's an easy way!
Before you try anything more drastic, try rubbing with one of these. They remove water spots quite well as long as it's only in the finish. They are also usually available at hardware stores and home centers. Exact same product sold under Homax label, only difference is the color of the package.
I use these professionally to remove water blush spots.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Homax-Treated-Cloth-White-Ring-Remover/17300355?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227016744414&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42535901672&wl4=pla-64611969738&wl5=9015939&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=17300355&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMvlBRDmARIsAEoQ8zQXTRBtK8x7wsimlJOMyM0As9NJkjGHQe1OoZE7Y-UlvbB-jPBmAJoaAsxAEALw_wcB
Sorry, alternate name is Jasco. Same as Homax,
"alcohol lamp" heating a special knife is known as "burn in" But most techs now use an electric version. I've done 1000s of them for individuals, furniture stores, and moving and delivery companies.
so 'burn in' could be done to scratched furniture (rosewood end table) in addition to floors?
Yes, I stated that in the column above. You might want to re-read it.