Are you in love with the wood flooring for your home? Do you know it may catch scratches very soon? If your hardwood floor is suffering then it’s big anxiety! Almost every homeowner with this type of floor wants to get the scratches out. Is there any solution?
So, don’t leave your dream of wood flooring away. You can make these ugly cracks invisible with just a few techniques. Stop worrying and start reading this article up to the end!
How to get rid of scratches on the wood floor? The wood floor may get white lines, chips, or same colored scratches with time or sliding furniture. There are three easy ways to remove them. You can fix the white lines like cuts through a stain pen. For the same colored cracks, you can use melted wax. For larger chips, wood fillers are effective.
These cracks are sometimes superficial and sometimes very deep. They can destroy the fine outlook of your home. So, there is a great need to fix them at the beginning stage. Homeowners should also think about the causes of the cracks in order to avoid them in the future.
Identifying scratches on the wooden floor
First thing is to identify what type of scratches are there. Sometimes, it could be even as minor as a white line. Sometimes it could be as big as a chip. Let’s understand the type of scratches first before knowing ways to remove them. There are three different kinds of gouges
- White scratch
- Light floor colored scratch
- Bigger chip like scratch
Let’s start with type one;
1. White Scratches.
Oh, I got a white line on the smooth floor! Looks ugly! What to do now? These lines are not actually drawn by white ink but are scratches or cuts created by the movement of furniture right on the floor. Maybe some sharp objects cause such lines. But such kinds of cuts are different in the color of the wood so become visible easily. One more thing, these types of lines are usually small and shallow.
2. Light-Colored Floor Scratch
Have you ever seen your floor turned light in color somewhere? This is actually due to the friction of objects on the surface. If you move furniture carelessly, the wooden floor may get this type of light color scratches. However, these are not as deep as white lines and even less prominent.
3. Chip Like Large Scratch
Most weird scratch type ever! This type of chip can destroy the whole outlook of your floor. It looks old and grumpy. Filling such a large scratch needs certain fillers, techniques, and products. It’s not an easy way to remove them. The wooden floor may catch this chip because of low-quality wood tiles.
Top 3 Ways To Fix Scratches On The Hardwood Floor
There are three easiest ways to fix cracks, cuts, and gouges. All of them are easy to apply. If scratches are small then it will not cost much high. In the case of bigger ones, it may cost too high or even you will have to remove wood tiling from the floor. Let’s see the ways one by one:
1. Fixing Scratch Using Stain Pen
If the scratch is minor then it can be fixed by using a stain pen. For this technique, you are required to follow the steps below
- Step 1: Clean the surface with a neat cloth
- Step 2: Add small amount of stain or mark with a marker as close as possible on the scratch
- Step 3: Blend it with the surrounding floor so as to balance the color
- Step 4: For lighter mark you can put the scratch on cloth
- Step 5: Blend it until it gets close to the surface of wooden floor
Watch the video to follow the steps.
2. Removing Scratch Through Melted Wax Or Crayon
One of the easiest ways to get rid of slightly larger cutting is to apply melted wax on the surface. Wax kits are very cheap and you can buy them from any hardware shop or online. This process is good for a minor repair. Below are the steps to follow
- Step 1.Use a heat gun to melt the wax kit
- Step2. Apply melted wax instantly on the worn-out floor
- Step3. Use a clean cloth to rug extra wax
- Step 4.Buff the scratch properly so that wax get absorb in it
Follow the video to know more.
3. Fixing Big Chips Through The Wood Filler
Big chips in the scrapped area are big trouble! It is also not easy to fill. Even sometimes you may have to remove the whole floor if you got multiple deep chips. For this process, you need certain products like wood filler, stain pen, or wipe on poly. Let’s see step by step process of fixing largely worn-out wooden floor
- Step 1. Apply painter tape around the affected area.
- Step 2. Add wood filler into the hole or chips
- Step 3. Make it smooth with the help of wood putty
- Step 4. Let it dry.
- Step 5. Once dry, sand it to remove the extra filler.
- Step 6. Now apply stain with stain pen to the filling area.
- Step 7. Rag it with cloth or brush to blend it to the same color as the floor
- Step 8. To retain the luster of the floor, apply a small amount of wipe on poly and then blend it
How To Refinish The Floor After Patching?
It is necessary to refinish the floor to regain its original luster after fixing cracks and scratches.
For this purpose, you may use varnish or wipe on poly. Follow the steps
- Clean the patch area
- Sand it to remove extra filling, stain or dust
- Apply vinyl or wipe on poly
- Let it dry and shine again
Tips To Avoid Scratches On The Hardwood Floor
The best way is to care, care, and care! Wood floors are easy to get gouges as compared to other floorings. Filling them can be problematic as well as expensive. So, it is recommended to follow the tips to avoid scratches of any kind
- While sliding furniture always put carpet or some kind of protective rug on the floor.
- Cleaning brush with hard bristles may also cause cracks on this type of floor. So, clean this type of floor with a soft brush
- Moisture underneath the wooden tiling may also be responsible for this problem. Always keep rooms of well ventilated
- Use high-quality wood tiles to avoid further inconvenience
- Don’t wash your wooden floor daily as it may catch moisture in this way
Related Question
How do I fix a scratch on my hardwood floor?
You can fill the scratch with a premixed wood filler, stain pen, and melted wax
How do I fix deep scratches in wood?
To fix deep scratches, you need to use wood filler. Apply the filler with a putty knife and then stain it with a stain pen according to the color of the wood floor
How do you get dog scratches out of hardwood floors?
First, clean the area. Fill the scratch using a wood filler with a putty knife and sand it to the wood stain.
Does vinegar remove deep scratches from wood?
For minor scratches take 1 part distilled vinegar and mix in 2 parts oil to create your solution. Mix the solution and dip a polishing rag into the mixture. Wipe it over your real wood furniture until the scratches are gone.
Final Verdict
Wood lovers are always in search of how to get rid of scratches on the wood floor. This article will tell you 3 super easy ways to get scratches out. If your floor has got minor scratches, it is better to use a stain pen and melted wax. In the case of the shallow and large affected area, go with the third option of filling through filler. If you have applied some other latest technique let us know through the comment box. We love to hear from you!
