How To Repair A Scratched Wood Floor?

 People usually think of hiring the services of professionals for repairs of a hardwood floor that has developed scratches over a period of time. Well, professional services are indeed required for a severely damaged floor, but floor with minor scratches caused by normal use can surely be repaired by the homeowners on their own and thus save money. It’s not at all a difficult project provided you have the appropriate tools and are willing to put in some efforts.

Here are the steps you need to follow for repairing your damaged floor due scratches:

1. First of all you should collect all the following items needed for repairing scratched hard floor.

• Fine sandpaper, though some people like to use steel wool, sandpaper is a better choice for wooden floors.
• Hardwood floor finish matching the damaged floor
• You are going to need a brush, its size depending upon the extent of the scratches
• You also need to have rags to wipe off the area or any stain spills that could occur
• A bucket of water at room temperature

Remove all the furniture from the room so that you can clearly see the damage caused to the floor.

2. Using the fine sandpaper, sand up the area that has been scratched. As a matter of fact you should make the area around the scratch a bit rough so that the finish takes up the floor and covers the scratch completely. Care should be taken to rub the area around the scratched floor in circular motions or rub it with the grain, else you are most likely to scratch the floor further.

3. Moisten the rags, using water in the bucket and thoroughly clean the sanded area around the scratch to get rid of all the clutter caused by use of sandpaper. Before proceeding any further, allow the area to get dried naturally.

4. After all the moisture has evaporated and the affected area is completely dry, apply hardwood floor finish with the help of paint brush. Use as small quantity of finish as you can so that the area is covered and dries quickly. Use of excessive finish could discolor the affected area. Instead of using more paint in one stroke it’s better to be using many strokes with small amount of paint.

5. Let the affected area become completely dry. You can facilitate drying by leaving the windows open but take precautions to prevent dust from getting collected over there.

The above procedure helps getting rid of most usual scratches leaving the floor free of any visible scratches. If you fail in your first attempt to get satisfactory result, you may repeat the process. Otherwise, you may consider opting for the services of a professional to get the desired effect.