Repair Scratches On Your Hardwood Floor

If you actually live in a house with hardwood floors, at some point you are going to have a scratch. You could call a professional out to repair the scratch, but it's a simple procedure that everyone with hardwood should learn to do (it will even work on furniture).

When I say scratch--I mean a scratch, not a gouge. It is useless to apply hardwood scratch remover to a gouge. If it is a gouge, you should call a professional. A scratch might be caused by dragging light furniture across the floor or by glass that has fallen and cut the surface of the floor. A gouge, however, is much deeper than a scratch. If you were dragging your refrigerator across the floor and the leg fell off, you probably have a gouge.

It's hard to avoid scratches on hardwood. Scratch repair is pretty simple; you don't have to hire a professional to do it for you.

Follow these steps:

1. Using a fine steel wool or sandpaper, rough up the scratched area--just a little.

2. Rub the whole length of the scratch. Cover both margins. Make sure to rub with the grain.

3. Use a soft cloth with a few drops of mineral spirits on it to clean the area.

4. Take a fine paintbrush, dip it in the finish originally used on the floor and brush it across the scratched area. Wipe with a soft cloth.

5. Be careful when you brush the finish onto the scratch. Too much or too little and the area will look much different from the rest of the hardwood floor. Brush in just enough finish so that it looks almost the same as the rest. You can't take it back if you use too much. It's easier to go back and apply a little more if you need to. Let the floor dry.

If you followed the directions carefully, the scratch on your hardwood floor should be gone