How Do You Get Rid Of Scratches In Wood Floors?
Wood flooring is a beautiful addition to almost any home. It adds warmth and elegance to any room, making it an ideal choice for both interior and exterior spaces.
However, if you want to keep your hardwood floor looking its best, you should know how to get rid of scratches.
Wood is naturally vulnerable to scratches and dents. These minor damages can easily be removed with the proper care and maintenance.
If you have kids or pets at home who play rough, however, then these damages can become permanent.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can follow to prevent deeper scratches from ever occurring.
In this article, we’ll go over the basics of cleaning up minor scratches that occur on your wooden floor.
Two Main ways in which Scratches Form
1. The first way involves physical contact with something sharp and the surface of the wood. These types of scratch busters will usually appear as small indentations around the nail head.
2. The second method occurs when moisture gets trapped under the surface of the wood and causes swelling. When water evaporates, it leaves behind tiny cracks.
The good news is that most types of wood can withstand scratching without causing damage. However, all woods do eventually wear down.
Scratching doesn’t harm the integrity of the wood itself, so even very long-lasting materials like teak may need occasional floor refinishing.
The only thing that really matters here is whether the wood looks good after being scratched. If it looks bad, don’t worry! There are lots of options available for restoring your damaged floorboards.
Ways to Get Scratches Out of Wood Floors
We’ve compiled a list of tips below to help you restore your wooden floor back into top condition.
- Use clean water
Always use fresh, clean tap water. Avoid using bottled water unless absolutely necessary. Tap water contains fewer contaminants than bottled water because the pipes used by municipal systems filter the water before reaching consumers.
Use warm water instead of hot water too: Hot water dries out surfaces more quickly, leaving them susceptible to future excess stain and stain markers. Using cold water also keeps the surface cooler during the summer months.
- Clean regularly
This step isn’t always easy, but regular vacuuming helps remove dirt and dust particles that accumulate on the surface of the wood.
- Apply wood stain directly
When applying combination stains, apply in thin layers rather than thick ones. Thicker coats leave streaks across the surface of the wood, while thinner coats avoid staining areas where they shouldn’t.
- Avoid nicks
It’s important to protect edges of your furniture against scratching and denting. A soft cloth dipped in waxed oil or even olive oil works well.
- Try using a floor polisher or wood floor products
Floor polishers are great because they apply a fine grade of grit to the wood. This makes it easy for you to remove wood scratches and wipe away the loose dirt. The polisher can also remove deep grooves in the wood.
- Sand out the scratches
If the scratches aren’t severe enough to require sanding, then simply buff off any rough spots with an old toothbrush or emery board. You should be able to see the difference once the color in scratches have been removed.
As mentioned above, many finishes can be applied to a variety of hardwood species. Regular application coat of finish protects the wood from further aging and prevents new scratches from forming.
Some people prefer natural finishes that give their wood an earthy feel. Others choose modern glosses that make their floor flawless and shiny finish ideal.
Repairing Deep Scratches
Most of us know how much we love our home and want everything around us to stay in perfect shape; unfortunately, this often means spending money repairing things when they break.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to repair those small tears and dents on the surface of your hardwood floors.
Here are some handy hints to keep in mind if you ever find yourself needing to fix these issues.
1. Keep a few tools close at hand. It is helpful to have a couple of screwdrivers as well as a hammer and nail puller. These will come in very useful when fixing cracks and holes.
2. Make sure you buy quality materials – even though scratch repair tips may cost a little more than buying brand new items, the result will last longer.
3. Be prepared! If you need to use glue in order to mend something, be careful not to put too much pressure on the area until the adhesive dries completely. Gluing incorrectly might damage the surrounding material.
4. Take care when removing nails. When using a nail puller, do so slowly and carefully.
Keep both hands steady and hold the object firmly against the table top. Don’t let go of the handle until you hear the nail popping out.
5. Remember that you don’t have to replace damaged parts. There are lots of simple fixes available to ensure that beauty of wood floors remain.
Conclusion
Overall, I recommend that you follow these steps to get scratches out of wood floors.
There is no need to spend a lot of money replacing your floors, when you have a few things around the house and a little elbow grease, you can get your wood floor back to looking new again.
