Repairing Minor Scratches and Holes

Dings, cracks, gouges and scratches are an inevitable reality in the life of your hardwood floor. For some people, these little pockmarks add a feeling of character and history. But you may prefer that your floor didn’t have quite so much character. For you, here are some simple steps to make your floor look like it never saw a spiked heel or bore the toenails of the family dog.

How To Repair Minor Scratches

1.

You may have a keen memory for tones and colors. On the other hand, you may not. If possible, take a sample of your wood flooring to the local home improvement store so you’ll find the closest color match when you select a latex wood patch. If that isn’t an option, take a photograph of your floor and compare it to the floor to ensure it is an accurate representation. Select a wood patch that is closest to the tones in your floor. If no perfect match is available, select one a shade lighter.

2.	If any boards are lifting, nail them back down and countersink the heads with a nail sink. Use a putty knife to apply wood patch to the crack or gouge, making sure that the patch completely fills in the damage. Then lightly scrape the clean end of a putty knife across the patched area so it is flat and smooth, and allow the patch to dry.
3.	Use a very fine-grain sandpaper to carefully feather the patch into the surrounding area. Sand with the wood grain only, never across it. Once the area is smooth, treat it with wood restorer until it blends with the floor. If your floor has a shiny finish, treat and buff the repair with paste wax and a soft cloth.

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