Hardwood floors are not only beautiful but brag-worthy for us around Shiloh and Belleville and neighboring towns, which makes it more frustrating when they start to look scratched.
Much though it pains me to say it, it’s close to impossible not to see some scratches on your hardwood floor at some point. Maybe you were moving furniture from one room to another because your dog made a mess, or maybe the floor got into a fight with your high heel. Whatever the case, sooner or later you’ll see scratches on your hardwood flooring.
“Do I have to call the professionals for every scratch?”
Luckily, in the case the scratches on your floor are minor and you don’t think you need to call us yet, there are some easy way to cover or fix those scratches so you can go back to enjoying your floors.
Here’s how you can do it:
- The first thing you need to do when you notice a scratch on your hardwood is take a long look at it and assess the damage, because deep scratches require a different solution than the more superficial ones.
- If you are dealing with just a light scratch, you’ll need to very gently rub a pad of fine steel wool over the site of the scratch. It’s important that you do this lightly and in the direction of the woodgrain, otherwise you will create more scratches.
And if it’s a deep scratch?
Instead, if you are looking at a deep scratch, I sincerely recommend you give a professional a call, whether or not it’s me. If you do need to try to fix it yourself (thanks to a holiday visit or other concern), follow these steps and warnings:
- First, you will have to rub the scratch out—always following the woodgrain—with lightweight sandpaper.
EXPERT TIP: Bear in mind that, when rubbing scratches out this way, you will be removing a patch of finish. Be prepared to call a pro for a more permanent fix later. - Next, be sure to carefully clean the area with a slightly-damp microfiber cloth to pick up any sawdust.
- After this, you’ll need to grab a putty knife—a plastic one is recommended to avoid further scratching. Fill the scratch with the best-matched wood filler (matched to the color of your floor), and then you just let it dry.
- When the filler is totally dry, you will need to sand the area once more to take off the excess filler. Clean the area thoroughly after with a slightly-damp microfiber cloth.
These are steps to take if you’re really hankering to fix a scratch right away. Bear in mind, the team at Valor Home Service is online all year round and ready to take care of this for you so you don’t have to worry. Trust me, after more than two decades in the hardwood flooring business, we can get this done to a level of excellence you’ll be wowed by. Schedule an appointment with us right here on the web!
