How To Repair Scratches On Dark Hardwood Floors

Cheap Means To Fix The Huge Scratch In Your Wood Floor

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The boilerplate toll of new hardwood flooring installation in 2022 ran betwixt $seven,200 and $14,400 — and that's only for a 1,200-square-foot abode, co-ordinate to HomeAdvisor. At such a steep price, whatever tiny scratch or scuff on the floor is leap to cause a bit of a panic. It'due south kind of hard to believe that nosotros spend so much coin on something that nosotros simply walk all over, merely yous have to admit: Nothing is quite every bit homey as a slightly creaky, perfectly sleeky, happily lived-in hardwood floor.

Only there'south a difference between normal wear and tear and something a fleck more dramatic. You might have kids playing on the floor with toy cars, dragging a surface scratch in their wake, or dogs running to greet you when yous get habitation from work, leaving a gouge in the wood next to the doormat. Maybe it'southward the original wood that came with your new-to-you house, or maybe you lot splurged on a fancy finish when building out your dream abode. Either way, the sheer stress of the simplest scratch in your wood floor is the same.

Before you reluctantly dip into your emergency fund to refinish your entire flooring, nosotros've rounded upwardly a list of budget-friendly ways to fix the huge scratch in your wood floor. In the end, information technology'll expect like nothing always happened.

Start by raiding your pantry

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Nosotros accept some good news: Y'all might exist able to fix a run-of-the-mill scratch without even heading to your local hardware shop. And, every bit a homeowner, you probable brand plenty trips to Lowe'southward as it is. So, if the scratch seems minimal, it's probably best to start with a bootleg remedy.

Try making a solution of equal parts olive oil and apple tree cider vinegar, per Family Handyman. Dab it on the scratch, and allow information technology sit; check dorsum after a day, and wipe the mixture away. The scratch should now exist unnoticeable. Note that this pick works all-time for shallower scratches on new floors with a more recent terminate.

No apple cider vinegar in the cabinet? BobVila.com recommends using a combination of baking soda and olive oil. But let it sit on the scratch for a few minutes, and and so buff it into the wood. If your floors were unfinished or recently sanded down when they were scratched, opt for kokosnoot oil instead. Either option should accept your floors looking scratch-free and with an added fleck of shine to kicking.

Paste wax works wonders on scratches

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For shallow surface scratches — like the kind that a domestic dog or cat might leave behind on your floor — This Former Firm suggests a product like paste wax. In that location are even tinted options for darker floors, making everything expect seamless and good as new.

All you have to do is allow it dry out, and then rub information technology into the floor so the scratch goes undetected. Just exist warned: Paste wax is not recommended for polyurethane floors, so do your research and know what kind of floors y'all're working with before y'all go this road (via Jabara's).

Y'all can catch a bucket of paste wax at your local hardware store to keep on hand for any boosted problems. A one-pound bucket costs less than $7 at Home Depot, and in that location's enough to tackle whatever and all future scratches that may pop up — without breaking the bank.

Choice upwards a blending pen, pencil, or marking

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Blending pencils, pens, or markers piece of work like paste wax, merely they can be a cheaper and more user-friendly selection for scratch repair. It all depends on what's more suitable for your specific type of floor and finish. Polished Habitat said that Minwax stain markers were a lifesaver for her floors, and the difference is clear as mean solar day with only one swipe of the mark.

Another pro tip? Unlike paste wax, you tin can switch off between shades of stain with a pencil or marker, which allows you to accurately color match the grain in your floors. Polished Habitat used a darker marker for some spots and a lighter one for others, which elevated this DIY fix into professional person-looking territory.

With a blending pen, pencil, or marker costing less than $15 on average, this solution is workable for whatsoever budget level, particularly when compared to the cost of new or refinished floors.

Walnuts might save your wood floors

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If you lot're rushing to remove a pocket-size scratch from older hardwood floors, you lot don't necessarily have to leap to the well-nigh expensive pick and fully restore a minor department. You might even take luck using the simplest hack of all, which could be in your kitchen pantry right now: walnuts.

BobVila.com explains that, since walnuts "incorporate excellent natural emollients and brown dyes," they deed as a little-known solution for removing scuffs and scratches in your forest floors. Start by warming up the oil of the walnut with your fingers, and so slowly work it into the problem surface area of your floor. The process is like to using coconut oil to repair a scratch. Permit it sit for about 5 minutes, and and then buff it away with a soft rag or textile. If you're feeling specially lazy, Wide Open State also notes that you tin scissure open the walnut and rub it directly on the stubborn scratch for a quick prepare.

Endeavor refinishing minor sections

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If none of the above hacks have done the trick to remove the giant scratch on your wood flooring, you lot might take to look into refinishing. Fortunately, that doesn't mean sanding everything down and starting over — chances are, you can get the chore washed on a much smaller scale.

According to Family Handyman, the beginning step in a example like this is to commencement with a finish restorer. If that fails, attempt to match the finish of your floor and requite it a fresh coat instead. The same applies to a stained flooring: Practise your best to color friction match and so that the edges of this new section blend in seamlessly with the rest. The new coat will encompass the scratch without a hitch, merely you want to be especially careful to brand sure information technology doesn't come across similar a patch job.

Jabara'due south notes a few extra precautions to accept, similar using a scouring pad before going in with the end to buff out any raised edges left behind past the scratch. Once that's washed, fill in whatever gouges with wood filler or putty, and and then give information technology a light sanding. While this is 1 of the trickier items on the list — and costlier, given the price of a new finish — it's certainly worth a shot if information technology saves your prized hardwood floors.

And, if all this seems like a headache you desire to avoid entirely, you might want to consider laminate flooring in the time to come.