Hardwood Floor Damage Repair

Restore the beauty to hardwood floors with simple repairs.

Homeowners and builders like hardwood floors for their appearance and resilience. Hardwood floors come in an array of styles and designs, and in colors ranging from light to dark. Wood floors last for many years with proper care and maintenance. Though hardwood floors are durable, they are not impervious to damage. Scratches, nicks and chips occur on hardwood floors from regular use as well as from accidents. Dents in floors may be the result of a heavy object resting on the floor for a long period of time. Surface water and pet stains leave hazy areas on a wood floor whereas heavy water damage darkens an area and may warp the wood. Fortunately, due to the nature of a hardwood floor, damage is repairable.

Things You'll Need

• 0000 steel wool or bronze wool
• Paste wax
• 240-grit sandpaper
• Rubber gloves
• Acid-approved respirator
• Acid-approved goggles
• Oxalic acid
• Rags
• Wood stain
• Lint-free cloth
• Household iron
• Furniture wax stick or wood stain marker
• Tack cloth
• Masking tape
• Wood putty
• Putty knife

Instructions

Surface Water Damage and Pet Stains

1. Dip superfine 0000 steel wool or bronze wool into paste wax. Bronze wool sheds less than steel wool, but both are equally effective.

2. Rub the paste wax into the water or pet stain, following the grain of the wood.

3. Continue to rub the wax into the floor until the stain disappears.

Penetrating Water Damage

1. Sand the stain with 240-grit sandpaper to remove the existing finish.

2. Wear rubber gloves, an acid-approved respirator and acid-approved goggles. Mix oxalic acid with water to form a paste. Many brands of deck restorers, brighteners and wood bleaches contain oxalic acid.

3. Coat the water stain with the paste and allow it to sit for five minutes. Wipe the paste away with a dry cloth. If the discoloration remains, repeat the process at five-minute increments until the stain is no longer visible.

4. Apply a wood stain with a lint-free cloth if necessary, beginning at the center of the repair and working your way to the outer edges. Apply paste wax over the repair, allow the floor wax to dry to a white color, and buff with a soft cloth.

Dents

1. Wet a rag with water; wring out excess water, leaving the rag damp.

2. Lay dry rags around the dent and position the damp rag on top of the dent.

3. Place a heated household iron on the damp rag. The steam generated by the heat and damp rag will cause the wood fibers to swell, causing the dent to rise. You may later need to sand the wood smooth if it rises out of the plane.

Light Scratches

1. Wipe the scratch with a soft cloth to clean away dust and dirt.

2. Rub a furniture wax stick or wood stain marker over the scratch. Choose a wax stick or wood stain marker in a color that matches the existing floor. Continue to rub until you no longer see the scratch.

3. Apply a light coat of paste wax over the repair. Allow the wax to turn hazy, and buff with a soft cloth.

Deep Scratches, Nicks and Chips

1. Sand the damage with 240-grit sandpaper to refine the edges.

2. Wipe up the wood dust with a tack cloth.

3. Place masking tape surrounding the damage to protect the existing surface from wood putty.

4. Press wood putty deeply into the damage with a putty knife. Allow the wood putty to dry for 45 minutes to one hour. Sand the wood putty's surface with 240-grit sandpaper, making it flush with the existing floor.

5. Apply paste wax over the repair. Allow the wax to remain on the area until it turns hazy and white. Then buff the area.

Burn Marks

1. Scrape away the blackened area with a metal putty knife until you reach bare wood. Sand the burn with 240-grit sandpaper.

2. Wipe up the char dust and debris with a tack cloth.

3. Mark off the repair with masking tape.

4. Fill in the recess with wood putty applied with a putty knife. Allow the putty to dry for 45 minutes to one hour. Sand it smooth with 240-grit sandpaper.

5. Apply paste wax over the wood putty. Let the wax dry until it becomes hazy and white. Buff the wax with a clean, soft rag.

Tips & Warnings

• Make repairs to hardwood floors as soon as damage occurs to prevent the damage from worsening.

• Do not use oxalic acid near children, pets or those who are not clothed properly with safety gear. Oxalic acid is extremely corrosive and will cause skin and eye damage.

References

• "Floors, Walls and Ceilings"; Creative Homeowner Editors; 2007
• "Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual"; Family Handyman Magazine Editors; 2005
• "New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean and Maintain Anything and Everything in and Around Your Home"; Reader's Digest Editors; 1996