How To Remove Scratches From A Hardwood Floor

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Introduction

If your hardwood floor has a few scratches that are standing out and you don’t want to refinish the whole thing, follow this guide to remove scratches from your floor. Whether from heels, animal paws, toys, or daily wear, hardwood floors can take a beating. Sometimes they look good overall and there’s just one scratch that you just can’t stand to look at anymore because it sticks out on the dark wood stain or you just really want to hide it from the company that’s coming over. Whatever the reason, this short guide will help you cover those small scratches.

What you need

Step 1 How To Remove Scratches From A Hardwood Floor

How To Remove Scratches From A Hardwood Floor, How To Remove Scratches From A Hardwood Floor: step 1, image 1 of 1

Identify the scratch you would like to repair.

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Step 2

Using a hardwood cleaner and a clean cloth, wipe the area down to remove any dirt or debris.

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Step 3

Using painter's tape, isolate the area of the scratch.
Try to keep the tape as close to the scratch as possible.

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Step 4

Apply wood filler into the scratch using a putty knife.
Try to make sure every part of the scratch has been filled. Too much is better than too little here.

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Step 5

After drying for 10-15 minutes, sand the area down until the wood filler is level with the rest of the floor.

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Step 6

Find a stain pen that will match as close as possible to the finish of your floor. Apply this stain to the wood filler and let it dry.

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Step 7

Tool used on this step:

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

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After drying completely, apply some wipe on polyurethane to a microfiber cloth or towel.
Buff the area with the cloth.
This will ensure the sanded area will regain it's shine and blend in with the rest of the floor.

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Step 8

After applying the wipe on polyurethane, your scratch should now be blended in with the rest of the floor.

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Conclusion

The scratch will hardly be noticeable after this repair. Depending on the depth of the scratch, it is possible this fix will not make the floor look good as new. For very deep scratches the only remedy may be to replace the floor board.

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