When you first have your hardwood floors installed, your biggest worry will be preventing hardwood scratches. You’ll be afraid of any furniture slip, shoes, or puppy paws; for fear that they will cause permanent damage. Hardwood floors are surprisingly durable though. They can handle a great deal of traffic, and are designed to stand strong against it. This doesn’t mean that the occasional scratch won’t mar your perfect floor over the course of its lifetime. Once you can identify the severity of your scratch, you’ll be able to remove it with ease.
Supplies
Whether you’re dealing with a light scratch or a slightly more serious one, you’ll need some supplies. Make sure you have some a few soft cloths to help you in the process. Paper towels won’t be gentle enough, so look for something a bit softer. Have some water on hand so that it can be easily accessed without risk of a major spill. For safe cleaning, purchase some hardwood floor cleaner if you don’t already have it. You’ll also need steel wool, protective hardwood floor coating, and a wax wood repair stick in the proper shade.
For very light scratches
When you inspect a scratch and find out that it only penetrated the protective coating, celebrate. These are the simplest scratches to deal with on your own and require only a small amount of effort. Start by giving the area a good cleaning with your soft cloth and hardwood floor cleaner. This way, when you finish the job, there won’t be any dust sealed into your flooring. Finish the cleaning by rinsing the area with another soft cloth and a very small amount of water. Once the area is dry, apply a new layer of coating and give it the evening to dry completely.
For minor scratches
Minor scratches penetrate a little bit deeper than the protective coating, to the surface of the wood. If your scratch goes much beyond the surface of the wood, don’t even bother trying to fix it to yourself. Contact a professional who can truly make it look like new. For minor scratches, start by cleaning the area thoroughly with your cloth and floor cleaner. Rinse off the cleaner with a tiny bit of water on a new cloth, and then get out the steel wool. Carefully buff out the scratch, moving the steel wool with the grain of the wood, so as not to make the scratch worse. Keep up with this action until the edges of the scratch are well blended. Next, you’ll use your wax wood repair stick to fill in the scratch. Let the wax set for 10 minutes before you buff over it gently with a clean cloth.
John K. Eareckson & Co.: Baltimore Custom Hardwood Flooring
At John K. Eareckson & Co., we pride ourselves on providing the best quality and craftsmanship in the Baltimore-Washington area, from custom hardwood installation and repairs to refinishing. So if you are interested in a new look to your hardwood flooring, pick up the phone and give us a call today!
If you have any questions about New Hardwood Floors, please contact John K. Eareckson & Co. by calling 410-788-4200 or visit JKEHardwoodFlooring.com today for a free quote regarding any of your hardwood flooring needs.
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