Wood Floor Scratch Repair

Scratched vintage floors may look interesting and intriguing with their character, old-world charm and unique appearance. However, you may not be so happy when your new and beautiful hardwood floor gets scratched. Even fine and small scratches on the surface of the floor can quickly make the floor look too worn, sad, tired, and old. In order to avoid that, good prevention and proper upkeep are important for keeping your floor in pristine condition and looking brand-new.

However, you cannot prevent scratches forever and even thorough and regular maintenance will not help you escape from the fact that scratches will soon or later happen and affect the way your floor looks. Worry not, because an experienced and reliable wood floor repair team will ensure all necessary and advanced treatments that will bring your hardwood floor back to its initial beauty and durability. Wood floor scratches can be treated in different ways depending on their size, depth, and to what extent they are affecting the condition of the wooden floor.

Here are some of the most popular and efficient techniques for taking care of wood floor scratches.

Understand the Finish of the Floor

There are different types of wood floor finishes and sealants that are used for protecting the floor from imperfections and issues such as scratches, dents, cracks, marks, stains, and general wear and tear. Since the occurrence of a scratch is mostly regarded as a weakened or worn finish at a certain spot of the floor, dealing with scratches often revolves around recoating the scratched and treated area to restore the uniformness and evenness of the floor's surface.

Therefore, it is always important to know the type of finish your floor is coated with. Determining the type of finish will also help you understand what is the best method for treating the scratches. However, if you are not sure what the type of finish of your floor is or you simply do not know how to find that out, make sure to contact your reliable wood floor repair team and a professional will carefully inspect the floor and provide you with all the information you need.

Clean the Trouble Spot Carefully

Before the damaged and scratched area is treated any further, it is important to make sure it is carefully and thoroughly cleaned. Making sure all dust and dirt particles accumulated on the surface of the floor are removed will help you prevent further scratching of the floor. Make sure to pay close attention to the inside of the crack if it comes to a more serious and deeper scratching and marking of the floor. The inside should be totally free of dirt and dust. Always clean your floor with a slightly damp mop or cloth and a cleaning product that is designed for hardwood flooring only and has a neutral pH that won't damage the finish layer.

Treatment of Small Scratches

Now, not all scratches are visible and ruin the appearance of your floor. However, if you know it is there, even if not that visible, you will definitely want to take care of it and remove the scratch. Sometimes this can be done with the help of some household remedies and DIY solutions. However, we do not recommend you experiment with a method you are not sure how it will turn out, therefore, it will be better to ask your local wood floor restoration professional for help even when it comes to small and fine scratches. In case the problem with the scratch is not that it is deep but that it appears lighter than the rest of the floor, a blending pencil in the appropriate colour could also be used for filling in the scratch.

Finish Restorer for Light Scratches

Wood floor repair specialists can also use finish restorers that are designed for the treatment of faded finishes or light scratching on the surface of hardwood floors. Finish restorers are a great option when you need to treat a wider area of the floor or the entire floor and not just a single or a couple of spots. These restorers are efficient at treating minor scuffs, marks, and scratches when the wood itself has not been damaged.

New Coat of Finish

Medium scratches that have only slightly damaged the surface of the floor can be treated by recoating the surface of the floor if the finish allows it and without re-sanding and refinishing the surface of the floor entirely. Recoating is a suitable method for finishes such as oils, for example, that do not require sanding before the application of new layers of finish. Make sure to hire a professional for such a treatment because they will be able to determine the type and condition of the finish and ensure the new layers of finish are a close match to the existing one for minimal risk of colour variation.

Sanding and Refinishing

Of course, the most efficient method for getting rid of all scratches and imperfections on the surface of the floor is definitely by a professional sanding and refinishing service. If you want to get perfect results and make sure your floor looks brand-new or simply when the scratched area of the floor is too large and spot treatments will take too much time and energy, make sure to contact your local reputable wood floor repair and restoration team and book a sanding and refinishing service.

Sanding will strip off the old finish from the surface of the floor, removing all small imperfections including scratches, dents, marks, scuffs, stains, and dirt build-up from the surface of the floor and opening up the pores of the wood. Next, the applied coats of finishing product will soak into the wood's structure, ensuring protection deep into the wooden floorboards and also on the surface of the floor, improving your floor's durability and hard-wearing power.

Gap Filling for Deep Gouges

Now, if you are dealing not just with scratches but with deep gouges, the best way to have these treated and taken care of is with the help of a professional gap filling service. Gap filling consists of filling deep gouges, scuffs, and cracks with a mixture of resin and sawdust. By this, the floor's condition, appearance, and insulation are significantly improved. Once the gaps are filled, they should be sanded over and fresh coats of finishing product should be applied on top of the treated area.

Our flooring service comes with obligation-free site visit, quick quotations and free advice. Give us a call on 020 88309782 to speak to a member of our staff, who can arrange for a free assessment of your floor sanding or wood floor fitting service at a convenient for you time.