Fixing Dents in Hardwood Floors

Floor scratches and dents appear quite often. It can be a result of moving heavy items, for example. Or your pets can scratch it with their nails. Before you know it, there's an unpleasant-looking dent on the floor. Fortunately, most of these damages can be repaired easily.

First of all, it's important to understand the difference between scratches and dents. Scratches appear more frequently; they can be left by high heels, for example. A dent, on the other hand, is caused by large objects being dumped onto the floor.

So, first and foremost, you must understand whether you have a dented floor or scratched. Determine the depth of the grooves. If only the top layer of the polish has been damaged, you're lucky, it's a scratch. In this case, you’ll be able to eliminate them with the help of steam. First, make sure the cavity is clean. Then put a moist cloth over it. Then a steamer on top. Slowly but gradually, the timber beneath should rise. Keep doing so until it reaches the right level.

There are several ways to repair dents in a hardwood floor:

Large objects or careless furniture movements might fracture the floor.
Accidents do happen, damage might occur, and sometimes it jeopardizes the integrity of the entire floor.
It may be hard to eliminate dents, especially deep ones, quite often the repair requires intervention of professionals. If you need hardwood repair service, we can help.
Yet there are some ways you can do it by yourself.

How to Remove Dents

1. The dent in a hardwood floor that has not punctured the finish is usually removed mechanically. Then the area gets repainted.
   Restore the hardwood floor's scratches with fine steel wool. If you're going to use a water-based finish later, use a different pad. Water-based finishes don't like the powdery residue steel wool leaves.

2. Wood fillers can be used to repair gouges in hardwood.
   In case of gouges, the wood fibers have been broken or frayed. A gouge is an unsightly flaw that makes the floor look aged or neglected.
   Fill up the damaged area. Make sure the product matches your flooring.
   Apply the filler slowly, and then sand the patch after it has dried.

3. Water can be used to repair dents in hardwood.
   Small dents in the hardwood can literally be ironed. Pour a little water to the damaged area, cover it with a wet towel and gently iron it with a hot (moderately) iron. Keep ironing until the floor is completely leveled due to swelling.

If you faced serious hardwood floor damage and need any kind of hardwood floor repairment, get in touch with Wooden Flooring Experts Ltd.