While engineered hardwood floors at Supreme Hardwood Floors are more durable than regular wood floors, they might still get scratched. You will most likely notice scratches in high traffic zones such as the entryway or in houses with young children & pets. To keep your engineered floors looking brand new & lasting for several decades, you’ll need to invest some time in engineered hardwood scratch repair.
Unlike solid wood flooring, you can’t repeatedly sand engineered hardwood to eliminate scratches. Depending on the thickness of the wood, your only option might be to buy a wax-based repair kit. This can be obtained from hardware & home improvement stores. Waxes are available as small sticks that look like a crayon, marker or block.
When purchasing a kit, look carefully at the colors & shades to make sure you choose one that matches your floor. Many kits will offer various shades so you can create a blend to perfectly match your floor’s color. You’ll also need:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton swabs
- Clean washcloths
- Plastic putty knife
- Varnish or polyurethane
- Natural bristle brush or lamb’s wool applicator
1. Prep the Surface
For scratches under furniture or rugs, move those items out of the way to avoid damage. If you are fixing several scratches in different areas simultaneously, take some painter’s tape & mark every spot so that you don’t forget where they are.
Clean each area before you apply the wax. Then, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol & carefully rub it over the scratches to remove any leftover debris. Finally, clean the range around the scratch with a neat washcloth that has been delicately dipped in rubbing alcohol.
2. Covering Scratches on Engineered Wood Floors
When you’re ready to fix scratches on engineered hardwood floors, follow your floor wax repair kit directions. Delicately mix the colors & then hold a unit of the wax next to the engineered floor to make sure the colors match.
Once you’ve got an exact match, put a small amount of the wax on your plastic putty knife. Cover the scratch with the wax & press down at a diagonal angle. The wax should be leveled with the rest of your engineered floor.
3. Clean & Seal
Use a clean cotton cloth & lightly wipe the floor to clean it after you repair scratches. Be cautious & don’t press too hard as the aim is to remove excess wax from the engineered floor while the wax in your newly-renovated scratch remains intact. If required, use fine-grit sandpaper to smoothly buff the area.
To preserve the area, seal it with polyurethane or varnish. It is best to use a natural bristle brush or a lamb’s wool applicator to develop air bubbles.
Alternative Options
If your scratch is very light, you may use fine steel wool buff it out. To do this, lightly rub the scratch in the direction of the wood grain until it is not as visible. Make sure to seal the area once you have done it.
If you have fixed scratches many times & they still show, you might prefer to stain your engineered hardwood floors. Not only will this help blend the scratches & give your floors a more uniformed look, but it will also seal the wax you’ve previously applied.
Call us for our sanding and refinishing services. We are the flooring experts who can take away the hassle of sanding your floors. Let us take care of it for you.
