Scratches and surface damage can leave your floors looking tired and old. Whether your floors are made of hardwood or a laminate, moving furniture, dropping hard items or carrying stones in on your shoes are common culprits. There are a few simple solutions, however, to get your floors looking perfect again.
Read our short guide to removing scratches from your flooring.
Removing scratches from hardwood floors
Clean the scratched area thoroughly
First, clean the surface of the wood with soapy warm water. Work into the scratch with a cloth to remove any residual dirt. Then wipe off any excess and leave to dry.
Get hold of some wood stain marker
There are many different brands of wood stain marker available online or in your local DIY store. Find a colour that matches your wood flooring. If you can, take a piece of leftover flooring with you to ensure you find a matching colour. If that’s not possible, a photograph of your floor is a simple alternative.
Apply the marker to your floor
Follow the guidelines on the packaging to apply the marker to your flooring. You will usually need to add the marker to a cloth quite liberally and then press the cloth into the wood. Rub the marker into the scratched area using a circular motion.
DON’T use the market like a pen directly to the scratch. This will over saturate the area and will leave it looking darker than the rest of the wood flooring.
Removing scratched from laminate floors
Repairing laminate flooring is a little different to hardwood flooring. Laminate, though very durable can scratch very easily and you need a few special materials to repair it properly
Firstly, you need to get your hands on a repair kit from the manufacturer of your laminate floor that usually consists of wax pencils, coloured putty and a putty knife. It’s important to get hold of the perfect colour so the best thing to do is to contact the manufacturer directly. If you don’t know who the manufacturer is then your local DIY store should be able to help you find a kit to match.
Light scratches can be easily fixed
Once you have found the correct matching colour to your flooring you can repair minor scratches quickly with the wax pencil in your kit. Simply colour in the scratch with the pencil, making sure to colour against the direction of the scratch. Once fully coloured you just need to gently buff the area with a cloth until it blends in with the rest of the floor.
Deeper scratches require a bit more work
If the area of damage is more serious, for example, if there is a gouge or scratch that goes deeper than the top layer, simply using a wax pencil will not be enough. You will need to fill the damaged area using a floor repair putty. Apply the putty to the area using a plastic putty knife (not a metal one as this will cause more scratches). Press the putty into the scratch using the putty knife and level off to ensure it is flat and even. Then just leave to dry which will usually only take around 24 hours.
By following these simple tips and making sure you have the right materials, you can quickly make your floors look good as new again with very little work.
Written by Mike Pye
