Repairing Hardwood Floors

Unlike most other floor covering options, wood is very forgiving - but accidents do happen. Damage can come from kids, pets, or the simple wear and tear resulting from daily use. What is the best way to bring back the luster to your damaged hardwood floor? How can you repair one section of hardwood flooring without damaging adjacent areas? How can you make repairs to your hardwood floors in the quickest and most efficient way?

First you need to determine which kind of finish is on your floor and then follow these guidelines to have your hardwood floors looking like new again.

Wax Floors

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface and is in the wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished floor.

Stains

How you tackle renewing and repairing stains depends on the type of stain.

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax
Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing an ink blotter on the area and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax also can be applied around the area to loosen the deposit.

Cigarette Burns
If the burn is not very deep, rub the area with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Moisten the steel wool with wax for better results. If the burn is deep, scrape the area with a penknife to remove charred fibers. Rub the area with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Dark Spots, Dog Spots, Ink Stains
Rub spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner . Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff. If the spot remains, apply a household bleach or vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour. Rinse with a damp cloth, wipe dry and smooth with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Dried Milk, Food Stains
Gently rub the stain with a damp cloth. Rub the area dry and wax.

Mold
Rub with a wood cleaner.

Oil, Grease Stains
First rub the area with kitchen soap having a high lye content, or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain. Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first layer. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the area dry and then hand buff.

Water Stains, White Spots
Rub spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner . Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Wax Build Up
Strip the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor product made for stripping wax. Use cloths and fine steel wool to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.

Scratches

To renew and repair scratches, wax the area thoroughly.

Heel Marks
Rub in a small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff to a shine.

Surface Finished Floors

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only and is not in the wood, you are dealing with a surface finished floor.

Stains

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax
Apply a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the stain until it is brittle enough to crumble off. Clean the area with a product made for urethane finishes.

Cigarette Burns
Most common burns can be treated with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes. Rub with sandpaper, stain and refinish. For burns that reach deep into the wood, individual plank or parquet boards may need to be replaced.

Food, Water, Dark Spots, Dog Spots
Use a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes to remove the spot or stain. More stubborn spots may require additional scrubbing with the cleaner and a wood flooring scrub pad made for urethane floors.

Oil, Grease Stains
Rub the area with a cleaner developed for urethane.

Scratches

Repair with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes available from any wood flooring retailer.

Repairing Buckled Hardwood Floors

If you have a piece of hardwood flooring that is buckled because of humidity or water damage, it must be repaired to prevent further damage to your floor. Note that repairing a buckled piece of hardwood may not be an easy task. A heavy weight must be placed on the buckled section of flooring so that it will push it back down into place. Then the floor must be accessed from below so that screws (preferably at least 1/1-4 inch in length) can be inserted from below to pull the buckled flooring back into place.