Tips for Fixing Simple Scratches on Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is my absolute favorite surface. We move a lot, and two out of three of the places we've lived in have featured gorgeous hardwood floors. Even though they're pretty  they're definitely prone to scratches, dings, and scrapes.

The last place we lived in, for example, I scratched it within a week of moving in as I was unpacking a box. I had this mountaineering axe in a box and it was poking out. I dragged the box across the floor because I didn't see it until the scratch happened...

That particular scratch is what prompted me to take action and figure out how to repair them.

What kind of scratch?

The first thing you need to do when repairing hardwood floor scratches is determine what kind of a scratch it is. Most particularly, you'll need to assess how long or how deep it is because that will determine your plan of attack.

Repairing Surface Scratches

If the scratch is superficial and not very deep, a product I like to use is the Tibet Almond Stick. I have no idea how it works but it seems to get rid of the scratch. When I dragged that box across the floor, the almond stick took care of it.

Deeper Scratches

Deeper scratches on hardwood might require something a little more heavy duty. I usually buy a kit that includes things like putty sticks and some kind of sealant - something that goes with the color of the floor. For the deeper scratches, the putty seems to take care of it.

Gouges and More Aggressive Damage

My cat's urine managed to discolor a small section of the floor underneath his litter box (I even had a protective mat but the urine went under the mat). I didn't see the urine so it eventually stained the floor. This floor needed to be repaired by taking the board out and putting in a new one. Sometimes there's no way around this.