Hardwood flooring gives your room an elite look. But these are prone to get damaged, especially high traffic areas like halls, galleries, and kitchens. It is possible to fix damaged spots on hardwood flooring. In such situations, you need to fix only the worn-out section. You may think it is a tiresome and difficult process but the reality is opposite.
In this article, we will let you know how to fix your damaged hardwood flooring by simple skills.
Steps To Fix Hardwood Flooring
One thing that you must know before beginning to fix your hardwood flooring is whether the finishing is waxed or not. There are several ways one can determine it. A simple way to check is to use a moist (with mineral spirits) rag and rub it over the surface. If the rag turns dark, that means the hardwood finishing is wax. Therefore you should remove the wax before fixing the worn-out spots.
Now, let’s briefly discuss how you can fix worn out spots on hardwood flooring without worrying about the budget.
- Sanding
The first step in fixing worn out spots is sanding the area. You can use 120-180 grit sandpaper. Sand the bald area and its surrounding border of 1 inch. Now use sand with grains to scuff the worn out area. Sanding will make the appearance of a worn-out area lighter than its surrounding.
- Restain
Once sanding is done, you need to restore the colour of hardwood flooring by restaining. If the hardwood flooring isn’t old and you have a stain from the previous finishing. Then use it to restore the stain, else buy a commercial stain for hardwood flooring to add final finish to the flooring. You need to be patient here and wait for staining to dry to proceed further.
- Refinish
The final step in fixing worn spots on hardwood flooring is refinishing. You can complete finishing by using a rag, paintbrush or simple strokes of wood grains. However, paintbrushes give better finishing and a refined look to hardwood flooring when it comes to varnish, shellac or lacquer. When applying oil, you can use a rag.
Once the finish is dry, scuff the area with 150 grit sandpaper and go for another coat. If you feel your worn-out patch still needs finishing, repeat the process till it looks better.
Types Of Worn Out
The fixing of worn-out spots on hardwood flooring is pretty much the same for all spots. But it is essential to learn types of wear for better fixing. Here are some:
- Wear Spots
These spots usually appear in high traffic areas of hardwood flooring and give an unaesthetic look to your hardwood floor. They often expose the wood and need to fix it asap. In such cases, sanding is a must. You need to follow the above steps to treat these spots.
- Scratches
Scratches often appear if you drag things on the hardwood floor or have pets. Unfortunately, in case of significant scratches that look much similar to wear spots, you need to sand the area. But if the patches are lighter than all you need is to clean them. You can use K.O.R Rarefier Cleaner to make the appearance of your hardwood floor better. It not only cleans the floor but also gives it shine.
- Gouges
Gouges appear much worse than wear spots and scratches on hardwood flooring. To fix such worn spots on hardwood flooring, you need to fix the gouge first. For that purpose, you can use some finish putty to fill the gouge before following the above steps. You can also General Finishes High Performance Water Based Topcoat a finishing product.
Conclusion
Damaged spots can ruin the elegant look of your home by damaging hardwood flooring. It is better to treat a small area of hardwood than get a whole new finish. You can fix these worn spots by sanding, restaining, and refinishing at home. All you need is a bit of skill and 120-180 grit sandpaper. The fixing of damaged spots on hardwood flooring may seem tiresome but it is easy and fun.
We hope this article will help you fix your damaged spots on hardwood flooring.
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