How To Fix Scratches On Engineered Hardwood Floors?

Engineered hardwood floors are one of the most sought options for flooring in houses. They are strong, durable, and resistant to many wearing factors.

But despite these qualities, they can still get scratched as it is part of the process. But worry not as fixing scratches is not a very difficult task and can be done with minimal effort.

Therefore, today we shall guide you on how to fix scratches on engineered hardwood floors.

To fix scratches on engineered hardwood floors, you can either sand the floors or use a wax repair kit. Sanding is suitable for light scratches, while a wax repair kit is ideal for deep scratches that have penetrated the wood surface.

But both of these work well and can be tried to fix the scratching on wooden floors.

Read along to find out more about both of these processes and more to fix scratches on engineered hardwood floors.

What Causes Scratches on Engineered Hardwood Floors?

Extensive traffic, pets, and many other factors, can cause scratching on engineered hardwood floors.

While engineered hardwood is a very durable material and resistant to scratches, it can still get scratched if certain factors are present.

The usage of the floors also plays a major role in the scratching of your engineered wood floors.

Here are some common reasons for scratching on your engineered wood floors:

• Pets: pets are one of the most common reasons for scratching on wooden floors. The paws are usually not trimmed, which may result in scratching when the pet trends on the wood.
• Extensive Traffic: If your engineered hardwood floors are receiving much traffic lately, there is a high chance that you will see scratches on the surface of the hardwood floors.
• Sliding Heavy Objects: While many people ignore this factor, heavy objects tend to sink into the wooden surface. This causes them to scratch the surface as they slide upon the wood.

How To Fix Scratches On Engineered Hardwood Floors?

The easiest way to fix scratches on your engineered floors is to either sand them down lightly or, if they are too deep, you can use wax to cover them up.

Method 1: Light Sanding

If the scratch is not deep into the surface of the wood, you can fix it with light sanding. However, keep in mind that as the scratch area is very small, you cannot use automatic sanders in this situation.

The only suitable thing to do is to use manual sandpaper and perform the task with your hands so you don’t damage or affect the area in the vicinity.

Depending on the nature of the scratch, you might need to use one more grit to solve the issue and ensure that the surface is neat and smooth again.

However, don’t use something below 150 grit as it won’t have a practical effect on the surface of the floors, and you will have to use much force for a prolonged time to get it done.

A suitable rating is to start with 180 grit and move on to 240 according to the surface and the damage.

Another important point to note here is that even with engineered hardwood, you must work along the wood grain and not against it.

This will make the surface finer and appear more fuller. Besides, this will also help to remove the chances of the scratch standing out from the rest of the surface.

Once this is done, you might need to clean your floors to remove sawdust or wood shavings that might’ve come off during the process.

Staining

The next step is quite necessary, and your sanding won’t be as effective if you do not administer this process on your engineered hardwood floors.

Once the area has been sanded down, the scratch will be removed. However, the area will surely be rough and appear worn out.

And contrary to common belief, wiping it with a damp cloth won’t remove the washed look from the surface. Therefore, you must stain the area to restore its lush and shiny appearance.

Use the same stain you used on your floors earlier to have the right consistency and color palette. Using a stain will give a good color to your engineered hardwood floors and make them appear even more beautiful.

But most of all, it will prevent the sanded area from standing out so the floors do not look uneven at any point. However, you can sand uneven hardwood floors if needed.

If you do not know the exact color or shade, call a flooring specialist, and they will make the exact color for you.

The staining process is quite easy. You only need to get the right color and lightly brush the area with the stain.

Once the first layer has dried, take a look to examine if both layers have any difference or not. This will help you improve the color and appearance, and if needed, give the area another coat of stain and wait for it to dry.

This might cut it as most woods do not accept more than two layers of stain. After this, your engineered hardwood floors will not have any scratching sigs or rough surfaces that might degrade the overall look of the flooring.

Also Read: Laying Engineered Wood Flooring On Joists: Full Guide

Method 2: Buff Out The Area

Another method to remove the very light scratches on your engineered hardwood floors is to buff them out.

Sometimes, the scratching is so light that it is similar to a scuff mark; hence, a buffing session will help restore the appearance of the wood.

The process is not very difficult nor demanding, as all you must do is get a ball of steel wood and some water for your engineered hardwood floors.

This will be easy as wiping the area with a damp cloth will decrease any possible resistance.

Then, use the damp ball of steel wool to rub the area gently until the scratch is gone. You might need to repeat the process 3-4 times until the scratch is removed completely.

Once done, you must clean the area with a damp cloth to collect any residue from the surface.

Polish The Area

Wood polish always follows buffing. Though it is not a very short session for the wood, it still needs to be conditioned afterward so the effects of the buffing do not turn out to be negative.

An easy way to carry out this process is to get a suitable wood polish and apply it to the area.

Polishes are diluted, so you do not have to worry about that. Apply a small amount of the polish on the buffed area and rub it with a clean microfiber cloth.

Keep rubbing it until the polish has dried up and is absorbed into the surface of the wood.

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Method 3: Use A Wax Repair Kit

There can be situations where the scratch is too deep, and the normal buffing or sanding procedures are not helpful.

While the light buffing will not level the surface, sanding the area will make a slight depression as the scratch is too deep, and engineered wood does not have enough thickness to be sanded down to that level.

Therefore, the only solution here is to use a wax repair kit to fill in the scratch and cover it up. As evident by the name, it uses wax to fill up the scratched area and level with the rest of the surface.

Moreover, the wax kit comes in various colors so you can choose the right color according to the shade and tone of your engineered hardwood floors.

The first step needed in this procedure is cleaning the area. While you might think of vacuuming the surface, you must clean the scratch with alcohol.

You can use swabs as well if you like. This will clear away any debris from the surface of the floors and make the scratch empty and clean.

Once this is done, your floor is prepared to receive the wax. Prepare your wax according to the instructions given in the kit.

Once the wax is ready, you must fill it into the scratch to level with the rest of the surface.

A putty knife or a similar tool can be used to perform this task, as applying by hand won’t allow you as much precision in the process.

Once applied, wipe away any excess on the sides using a clean cloth.

Then, allow it to cure and dry as your scratch is not filled, and once dried up, the wax will get the color of the engineered hardwood floors.

Another noticeable feature of this process is that it does not require any other following process to back it up and make it valid.

Therefore, fixing scratches on engineered hardwood floors is considered the best method.

It fixes the scratches by filling them up and gives the right color to the floors so that the area does not stand out from the rest of the surface.

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Conclusion

If your engineered wood floors are scratched and you do not know what to do, we’ve got you covered. Follow this method mentioned above and fix the scratches immediately.

If you end up using any of these methods, let us know if you liked the results!