Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Scratches appearing more and more on a wooden floor cannot be avoided, even with careful care. Most of the scratches are caused by moving furniture, pet footprints and small particles from outside into the home. Restoring the look to a laminate floor can be quite easy, depending on whether the scratches are severe or not. With just a few simple steps, you can repair and cover the scratches for a beautiful, durable wooden floor.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Treat shallow scratches with a scratch eraser on wood

1. 

   Wipe scratched surfaces. Use a soft rag soaked in water to damp, gently wipe dirt and grime from the wooden floor.You also need to make sure there is no dirt or grime on the scratch.

2. 

   
   
   Try color first. Before using a pen specifically designed to remove scratches on the wood, you should try first on the hidden area on the wooden floor to see if there is color. If the eraser color is the same as the wood color, you can use it to treat the scratch.
   • The pen comes in a variety of colors and can be found at supermarkets, home appliance stores and paint shops.

3. 

   
   
   Use a scratch eraser on wood to paint over the scratched areas. Once you are sure the brush is colored with wood, you can paint over the scratched surface several times. Don't worry if the place you just painted looks a bit brighter than the wood color. You can re-apply after removing any excess color.

4. 

   
   
   Rub the color into the scratch. Use a clean rag soaked in white petrol on the wooden floor, focus on the scratch. Rub into the color just to remove the excess color, remember to manipulate the wood grain.
   • This method is most effective (it is more effective than using a pencil to paint directly on the scratch), as the color can gradually seep into the scratch little by little.
   • If you use a scratch eraser to paint directly on the scratch, you can make the scratch soaked in color, eventually it will be a darker color than the surrounding wood. Drawing this type can make the scratch even more prominent.
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Method 2 of 4: Treat shallow scratches

1. 

   Clean the scratched area. If the coating that protects the wooden surface is scratched, use a soft rag (such as microfiber microfiber cloth) and a little cleaning solution to clean the scratches.
   • Any tiny dust particles must be cleaned so that they do not stick to the floor when you use the sealant.

2. 

   Clean floor cleaning solution. The next step is to moisten another rag with water and wipe it again to remove the cleaning solution.
   • Let the floor dry before proceeding to the next step.

3. 

   Paint the surface coating. Once the scratched surface is completely dry, use a sharp-tip brush to apply a thin protective coating onto the scratched floor. This coating can be a sealant, lacquer or PU paint. Ideally a material of the same type as the finish of a laminate floor surface.
   • Ask an employee at a home repairing store to find out what materials should be covered on wooden floors.
   • If you have no experience or if your laminate flooring has a special treatment (such as a gloss PU coating), you should consider hiring a professional service to repair and re-finish the floor surface.
   • Hiring a professional service costs more, so you should wait until there are a lot of scratches to call for service instead of having them come and treat just a small scratch.
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Method 3 of 4: Treat shallow scratches by polishing

1. 

   Clean scratched surfaces. Use a soft rag and a little cleaning solution to clean the scratched surface. This step helps to remove small dust particles and ensures a clean surface to be treated.

2. 

   Wipe the scratched area again. Use a rag soaked in water to moisten the scratched surface. This step is to remove the cleaning solution and clean the surface to be treated again.
   • Wait for the floor surface to dry completely.

3. 

   Fill scratches. Use a wooden furniture wax bar to scrub the scratched surface to cover the scratches. If necessary, use a massage knife to apply the wax to the scratch. Furniture polishing wax can be colorless or of a common wood color such as honey and brown in different shades. Wait at least 10 minutes for the wax to dry and harden.
   • You can find wood polishing waxes at supermarkets, paint shops, or building materials stores.

4. 

   Let the wax stick and dry. Wait a day or two before polishing or applying a finish to the wood.

5. 

   Polish the scratches. Use a soft, clean cloth to rub on the scratched surface and polish the wax. The wax polishing step will help smooth the scratched surface, remove excess wax and restore the shine of the laminate floor. advertisement

Method 4 of 4: Treat deep cracks and scratches

1. 

   Clean scratched surfaces. Use a soft cloth and dampened with a cleaning solution to clean scratched surfaces.

2. 

   Clean floor cleaning solution. Dampen another rag with water and wipe it on the scratched floor. This step is to ensure the surface to be treated is completely free of dirt and grime.
   • Wait for the surface to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

3. 

   Rub white petrol over the scratch. If the parquet surface is covered with PU coating, you need to remove the coating before treating the scratch. Without a coating, you don't need to worry about peeling off the finish on the floor surface. Moisten a sponge with mineral spirits and rub gently on the scratched floor. Wipe off with a clean cloth and let dry completely.
   • If you do not have experience working on furniture and plastering, you should hire a professional service to handle.

4. 

   Fill scratches. Use your index finger to brush a small amount of wood filler with the same color as the floor, then smear into cracks or scratches on the floor, brushing in all directions to remove air bubbles. You can use a lot of wood putty, as the excess will be cleaned later.
   • Make sure to use a wood filler instead of a wood putty. The two materials are different, and the use of wood putty can affect the effectiveness of laminate flooring, causing the color of the fillings to not be as desirable.
   • Wait a day for the plaster to dry.

5. 

   Wipe off excess putty. After the putty has dried, use a massage knife to smooth the putty to smooth the surface and press the plaster against the scratch. Press in all directions to ensure every edge of the seal is smooth and even.

6. 

   Grinding excess plaster around the scratch. Use fine sandpaper (about 220 to 300 grit) gently rub the wood surface around the scratch, where there is still plaster.
   • You can scrub in the direction of the wood grain or rotate small circles. No matter what kind of scrub you are, be sure to take it lightly.

7. 

   Wipe off excess putty. Dip a rag in water and squeeze it out. The rag should be slightly damp, but not wet. Use your finger to precisely wipe the area around the scratch.
   • Remember to only wipe around the scratches, where the powder has been put on, avoid wiping on scratches that have been scratched.

8. 

   Apply the finish to the patched surface. Apply a thin layer of the same material that has been coated onto the laminate floor. Use a small natural bristle brush or wool roller to apply PU, varnish or other coatings. Wait for the coating to dry completely for about 24 hours before using laminate flooring.
   • If you use a foam roller, you can cause air bubbles on the mulch.
   • You may need to apply at least two coats of finish for best results.
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Advice

• You can sometimes use a regular wax color to treat small scratches on the floor. If your home has a wax color that is the same color as the floor, you can try it before you go shopping for furniture polish.

Warning

• Be sure to wear protective clothing such as goggles and gloves when working with wood handling chemicals.