Can scratches in engineered hardwood be repaired?

Engineered hardwood flooring is a popular flooring option for many homeowners. It offers the beauty and warmth of real hardwood, while being more affordable and durable than solid hardwood flooring. However, like any flooring material, engineered hardwood can become scratched and damaged over time. Small scratches are inevitable with normal wear and tear. But what about deeper gouges? Can significant scratches in engineered hardwood floors be repaired?

The short answer is yes. While engineered hardwood is extremely durable, scratches and gouges can occur. Thankfully, there are several effective methods for repairing scratches in engineered hardwood flooring. The repair process will vary slightly depending on the depth of the scratch and the type of flooring finish. But in most cases, scratches can be minimized to the point of becoming nearly invisible.

What causes scratches in engineered hardwood floors?

There are several common causes of scratches and damage to engineered hardwood floors:

• Pet nails – Both cats and dogs can scratch hardwood floors with their nails if the nails are not trimmed regularly.
• Furniture drag – Moving furniture or other heavy objects across the floor without proper protection can result in scratches and gouges.
• High heel shoes – The pressure from stiletto or narrow high heel shoes can dent hardwood floors over time.
• Grit and debris – Small rocks, dirt, and debris tracked inside can get ground into the floor’s surface causing fine scratches and swirl marks.
• Falling objects – Items dropped on a hardwood floor, such as tools, can cause dings and scratches.
• Appliance drag – Improperly moving appliances or other heavy furniture often results in deep scratches.
• Sand and abrasives – Sand and abrasives ground into the floor from outdoors can scratch and wear down the floor’s protective finish.
• Moisture damage – Excessive moisture from spills or wet mopping can damage the wood fibers and make them more vulnerable to scratches.

The most common cause of fine scratches is dirt, grit, and debris tracked across the floor’s surface over time. Heavier scratches and gouges are often caused by furniture drag, appliance movement, pets, and falling objects. To minimize scratches, it’s important to clean floors frequently, trim pet nails, lift furniture when moving it, and promptly clean up any spills or moisture.

Evaluating the severity of scratches

Not all scratches are equal when it comes to engineered hardwood floors. Light surface scratches may only impact the finish or stain. Deeper gouges can damage the wood fibers themselves. When evaluating scratch repairs, it helps to categorize them by severity:

• Fine scratches – These light surface scratches are most commonly caused by dirt, grit or debris being ground into the floor’s finish. They do not penetrate through the finish or impact the wood below.
• Medium scratches – Slightly deeper scratches that cut through the finish and impact the stain or wood layer underneath. But they do not fully penetrate the hardwood layer.
• Severe scratches – Deep gashes that completely penetrate through the finish, stain/color and cut into the wood layer itself. This type of scratching exposes untreated wood.

The repair process will depend on the depth and severity of the scratches. The good news is that even severe scratches and gouges can often be repaired to be nearly invisible.

Repairing light surface scratches

For light surface scratches that only impact the floor’s finish, simple screening and recoating is often sufficient. This process involves:

1. Thoroughly cleaning the floors to remove dirt, debris and residue from the damaged area.
2. Lightly “sanding” the scratched area using a floor buffer or orbital sander with 120-150 grit sanding screens. This levels out the scratches and feathers them into the surrounding finish.
3. Vacuuming to remove all sanding dust.
4. Applying new coats of finish to the sanded area so it matches the surrounding floor.

Screening and recoating serves to smooth and blend out light surface scratches and renew the floor’s finish in the damaged spot. For scratches over a large area, the process may need to be done in sections to blend the new and existing finish.

Tips for screening and recoating

• Always test sand a small inconspicuous area first to ensure the screening process does not damage the remaining finish.
• Keep the floor buffer moving constantly to avoid over-sanding one area.
• Apply finish according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, allowing proper drying time between coats.
• Feather out the transition area between sanded and unsanded areas to create a smooth blend.
• Use a finish that matches the existing floor’s sheen level.

Properly done, screening and recoating can make light scratches virtually disappear. This simple fix works well for surface scratches under 2 feet long. For longer scratches, other methods may be needed.

Repairing medium depth scratches

For scratches that cut through the finish and into the stained or colored layer of engineered wood, more extensive repairs are needed. These medium depth scratches require removing the damaged finish and re-staining to match the surrounding floor. The basic process includes:

1. Sanding down the damaged area using increasingly finer grit sandpaper, ending with 180-220 grit.
2. Vacuuming thoroughly.
3. Staining the sanded area to match surrounding color as closely as possible. Applying stain with a small art paintbrush allows precision.
4. Applying 2-3 coats of protective finish, feathered out several inches beyond the repaired area.

It takes practice to achieve the right stain color and finish sheen to blend repairs seamlessly. Test stains on flooring scraps first. And apply the new finish thinly at the edges to subtly transition between old and new.

Tips for blending stain repairs

• Sand out scratches gradually, vacuuming often to remove all dust between grits.
• Stain a slightly larger area than needed to allow blending at the edges.
• If stain color is slightly off, adjust with lighter/darker stains as needed.
• Apply stains sparingly, wiping up excess for controlled coloring.
• Consider using grain filler for a smooth finish on open-grained woods like oak.
• Always finish with 2-3 protective coats of urethane or other finish.

With care and skill, even medium depth scratches can become nearly invisible repairs. But deep gouges will require more extensive wood repairs.

Repairing severe scratches and gouges

Deep scratches that cut through the wood fibers itself are most challenging to repair. But even severe scratches and gouges can be fixed to be barely noticeable, using wood fillers and skilled blending. Basic steps include:

1. Sanding and cleaning the damaged area.
2. Using colored wood putty to fill the gouge flush with surrounding floor.
3. Sanding putty smooth once dry.
4. Staining and finishing the repaired section to blend with the undamaged floor.

The keys are perfectly filling the gouge and meticulously blending the new stained/finished area into the surrounding floor. Careful feathering and tinting of repairs makes them disappear.

Tips for repairing wood gouges

• Remove loose splintered wood from the gouge before filling.
• Match the color of filler to the wood as closely as possible.
• Overfill the gouge slightly to allow sanding flush.
• Feather out and thinly apply new finish at repair edges.
• Use stain markers ortouch-up markers for final color blending.
• Consider professional repairs for deep gouges with missing wood.

Even with extensive repairs, the goal is to preserve the floor’s original look. The repaired area should be indistinguishable from the surrounding floor once the process is complete.

Preventing Scratches

While engineered hardwood floors can be repaired, prevention is always best. Here are pro tips to avoid scratched floors in the first place:

• Use area rugs in high traffic areas and under furniture legs.
• Keep pet nails trimmed and paws clean.
• Sweep and mop regularly to keep grit and debris off floors.
• Install felt pads on all furniture legs.
• Lift furniture or use protection when moving it.
• Avoid walking on floors with spike heels or cleats.
• Maintain proper humidity levels year-round.
• Reapply protective finish per manufacturer’s recommendations.

With some care and prevention, engineered hardwood floors can remain smooth and scratch-free for years. But when damage does occur, understanding repair techniques is key.

When to call a professional

For homeowners that want flawless results or need to repair extensive scratched areas, hiring a professional hardwood floor refinisher is a good idea. Pros have specialized tools and expertise to repair even severe scratches and gouges invisibly. They also can match new finish coatings to the surrounding floor for a seamless appearance. Refinishing pros can make a scratched floor look brand new.

Scratches are a common engineered hardwood flooring problem, but they can be repaired. Knowledge of finish repairs, re-staining, filling gouges and finish blending allows even deep scratches to be fixed successfully. With some practice and patience, the right materials, and good floor care, engineered hardwood floors can always be renewed to their former beauty.