Surface damage, like separated, split. loose, or warped boards, can be repaired successfully. To preserve the new look of your wood floors, make repairs immediately after damage occurs. When refinishing the repaired area make sure to mach the color and protective finish as closely as possible. This will hide any signs of repair.
Repairing Surface Damage: You should remove the protective wax or oil finish from the damaged wood floor with a wax stripper. Once you complete the repair, make sue to rewax or oil the wood floor with the same wax or oil used before. When stripping and rewaxing, follow the product manufacturer’s directions.
Water Marks: After removing the protective finish from the surface, rub water marks stain on the wood floor with fine steel wool and a little paste wax or a solvent-base liquid floor wax. If the marks don’t disappear then you need to wipe the wax with a soft cloth and rib again with fine steel wool and odorless mineral spirits. Once the water mark is gone, wipe clean and finish.
Burn Marks: For burn marks that just darken the wood’s surface and do not leave a hole, lightly sand and wipe up sanding residue with a damp cloth. When dry, finish as desired by following the steps in “Repairing Surface Damage”. For burns that go deeper, carefully scrape out the burned wood with a sharp knife, use tool safety precautions. Apply one or more coats of a commercial scratch hider, putty stick or stick shellac. Once dry you may add the finish to he wood floor.
Scratches and Gouges: You can conceal a shallow scratch with one or two applications of a commercial scratch hinder or crayon by placing the hinder or crayon within the scratch. To repair deep scratches and gouges however, you will need to remove wax or oil from the damaged area. Fill the scratch or gouge with matching wood putty, putty stick or stick shellac and let dry. Once dry than sand smooth with fine-grade sandpaper and finish the wood floor.
Fixing Damaged Floor Boards: For long or wide separations between floor boards, fill the gaps with wood strips. For the best possible fit you need to angle the saw blade to cut strips that taper in slightly at the bottom. Loose, split, or warped boards can be repaired by following the steps below. Make sure to sand any putty, once it is dry, with steel wool and finish the repair to match the rest of the wood floor.
Split Boards:
- Drill a pilot hole into the wood at an angle every few inches along the length of the crack. Drive and countersink annular-ring nails.
- Fill the nail holes and the crack with wood putty.
- Match the repair with the rest of the wood floor.
Loose Boards:
- From blow the floor drill pilot holes through the subfloor and just into the boards. Then insert screws.
- Form above, drill pilot holes; and drive countersink nails.
- Fill with wood putty and then finish.
Warped Boards:
- Drill pilot holes every few inches along the warped wood floor board.
- Insert and tighten screws.
- Fill the holes with wood putty and finish to match the rest of the wood floors.