Treating Minor Scratches In Polyurethane Hardwood Floor Finish

The blend of water or petroleum bases with synthetic resins plasticizers and other film forming ingredients harden over the wood to protect the wood but when the polyurethane is scratched it breaks the protective barrier.

Treating minor scratches in polyurethane hardwood floor finish.

Finish restorers are designed to help treat faded finishes or light scratches distributed across a wide area of your hardwood floors. Put a few drops of lacquer thinner on an inconspicuous part of the floor then feel the finish if it s sticky it s lacquer or shellac. Additionally once the protective finish has been broken by a scratch the wood underneath can be irreparably damaged by moisture or deepening of the scratch in the wood. Brush up on the basics of 8 popular options before choosing yours.

Floors like these will need to be sanded repaired and refinished. These restorers can be effective treating minor scuffs especially if the wood itself has not been damaged. This is a wise decision if your whole floor is covered in scratches and gouges. Lightly press a clean rag soaked in a bit of mineral spirits onto the wood focusing on the scratched area.

This can be done in one of two ways. I would never suggest a homeowner rent a sander and do this. Seal the sanded area. Don t use a foam roller or brush to apply the polyurethane you ll end up with air bubbles in the finish go with a lambswool applicator or natural bristle brush instead.

Evaporative finishes such as lacquer and shellac aren t as common as reactive finishes such as alkyd varnish or polyurethane but you handle them differently. This application method works best rather than directly drawing the stain marker over the scratch because it allows for a gradual addition of stain. Use a finish restorer for light scratches. Refinish the whole floor.

Scratches conceal surface scratches with a simple stain filled marker minwax wood finish stain marker 8 49. How to repair scratched wood. Rub the area where you applied the stain to remove any residual following the grain of the wood. Hardwood floor finishes have varying levels of ease durability even glossiness.

Refinish the board with varnish polyurethane or a similar product to match the rest of your floor. Any wood surface with a polyurethane wood finish can develop scratches with normal wear and tear. A complete sanding removes scratches but keep in mind that this will only work on real wood floors. Rub the stain into the scratch.

It s a big job and one best left to hardwood floor pros who will charge about 1 50 to 4 per square foot to refinish the floor.