Do you want to know how to fix gouges in hardwood floors? If you do, you are exactly where you should be. In the below article, we will share the most actionable guideline for you. So that you can fix your gouges in the hardwood floor without any hassle. Don't worry, it's a DIY guide for fixing gouges in hardwood floor. But if you want to get a second opinion or professional help, ChoreStop has the right solution for you. Just click here and find your flooring professional.
Hardwood floor, despite the name, is one of the more fragile materials compared to tiles, stones, or any other kind of materials when it comes to floor materials. A hardwood floor is more vulnerable to scratches, gouges, discoloration, and other external damages.
These issues are also nearly unavoidable as they happen due to everyday activities. As this type of floor is more vulnerable, they get gouges with the slightest pressure. You can simply move heavy furniture or walk around in heels and put a gouge on your hardwood floor.
This article aims to tell you everything there is to know how to fix gouges in hardwood floors, how to prevent gouges in hardwood floors, and the importance of fixing gouges in hardwood floors.
Importance of Fixing Gouges in Hardwood Floors
One of the major reasons you should quickly fix the gouges on your hardwood floor is that those tiny little holes and the larges holes affect the lifespan of the wood used on the entire floor. If not taken care of immediately, gouges will get bigger as they are damaged areas that are exposed.
Once these gouges start to get bigger, they will decline the quality of the floor and cause you a lot of trouble. Therefore, it is important to spend a little money and fix the gouges as the alternative is to spend a lot of money and fix the entire floor.
How to Fix Gouges in Hardwood Floors?
There are different ways of fixing gouges in hardwood floors, depending on the size of the gouges.
One of the easy and affordable ways of fixing tiny gouges is using brown crayons. All you have to do is rub the crayon all over the area until the gouge is fully covered. Once the area is covered, you will have to start leveling it. You can get rid of the excess using a card or a spatula.
Another way of filling gaps in hardwood floors is using wood filler. You can use different types of wood filler to different kinds of floor gaps between planks, deep gouges, and whatnot. Getting the stainable wood filler for the deep gouges may be the thing you are looking for. You will have to take the wood filler and simply fill up the deep gouges.
You can also use a color-matching wood filler marker for the tiny gouges and scratches. The markers are easy to get as they are available in local stores, and you can find them online. However, you need to make sure that the color you are choosing matches your floor. Once you get the perfect match, all you need is to fill the gap by rubbing the marker over it and giving it the finishing touches.
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How to Fix Deep Gouges in Hardwood Floors?
When it comes to fixing deep gouges and large holes, wood putty may just be what you need. Contrary to the concept of wood putty and wood filler being the same, they have two different base elements.
Wood fillers are usually water-based and are perfect if you want to level your surface or fill the gaps between the floorboards. On the other hand, Wood Putty is an oil-based plaster that is simply perfect for filling the holes on your floor, including large holes and deep gouges.
That being said, it will only be as good as the application process. This is why you must understand the basic process of how to apply wood putty on your hardwood floor. The basic process is very simple; you have to fill the gouges with wood putty and scrape off the additional putty. Once you are done with that, you let it set to dry properly.
After it dries, use sandpaper and sand the damaged area until it is completely smooth. Use hardwood floor polish on the smooth area, and pretend like there was never a gouge to hide.
Prevention of Gouges in Harwood Floors
Even though getting gouges is an inevitable and common phenomenon for anyone with a hardwood floor in their house, there are precautionary steps you can take to delay it. If followed rigidly, you can keep your hardwood floor as good as new. They are avoiding sliding furniture without taking proper measurements.
Always and we mean ALWAYS, place proper clothing underneath the furniture before sliding them around. If possible, stop sliding them and start lifting and moving them using doormats. This simple step will prevent dirt, tiny pebbles, and anything that can scratch your floor from coming inside your home and keep your floors safe for a longer time trimming your pets' nails.
We know you love them, and they don't know any better, but it is safe for both them and the floors if you just keep their nails trimmed using a soft broom to clean the floor regularly. As already mentioned before, tiny pebbles and dirt that we bring with us from the outside can scratch or dent your floor.
Sweeping them off with a soft brush every day can keep your floors safe and your house clean Avoid wearing shoes in the house and wear slippers instead. The shoes we wear when we go outside have stronger soles and can easily dent a hardwood floor, whereas slippers have softer soles that are hardwood floor-friendly. This habit can save you a lot of trouble.
Conclusion
As mentioned quite a few times throughout the article, gouges are very common and unavoidable. So do not panic if you see some dents and holes on your floor. Just analyze the gouge, pick the appropriate method to fix it, get what you need and simply fix it.
Hopefully, this article has successfully informed you about everything there is to know about how to fix gouges in hardwood floors, how to prevent gouges in hardwood floors, and the importance of fixing gouges in hardwood floors.