Hardwood floors are often the focal point of an elegant room, but since they take so much wear and tear from our feet and shoes, they can be difficult to keep pristine. But a simple scratch or chip doesn't mean you have to call in the professionals. You can restore your hardwood yourself with just a few basic steps and techniques.
Don't let a chip like this ruin your entire floor. Follow this step by step guide on how to repair your beautiful hardwoods.
What you will need:
- All Purpose Wood Filler, Like Plastic Wood by DAP? - a color that matches the lighter shades on your floor
- Wood Repair Touch-Up Markers, such as Guardsman?- a color that matches the overall shade of your floor
- Wood Repair Filler Sticks, also by Guardsman?- colors that match the dark low-lights in your floor
Step One: Apply All Purpose Wood Filler to the Damaged Area
Apply a liberal amount of wood filler to the chip in your hardwood. Make sure the entire area is covered.
Step Two: Clean Residual Wood Filler
Smear the wood filler into the damaged area with your finger and wipe off any residual filler with a cloth. The wood filler should be even with the surface of the hardwood.
Step Three: Apply Wood Repair Touch-Up Marker
Color the wood filler with your touch up marker. Cover the entire area for a dark base color, but make sure not to color on your wood floor. Go with the grain of the wood for a more authentic look.
Step Four: Apply Lighter Shade of Wood Repair Filler Stick
Cover the entire are of the wood filler with a lighter wood repair stick. It's okay for there to be even lighter spots near the top. These will be covered up next.
Step Five: Add Low-lights with Darker Wood Repair Filler Stick
Take the darker shade of filler stick and add the final touches: low-lights. In the end, you should see no light spots and the entire damaged area will appear darker than the rest of the wood.
Your final product will look like an authentic dark spot in your hardwood. Not only have you repaired the damage, you've added a charming piece of character to your floors. Enjoy!
