Scratches from my big dog on hardwood floor, what should I do?
#1
04-26-16, 12:39 PM
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Scratches from my big dog on hardwood floor, what should I do?
I have a big dog (85 lbs) and no matter how much we trim his nails he still leaves scratches in our hardwood floors. We live in an old building (built in the 30's) and the floors are more or less unique. I do not know if they are finished but judging from the maintenance of the building, I'm going to assume they have never been refinished or redone. The scratches are only in a few areas on the apartment that are exposed but I still flinch every time I hear my dog sliding around on the floor. The scratches are hard to see for the most part unless you get down on the floor when the light is hitting it. Nevertheless, I know they are there and it is driving me nuts.
I've used varies cleaners and even tried the iron and damp cloth trick. I have tried a few different wax crayons but cannot seem to find one that matches the color of the floor. I was thinking about trying olive oil and vinegar next as I heard this can work wonders.
Is there anything I can do for a DIY fix to these scratches? I would hate to spend thousands that get the entire floor refinished and/or lose my deposit when we move out.
Thank you!!!
I've used varies cleaners and even tried the iron and damp cloth trick. I have tried a few different wax crayons but cannot seem to find one that matches the color of the floor. I was thinking about trying olive oil and vinegar next as I heard this can work wonders.
Is there anything I can do for a DIY fix to these scratches? I would hate to spend thousands that get the entire floor refinished and/or lose my deposit when we move out.
Thank you!!!
#2
04-26-16, 02:03 PM
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The good news is it looks like the scratches are mostly to the clear varnish top coat and have not actually exposed bare oak wood.
The bad news is I don't think anything short of sanding the finish smooth and applying new varnish will get rid of them. It's possible that a very light sanding followed by a coat of varnish will make them much less noticeable, but not confident that will work. Let's see what others here have to say.
The bad news is I don't think anything short of sanding the finish smooth and applying new varnish will get rid of them. It's possible that a very light sanding followed by a coat of varnish will make them much less noticeable, but not confident that will work. Let's see what others here have to say.
#4
04-26-16, 02:24 PM
I agree with the others. Nothing short of sanding and refinishing will restore the floor. IMO you are in a tough position. Restore the floors now and the dog will just tear them up again. I would wait until you are ready to move out and have them redone by someone that you contract. It is definitely not a DIY job for the inexperienced. The bad news is that if you don't fix the damage the landlord will probably keep your deposit and come after you for the balance of the floor restoration costs - by his contractor.
FWIW I recently paid $2.25 per s/f to get my floors stained, sanded and 3 coats of poly. No staining and fewer coats would be a bit cheaper.
FWIW I recently paid $2.25 per s/f to get my floors stained, sanded and 3 coats of poly. No staining and fewer coats would be a bit cheaper.
#5
04-27-16, 09:09 AM
I have a medium sized dog (50 lbs) and factory-finished oak flooring. My floors are scratched just like yours. I've been told the factory-applied finish is much tougher than anything you could DIY so if that's true you just have to accept the wear & tear.
#6
04-27-16, 11:49 AM
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As others said, the floors will need refinished. To save money, if the deposit was very large, I would do two things.
- Refinish the floor just as your are moving and everything is out.
- See if the floor can be refinished by screening and a top coat, it looks like it. The screen is like sanding but very light.
- Refinish the floor just as your are moving and everything is out.
- See if the floor can be refinished by screening and a top coat, it looks like it. The screen is like sanding but very light.
