No matter the wood hardness, there isn’t a fully damage-resistant floor or finish that would provide a 100% protection from stains, dents, burns, or scrapes. Fortunately, wood floors have the ability to recover from most minor damages that can occur in your home or office. So, here are some easy fixes that can repair damage to wood floors.
Stains from water or drinks
Occasional spills pose no problem for the wood, provided that it is wiped immediately. In the case of prolonged exposure to fluids, some discoloration may occur (together with some sun exposure), or the wood may change its texture and soften a bit. Gently scrape that soft area down to the solid material and let it dry.
If the stain has turned darker due to wine or other drinks, bleach it to a neutral shade. The bleach will raise a bit the furry part, so you will need to sand it a bit and then stain the part in the most original color. A wax as a finish is recommended.
Acetone spill is another case where you need to act quickly, or if the damage is already too significant, consult a professional for floor maintenance.
Sticky spots
Wax and gum, in particular, can be pretty annoying when stuck on the floor surface. Never use solvents or sandpaper – they will make matters worse. Instead, freeze them with packets of ice, or use special freezing sprays manufactured for that matter. The icy cold will make them very hard, and you can chip them away from the floor almost instantly.
Dents
High heels can cause minor dents on some wood floors.
If the dent isn’t too deep, you can save yourself from replacing an entire board (more on that in Part 2). Because large dents leave “empty room“ on the board surface, filling it to match with the entire floor is not always a successful method.
Instead, try steaming the dents with a steam iron a few inches above the damaged surface. The affected area will expand a bit from the moisture and even out the difference in surface level. Then, after it dries a bit, gently sand and wax. This might take a couple of steam-sand-wax procedures to conceal the dent, depending on its depth.