How To Repair Damaged Spots On A Wood Floor

Is your hardwood floor damaged in spots? No need to refinish the entire floor.

Here are two quick and easy ways to repair and restore it for good!

When we moved into this house, we knew it was a fixer.

To be honest though, we were thrilled about it.

We were used to DIYing and a home in need of some love gave us the chance to use our skills and make the place our own.

Best of both worlds.

The biggest project involved the addition of a new kitchen space. The one the house came with was super tiny and less than functional for a growing family.

Of course, like any renovation, there were tons of design decisions to be made.

And some of them made my head spin.

However, the one thing I was sure of, from the get go, was that the new room would have a wood floor.

I adore wood. We have a wooden countertop in the bathroom and I would've put them in the kitchen too...if I had my way.

Our old home had linoleum stick tiles, which were great for our purposes at the time, inexpensive and easy to install.

But in this home, our dream home, I wanted wood.


Dark, rich, shiny, traditional, warm, wood.

I remember the day it went in. Prefinished Bruce hardwood oak planks. Simple, elegant and lovely.

A real show stopper.


And it's remained that way for the last 20 years.

Naturally, there have been bumps and bruises along the way, a dropped can or broken bowl, but in my mind those dents and dings just added character.

However.

Recently, I've noticed areas, underneath the hand towel bar on our DIY island and near the sink, where the finish had worn away.

The wood was exposed from water drops and the floor appeared damaged and, well, ugly. Left like this, the exposed areas were only going to expand, making the damage worse.


That would not do.

This is bad, it has to be fixed.

I told my husband over and over again.

You have to refinish the floors.

No. The whole floor looks great. I'm not refinishing it for one small area.

Besides the fact that with my lungs, and my allergies, the dust and chemicals involved in that process was a definite no go. 

It's the reason we chose to install vinyl plank flooring in our family room. 

But I knew there had to be a quick and easy fix like I used on my wooden tables.

I mean, I figured if we could repair our laminate countertops, surely we could fix the floor.

Well, after a bit of time with our thinking caps on we came up with not one, but two. 

And I couldn't be happier with the results.

Two Ways To Repair A Damaged or Scratched Wood Floor

Before we started, we vacuumed the floor and then we washed it with warm water and let it dry completely.

If there were any loose pieces of finish we gently removed them.

I have to say that both ways worked equally well. We used a combination of both and you cannot tell the difference.

The supplies we used are linked and bolded below.

1. Repairing The Floor With Stain

Our first remedy involved stain. This exact stain. 

The most difficult part of this task was finding a stain that would match our floor. Luckily since most wood floors have some variation in the tone, it didn't need to be a perfect match.

Once we had our color, we got started.

We used a water based stain and very strategically applied it with q-tips to the chipped areas, where the wood was exposed.


We made sure to really soak the area with the stain, and then we wiped away any of the excess with a dry paper towel. 


If the color wasn't dark enough we repeated the process and let the spot dry fully before adding a polyurethane topper. (See instructions below)


Simple enough right? 

Well, our second option was even simpler. 

2. Repairing The Floor With A Furniture Marker

Honestly, this way was my favorite. I've actually suggested markers before, when we repaired our chipped kitchen cabinets.

The prep was the same, but the process was quicker. Just like coloring...no kidding.

This pack of markers is very similar. I like the packs since you have lots of choices.

You can also purchase them individually if you know in advance what color will work best.


I literally colored in the spaces where the wood was exposed and then wiped away any extra with a dry paper towel.


I felt like I had a little more control with this one. However the results were the same and the drying time was cut in half.

We were able to add the polyurethane much sooner.

Adding Polyurethane To Seal The Floor

Regardless of which method you decide to use, you'll want to add a coat of polyurethane to seal the color, the wood and add a layer of protection.

It was the erosion of the original sealer that allowed the water damage in the first place, so this step is crucial for a long term fix.

We chose a water based version in a satin finish to match the one already on the wood floor.

It was virtually odorless and cleaned up with soap and water.


We used a very small bristled brush - one that came with my paint by numbers sets, since it was made for small details - and we coated the areas we'd just stained.


And then we let it dry.

When we were done, we had the most gorgeous floor. Again.


It was a very worthwhile way to spend a Saturday morning.

No dust, no mess, no big expense.

Just a few minutes staining and coloring and another few to add the top coat.

And it doesn't get any easier than that!

Do you have a wooden floor that needs a repair?