Q: I have a large dog who has put scratches and some poke holes in my hardwood floor.
1. How can I fix the floors without taking them apart and re-doing.
2. Is there something that I can put on the floor to make it harder and prevent further damage.
Thanks,
CP
A: More than likely you have a fairly soft species of wood if you are running into denting from your dog’s nails, but there are a few things you can do to repair this damage and some methods to prevent it in the future.
Let’s first look into preventative care for scratches and denting. When it comes to pets, there are a few important things to do to help extend the time your floor remains beautiful, the most important being to regularly trim your dog’s nails. When the nails are kept trimmed, they also remain duller and are less likely to dig as strongly into your floor. Also, if your dog has longer fur, make sure that any fur covering the pads of the paws is trimmed away. Dogs will begin to rely on their nails for grip when moving when their paws are no longer providing as much aid, typically this happens when longer fur covers the pads of their paws.
Also, make sure you regularly sweep and clean the floor to prevent dirt and grit from getting on the floor. Most scratching is cause by larger grit which is dragged around the house by pets and normal walking.
Now as far as repairs goes, you can repair the dents by getting a color-matching floor putty, which is typically used to fill in holes from face nailing, then just rub a bit of the putty into each dent and it should fill well. Scratches on the other hand are typically only at the finish layer, and not damage to the wood itself. Most scratches will just fade a bit over time and the brighter white appearance will darker and become harder to see over time. It helps to have a regular cleaning schedule to speed this process along and prevent further scratches. Now if you are really worried about the appearance of scratches you can screen the floor.
Screen is a process where the top-most layer of finish is roughed up or buffed with high-grit sand paper, typically 220 grit, then new layers of finish are applied over the top of the buffed finish surface.
The most extreme option for repairing your floor, rather than replacing it, would be to have the floor refinished, but I would not suggest this unless you are massively displeased with the appearance of the floor as it can be somewhat expensive. This would involve getting a finisher to come out, sand down the floor to lessen the dents, then apply entirely new finish layers to the newly sanded wood surface. Honestly I would leave this option as a final resort because of the time needed and cost for the work.
