How to fix scratches in timber floors, oiled or lacquered

Ready to buy? EcoGrit stocks the products in this guide and ships Australia-wide. Shop the timber floor maintenance and care range.

A dragged chair, a dog skidding round the hallway corner, a dropped pan by the kitchen bench. How to fix scratches in a wood floor comes down to two questions: what finish is on the floor, and how deep the damage goes. This guide covers scuffs, deep scratches, chips and dents on oiled and lacquered timber.

Oiled or lacquered? Check before you buy anything

The finish decides what a local repair can achieve. ATFA's Coating choices sheet rates the repairability of localised damage as good for penetrating oils and hard wax oils, difficult for waterborne polyurethane and very difficult for solvent-borne polyurethane. Not sure what is on your floor? Ask whoever finished it, or call our technical line (below).

Is it a scuff, a scratch or a gouge?

Start with ATFA's water drop test on the mark. If the drops bead, the finish is intact and may only need cleaning. If after a few minutes the water soaks in and the timber darkens, the finish is partly worn and ATFA says recoating should be undertaken. Dry the spot afterwards.

Can you fix a deep scratch without sanding? On lacquer, the hard wax method below fills it rather than sanding it out. On an oiled floor, Rubio Monocoat sands significant scratches and gouges flush first.

How to fix scuffs and light wear on an oiled floor

Light wear on an oiled floor is a maintenance job, not a sanding job. Rubio Monocoat and WOCA both say to test first.

Rubio Monocoat oiled floors

Rubio Monocoat Universal Maintenance Oil refreshes wood treated with Rubio Monocoat oil and restores the lustre. A 0.5 litre tin covers 75 to 100 m². Rubio's floor method:

1. Remove dirt and dust.
2. Clean damp with at most 50 to 100 ml of Universal Soap in 10 litres of water, rinse, and let it dry for about 15 minutes.
3. Stir well. Working 5 to 10 m² at a time, do the edges with a beige or red pad, brush on a little oil every half metre and spread it along the grain with a polisher and a beige or red pad.
4. Wipe off all the excess with a cloth or white pad, then go over it again with a new white pad. Use very little oil so the surface does not turn sticky.
5. Allow 6 to 8 hours to dry and 5 to 7 days to cure. Wait at least 48 hours before wiping with a damp cloth, and 7 days before cleaning with soap.

Rubio warns that oil-soaked cloths and pads can spontaneously combust, so leave them soaking in water for a while before disposal. Do not use Rubio's Refresh Eco spray on floors: Rubio says it makes them too slippery.

WOCA oiled floors

WOCA Maintenance Oil, in Natural and White, is for regular maintenance of oxidative oiled wood floors. WOCA's method:

1. Clean with WOCA Intensive Wood Cleaner and leave the floor to dry completely, for at least 8 hours.
2. Shake, then apply about 1 dl (100 ml) of oil per 4 m² with a pad, short-haired roller or cotton cloth.
3. Polish it in until the wood looks saturated and the surface looks even.
4. Wipe with clean, dry cotton cloths until no excess oil is left.
5. Hand-polished, it dries in 24 to 48 hours at 20°C and is fully hard after 3 days. Keep cleaning and water off the floor for those 3 days.

How to fix a deep scratch or gouge in an oiled floor

On an Oil Plus 2C floor, Rubio Monocoat says to re-apply Oil Plus 2C in the colour the wood was originally treated with, and that a board may need replacing if the damage is too extensive. Use Oil Plus 2C 130 ml in your floor's colour, with Rubio Monocoat Australia's tips:

1. Sand the damage flush, finishing no finer than 120 grit. A finer grit means less oil, and so less protection.
2. Vacuum, then pick up the last of the dust with a tack cloth. Dust left behind is what the oil bonds to, instead of the wood.
3. Mix only as much Part A and Part B as you need. Once mixed, you have 6 hours to use it.
4. Drip the oil onto the timber with the stirrer and buff it in with a red or beige pad.
5. After 8 to 10 minutes, remove the excess with a white or beige pad, then a lint-free cloth.
6. Keep the room ventilated so the oil can cure, and keep all liquids off the patch for the 7 day curing time.

Using another oil system? Check its data sheet or call our technical line before you sand.

How to fix fine scratches on a lacquered floor

WOCA Master Care is made for lacquered, vinyl and laminate floors. WOCA says it is designed to smooth out small scratches and, as it does not form a thick coating, can be applied as needed. WOCA's method:

1. Wash the floor with WOCA Intensive Wood Cleaner until it is perfectly clean, rinse with clean water and let it dry completely.
2. Shake well and apply Master Care undiluted in a thin, even coat.
3. If the cloth or mop gets dirty, rinse and wring it out, then carry on. Do not add more once the surface has begun to dry.
4. Let it dry completely before use, about 1 to 2 hours at 20°C. No polishing is needed.

A litre covers about 60 m², and WOCA suggests re-treating 2 to 4 times a year, or when required.

How to fix deep scratches, chips and pressure marks in lacquer

Once damage breaks through the finish, a care coat is not the fix. Berger-Seidle, for example, says its Brilliance Everclear care product should only be used on floors with intact finish films, or water penetration can turn the wood grey. Fill the damage instead.

The Premium Wood Repair Kit is for lacquered wood and laminate flooring, and for engineered and hybrid floors. It holds hard wax sticks, a battery melting iron, an applicator, a sanding and polishing pad, a cloth and a gloss lacquer pen. The method:

1. Clean and dry the area and remove any loose particles.
2. Blend wax shades to match the board, mixing in transparent wax for depth.
3. Melt the wax into the damage so it slightly overfills it.
4. Use the grooves on the applicator to strip off the excess and mimic the wood grain.
5. Degrease the repair with the sanding and polishing pad, seal it with the lacquer pen and adjust the sheen with the cloth.

The pen is gloss, so test on a hidden spot before sealing a scratch in a matt floor. The kit is listed for lacquered floors, so use the re-oiling method above on oiled ones.

When a spot repair is not enough

Berger-Seidle's care data sheet says a finished floor damaged by use must be sanded completely and recoated. Our timber floor maintenance schedule sets out refresh and recoat steps by finish type. Choosing a finish? See our hard wax oil vs polyurethane comparison.

How to stop the next scratch

That schedule covers felt pads, mats and pet nails. ATFA adds three points:

• Put mats both outside and inside external doors. Grit acts like sandpaper and scratches the floor.
• Avoid high heels, cleats and sports shoes on timber.
• Take care with castor chairs, which can indent softer timbers and wear coatings early.

Not sure which repair suits your floor? Call our sales team on 0403 964 703, or technical support on 0401 270 818 for application advice.

Sources

• ATFA Floor Choices, Coating choices
• ATFA Floor Choices, Floor care and maintenance
• Rubio Monocoat, Universal Maintenance Oil, data sheet (PDF)
• Rubio Monocoat, Refresh Eco, data sheet (PDF)
• Rubio Monocoat, How to repair or renovate my Oil Plus 2C treated surface?
• Rubio Monocoat USA, How to renovate a floor with Oil Plus 2C
• WOCA Denmark, Maintenance Oil, data sheet (PDF)
• WOCA Denmark, Master Care, data sheet (PDF)
• Berger-Seidle, Brilliance Everclear, data sheet (PDF)

Products in this guide

• Premium Wood Repair Kit - hard wax repair kit for lacquered and laminate floors
• Rubio Monocoat Universal Maintenance Oil 0.5L - maintenance oil for oiled timber floors
• Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C 130 ml - hardwax oil for re-oiling a repaired patch
• Woca Maintenance Oil Natural - maintenance oil for oiled floors
• Woca Master Care 1 L - care product for lacquered floors

All available from EcoGrit, shipped Australia-wide. Trade pricing available for flooring professionals.