As seasoned experts in the field of bamboo and hardwood floor refinishing, we hear the question from time to time, “Can you repair scratches on bamboo floors? It’s a reasonable question, but at the same time it carries a lot of weight.
Yes, scratches on hard bamboo floors can be repaired. However, as professionals, we believe that there are very few solutions that actually fix scratches on hardwood floors correctly.
Many products and strategies claim to have solutions, but at the end of the day, only a licensed solid wood flooring installation expert can provide you with the best and lasting results.
- Tips, Products and Strategies for Cleaning Floors but Not Repairing Wood Floor Scratches
Liquid Scratch Removal Products
Many products claim to have patented technology that can help remove and repair scratches on bamboo flooring. However, in reality, these products can only temporarily cover up imperfections on hard bamboo floors.
These products work by cleaning the wood. Many people think that their hard bamboo floors have scratches, dents or wear and tear, but in reality, the wood may not be scratched or damaged at all.
Many times, what looks like scratches on hardwood floors are actually dirt, wear marks from shoes, or surface wear from furniture. If this is the case, the floor isn’t really scratched, it’s just a dirty floor finish that requires a more effective method of removing the dirt than water and a broom. Non-toxic floor cleaning products can be used to remove caked-on dirt from floors, but will not remove or repair scratches on bamboo floors.
Food Pantry Materials — Baking Soda and Olive Oil
Mixing baking soda and olive oil to make a scratch removal solution is not effective in removing scratches from hard bamboo floors. This method falls into the “folklore” category. It involves mixing baking soda and olive oil and applying it to the scratched wood.
As with products that remove scratches, this method only helps clean the surface and does not remove the scratches. After doing this, the floor will give off an interesting, pantry-like odor, for better or worse.
Filler Products
There are a variety of hardwood filler products on the market, with some of the better known brands being Bondo or DAP Plastic Wood.Most of these products are made from flexible, moldable synthetic materials such as composite plastics, rather than wood. Filler products are used when there are deep grooves in the floor.
When these products are installed correctly, they are at their best to help hide the smallest dents or grooves in the floor. However, people tend to overuse these products, which can detract from the aesthetics of the wood floor.
Hot ironing
This age-old “trick” may be the craziest home floor restoration method ever devised. It has been suggested that if you have a dent in your hardwood floor, you can “iron” out the dent with a hot iron.
This is done by laying a damp towel over the dent and placing a hot iron on top of the towel. Ideally, however, radiant heat will not lift the dent from the floor. This method doesn’t work; heating wood isn’t like heating metal to get rid of dents in your car. This will only leave burn marks on the floor or ruin a perfectly good towel.
Second, hardwood floor restoration methods
We believe that there are only two solutions that work to fix unsightly floor scratches.
If a customer has minor scratches on their floor, we will send a wood restoration expert to their home. Members of this team have been restoring floors and high-value furniture for decades with exemplary results.
If our restoration expert feels that his method is not the best solution, then the floor will need to be sanded and refinished, which is the only way to get rid of unsightly scratches on your beautiful hard bamboo floors.
Taking preventative measures to protect your hard bamboo floors can prevent major damage that requires professional repairs. For example, have guests remove hard-soled or high-heeled shoes in guest rooms, use furniture pads, and put rugs and mats in high-traffic areas.
