As heartbreaking as it sounds, your bamboo floor is bound to receive scratches. Numerous everyday objects can lead to scratched floors–smaller markings can come from sand, spiky shoes, and untrimmed claws on family pets, while larger gouges are usually the result of dropped pots and dragged furniture. When you someday come home to a long white line down the center of your beloved bamboo floor, will you know what to do?
You could hide the scratch under a carpet, but you can also repair the damage yourself and make it look as if nothing ever happened. Just follow the 5 steps listed below.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
- Damp paper towels
- Masking tape (optional)
- Wood putty or surface filler for large scratches
- Wood stain pen or wax crayon for small scratches
- Fine grit sandpaper or sanding block
- Soft dry cloth
- Polyurethane
- Foam brush
A few tips for when you’re looking for filler: Choose a putty or filler which closely matches the colour of your floor, if it’s not the exact same colour. This keeps repairs from standing out against the floor. Check if the manufacturer of your bamboo floor happens to supply repair sticks or kits that perfectly match your floor. Also, try to find a filler which is specially formulated for bamboo.
Instructions
1. Clean Around the Scratch
Take the damp paper towel and wipe the floor around the scratch. While wiping, keep an eye out for any scratches that you might miss. Let the floor dry or wipe it dry with another paper towel.
2. Prepare for Refinishing
At this point, you can use masking tape to protect unscratched areas. Make sure that the scratches are still completely visible despite the tape barrier.
To help your filler or wax crayon adhere more, sand out to the edge of each scratch with a fine grit sandpaper. Don’t sand over the edge of the plank so as to not damage other parts of the floor.
3. Fill It In
Colour in small scratches with your wood stain pen. You may also use a wax crayon with a close colour to your bamboo flooring. Gently wipe off any excess crayon. (Skip to step 5 if none of the scratches on your floor need filler.)
Fill in large scratches with a small amount of wood putty or wood filler. For best results, take note of the instructions on the filler’s label. If you have more than one scratch to repair, fill in the deepest scratches first. This helps you budget your filler for the other scratches. Wipe the putty knife and use it to scrape off any excess putty from the gouge or from other planks. To smooth the scratch and compress its fill, buff it with a soft dry cloth. While the filler is still wet, wipe away any residual filler with a damp paper towel.
4. Smoothen Filling
Once the filler is completely dry, gently smoothen it with sandpaper or a sanding block of 500 grit or higher. If the dried putty is now lower than the surrounding floor, apply a second layer of filler, let it dry, and then carefully sand it again. Any tape barriers you’ve placed around the scratch can be safely removed after this step.
5. Finish
Is the refinished area visibly lighter than surrounding flooring? Apply a light coat of wood stain so that it matches the nearby planks again. Leave it to dry for 24 hours.
Finally, use the foam brush to apply a thin layer of polyurethane sealer to the filled scratch. Include the area that immediately surrounds the scratch. Let the sealer dry completely before walking on the refinished area or, if needed, applying a slightly thicker second coat of sealer.
Bamboo floors are already known for their durability. With these instructions, however, your floor will not just last long–it will keep its smooth colour despite any scratches along the way. Remember these five steps should you find an unsightly scratch on your bamboo floor!
Author Bio:
George Katsoudas is a Digital Marketing Professional who works as the Managing Director of Low Cost SEO, a digital marketing firm in Sydney and a Digital Media Manager for House of Bamboo, offering Australia the most varied collection of classic and new natural materials.
Company Bio:
House of Bamboo is Australia’s trusted source of eco-friendly and high quality natural materials that can be integrated into contemporary setting. Our range encompasses high quality bamboo fencing, timber screens, privacy screens, decorative screens, ceiling panels, rattan cane webbing, fence panels, and pool certification.