I have engineered hardwood that scratches easily (be it from furniture being slid on it, a kid playing with hard toys on it, or simply from regular wear and tear). We currently mitigate the scratching by coloring the wood with some Old English. However, we would like to treat the floor with something to keep it from scratching so easily going forward.
Unlike, this question our wood is relatively new, is not brittle and dull, and definitely does not splinter. I am also not looking for spot treatment, I am open to something that I do to the entire floor.
I read of a few possibilities, that I'll put here for discussion.
Would oil or water based polyurethane work?
Would applying non-slip wax do the trick?
What about some type of varnish?
Note, the idea would be to avoid having to sand down and refinish the floors, but if thats my only option, please say so. The wood layer is thick enough that it could be refinished if need be.
Best Answer
I really doubt you can sand your floors. Some engineered floors can be but this is a very small percent. And this would be a diy because pros won't want to be responsible for the thin top layer sanding through.
One of the things I have found with engineered hardwood is the clear coat varies drastically from different types. I have tested a lot and some scratch by pushing a penny across it and others I have had to stab full force with a screwdriver. I am guessing yours scratches with a penny.
So the only cost effective thing that would definitely help would be to add a couple layers of poly. You may need several layers.
http://www.clarkeus.com/clarkerental/~/media/029C45196DC6413FAC0CCF1922BD1BFA.ashx