flooringhardwood-floorlaminate-floorwoodwood-filler
I am trying to do some repairs of the floor. As you can see on photos, there are some cracks, dents, and gouges.
I am thinking of getting wood filler for these, but I am not sure which one would be best for these types. In addition, I also need to make sure it will not stand out when done. So, I need to find a way around it to match to the rest of the floor. I was thinking of using paint, but I don't know which color and, plus, I tend to be very clumsy in these things.
Any ideas? 🙂
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there is really no magic putty or filler for shallow scratches and gouges in hardwood flooring. Even though there are a lot of colored wood fillers on the market, they are not designed for high traffic flooring or nuclear dogs. If it was just a couple of scratches you might be able to sneak by with a filler, but not for a refinishing job in a larger area as you describe. Most engineered flooring has 3/16" to 1/4" of hardwood veneer over a plywood base. If the scratches have not gone through the veneer, then you can sand the scratches smooth, stain to match, and refinish with 3 to 4 coats of urethane. I would recommend an oil based urethane. Apply 3 to 4 thin coats rather than 1 or 2 thick coats. Remember, the veneer is fairly thin and usually can only be sanded and refinished 2 or 3 times at best. Once the scratching penetrates the plywood base, your floor is unrepairable.
My advise would be to protect the floors with area rugs, runners, etc or keep the dog's nails cut short, or better yet, train them to behave in the house.
You should consider doing something mosaic-y there because the size difference will always prevent you from putting in a milled transition piece.
If you try to install something that looks perfect, it will always look imperfect. But if you go with something that is intentionally imperfect, it will look intentional.
Best Answer
First, this doesn't look like like solid wood flooring. At best, this is an engineering wood flooring (plywood). Mostly likely, since there are 3 boards to a plank, this is a laminate floor.
Second, the finish, in general, is in really bad shape. Any type of spot refinishing is just going to stick out, maybe as bad as the damage you are trying to cover.
Since this floor is most likely laminate, the typical means of refinishing a floor (sand and refinish) is out the question. The dark areas is primarily dirt, but using any type of harsh cleaner to get it out and then reseal is also out of the question. The cleaners will mostly destroy what is left of the finish and the wood look.
If this damage is localized, lets say the entry way, you can always use an area rug to cover. This I feel is your best option.