Beautiful, classic wood floors are a stunning feature in many homes in Houston. But with the bustle of everyday life, it doesn’t take long for scratches to appear. Although the lines might start small, the surface damage can eventually dull the shine of your hardwood.

Do wood floors scratch easily? They certainly can. The density of the wood determines how resistant your flooring is to damage. The good news is that most small-to-moderate scratches are simple to repair.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to get scratches out of wood floors, different home repair methods you can use, and when to turn the floors over to professional care.

For floors with deep scratches or heavy damage, you can count on our team at Floor Coverings International® of Houston Memorial to professionally refinish your flooring.

How Deep Are the Scratches?

While scratches often start as minor surface marks, they can deepen and quickly affect the beauty of the room. How do you get scratches out of wood floors? It depends on how deep the damage is, since deeper marks will require more in-depth care.

Here's how to recognize what level of damage your floors have, so you can choose the best solution:

Light scratches show as light marks in the finish and commonly come from dirt, shoes, or minor scuffs.
Moderate to deep scratches cut into the wood layer itself. These marks normally come from pet nails or moving furniture.
Gouges are severe dents or deep marks that require more intensive repair.

Note: Some scratches are easy enough to buff out, while others require more care than many homeowners want to handle. That’s when turning to our reliable team makes sense. We’ll restore your floors without the stress.

A Quick Fix for Light Scratches

With some simple at-home repairs using tools like cleaners, polish, or stain markers, you can usually disguise light scratches and fine lines in the wood.

When you’re dealing with minor scuffs and scratches that are just visible enough to distract from the beauty of the wood, you can easily repair the wear lines from home.

Here's a simple way to repair small imperfections in your wood floors:

Clean the area. By carefully sweeping or dry mopping the surrounding area, you can remove dust and dirt that could cause micro scratches as you work.
Buff the floor with a soft cloth and hardwood floor cleaner. This gives you a smooth surface to work with.
Blend the finish with a floor polish or scratch repair product. Choose a tone that’s close to the finish on your floor for the best results.
Consider blending markers or ground walnuts to mask minor scuffs. These can be simple, cost-effective solutions to hide imperfections without expensive floor refinishing.

Repairing Moderate Scratches

For more moderate damage, you’ll still want to thoroughly clean the space to prepare the area. Depending on the depth of the scratches, you may take a few different routes for repairing damage.

These are a few common methods to keep in mind:

Wood stain markers work for repairing lighter scratches that damage the finish but barely dig into the wood layer. With a marker that matches the tone of your floor stain, you can apply a few layers to blend with the floor color and mask the damage.
Colored putty or wax sticks are more helpful for deeper marks that leave etches in the wood. You can easily fill in scratches, smooth the surface, and seal with a clear coat, if it feels necessary.
Light sanding and reapplying finish is often reserved for medium-depth marks that can’t be addressed with simple repairs.

How to Fix Deep Scratches and Gouges

Deeper marks may need more hands-on care, such as sanding, fillers, or even board replacement. And often, professional repair is the best option.

Here’s how you can DIY deeper marks in your wood floors:

Sanding down the area and refinishing with spot repair. It's best to choose fine-grain sandpaper to avoid adding more scratches and fine lines to the wood. Choosing the same wood stain will also help make your repair look discreet.
Filling with wood filler or epoxy for a structured fix can offer the volume needed to fill deeper gashes in the wood before adding a coat of stain or sealant as needed.
Replacing damaged boards might be necessary in severe cases where the damage causes splintered wood or a gouge that’s too deep to disguise with wood fillers.

Choose the Right Method Based on Your Floor Finish

The finish of your floors can also impact how you repair minor scratches:

Polyurethane-sealed floors work best with surface treatments and polish.
With oil-finished floors, scratches can sometimes be buffed out and re-oiled.
Waxed floors can commonly be rewaxed to disguise minor imperfections.

When to Call a Professional

While it’s completely possible to repair small to moderate scratches at home, there are certain points when the damage is too far for the average homeowner to get a smooth repair at home.

It's best to call in a professional when:

Large sections have deep scratches or gouges. Deep scratches can compromise the integrity of the plank, and if several are clustered in one area, there’s a higher possibility you’ll have to replace parts of the floor.
DIY methods don’t blend well with the existing finish. If you gave it a shot and ended up with a repair that stands out, professional refinishers can smooth out the blemish with a flawless repair.
Refinishing is more cost-effective than spot treating the entire floor. If you have extensive damage that affects several areas of the floor, professional refinishing could save you time and money instead of patch-repairing the whole floor.

Ready for Your Houston Home’s Wood Floors to Look Brand-New?

Many homeowners in the Houston Memorial area take pride in their rich hardwood floors. While the floors bring warmth, character, and timeless charm, daily wear can gradually dull the hardwood with scratches and surface damage.

But scratches don’t have to be permanent.

If you have scratched wood floors that need some professional care, our team at Floor Coverings International® of Houston Memorial offers skilled wood floor refinishing in Memorial, TX, and the surrounding area. Simply give us a call at (281) 720-3688 or set up a free consultation to get started today.

How Do You Get Scratches Out of Wood Floors?