Hardwood floors easily become damaged. Moisture, heat, shoes and pets quickly alter a floor’s surface. They cause scuff marks, scratches, buckling, and more. You may worry that your floors will never be the same after this damage occurs. It is actually possible to repair hardwood floors though. It just takes some time and maintenance.

Repairing a Buckled Floor

Buckled floors occur when water damage happens. Floods are a common culprit of this. The first step to repairing a buckled floor is to make sure all water gets removed from the area and the floor is dried completely. A moisture reading may prove necessary if the floor shows signs of buckling, yet no moisture is visible. You can then lay the board back in place. A board with minor signs of buckling should return to normal. A second option is to place a box on top of the board once it gets put back in. This can help flatten the board back to normal. Heavily damaged boards need replacing.

Removing Scratches and Scuffs

Scratches and scuffs fill many wood floors. Pets living in the home can scratch a floor easily with their nails. Shoes even scuff up floors, leaving unsightly black streaks. You can remove these marks with a few simple steps. Your first job is to wash the floor using a wood floor cleaner. This removes most scuff marks and spots. The floor then needs wax. The wax will keep the wood from getting marked so easily in the future. Using a steel wool pad to apply the wax can help buff out scratches.

Fixing Cupped Floorboards

Cupped floorboards also develop from excess water getting absorbed into the wood. Rather than the entire piece buckling, the board only rises at the ends. It has a cupped look with the middle of the board remaining in place and the ends raised. Fixing this cup happens when the water gets removed and the board can settle back down. The ends of the board should get sanded down, but only after it is dried completely.

You do not have to worry that your hardwoods floors will never look the same again. Most floors return to normal after a few simple fixes are applied. If a larger problem develops, the entire floor may need replacing instead. You just have to keep it better maintained in the future.