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Pet Damaged Floors: Don’t Despair!
Pet ownership has ups and downs. Realizing your beautiful hardwood floor is damaged surely falls under the latter category. Marks on floors could be due to your dog’s nails being too long, scratching and even biting the floor or stains from urine accidents, some of which can produce an unpleasant odor.
The good news is that most of the havoc your furry angel can do to your cherished floors is restorable. In many cases, you can easily take care of these nuisances yourself with the practical information in this article. However, if floor repair is not for you, consider a pet-friendly flooring option.
Becoming a DIY Floor Repair Expert
If you stay positive you can find an efficient solution to the dog-related damage in the floor. First, look at the scratch or stain and analyze the extent of the damage. Are the scratches surface-level or deep gouges? Are the stains fresh or long standing? Days? Weeks? These questions will guide you toward the correct repair method.
Floor Repair Tool Kit: What you will need
In your floor repair journey, you will need a tool kit with the elements to tackle whatever scratch or stain is affecting your floor. The most basic of these are water, clean cloths, steel wool (or a rugged dry sponge), and patience.
Here is a list of additional products you may need depending on the severity of the damage.
Polyurethane Sealant: To seal the repaired area and restore its original shine.
Protective gloves: To keep your skin safe while handling chemical products.
Safety Googles: To keep harmful chemical substances from entering your eyes.
White Vinegar: To absorb the odor from smelly urine stains.
Floor Cleaner: To ensure the area is clean.
Wood Bleach: To remove difficult urine stains.
Wood Stain Marker: To even out the tone of the floor if the area has lost its color.
Wood Filler: To fill gouges and deep scratches.
Sandpaper (various grits): To even out the surface after applying a wood filler, or to remove a prior finish that was damaged.
Wood Wax: To seal and protect the wood after the repair.
Matching Protective Coating: To seal, protect, and match the tone of the floor.
Knowing When to Call A Pro
Sometimes you won’t be able to repair the damaged floor yourself. Call a professional floor repair service if:
- The damage covers a large area.
- The stains are deep and have penetrated the subfloor.
- The floorboards are worn, swollen, or buckled.
Remember that if your floor is made of engineered wood, it can only be professionally sanded once.
Scratches
Scratches are visible marks on the floor caused by your dog’s nails. They range from mild and isolated scratches, to severe repetitive scratches and gouges due to a behavior linked to stress, such as if you find your dog digging the floor.
Superficial Scratches
Superficial scratches are scrapes that have only damaged the protective layer and somewhat damaged the wood, but not deeply. They can easily be treated with attention to detail.
You’ll need water, floor cleaner, clean cloths, steel wool, sandpaper, and wood wax.
- Step 1: Clean the affected area with a cloth and floor cleaner.
- Step 2: Wipe the area dry, ensuring it’s free from dust and debris.
- Step 3: Gently rub the steel wool over the scratch following the wood grain (never rub in the opposite direction). If the floor is extremely delicate and the scratch is minor, you can use the rugged side of a common sponge instead of the steel wool.
- Step 4: Use sandpaper to level out the area.
- Step 5: Wipe the area clean and apply wood wax using a wax stick. Let the wax dry for 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Using a dry cloth, buff the area and apply a new protective coating if necessary.
Major Scratches and Deep Gouges
Deep gouges are scratches that have surpassed the protective layer and penetrated the wood. Depending on the severity, you may be unable to restore it yourself.
If the gouge only slightly penetrates the wood, producing a hole but keeping the floorboard in good condition, you may be able to restore it by using a wood filler and a stain marker.
You’ll need water, cleaner, clean cloths, a wood filler, sandpaper, wood wax, and stain marker.
- Step 1: Clean the affected area.
- Step 2: Gently sand the gouge. This will open the pores and allow the wood filler to adhere better.
- Step 3: Apply wood filler to the gouge (overfill it slightly)
- Step 4: Allow the filler paste to dry (follow the manufacturer’s instructions)
- Step 5: Sand the filled area to even it out.
- Step 6: Stain the area with a stain marker matching the color of the floor. Allow it to dry.
- Step 7: Apply the wood wax to the area to seal and protect.
Pro Tip on Matching Wood Stain Colors: Test the stains on a small area of the floor that’s not typically looked at. Use a paintbrush and apply a second coat if necessary.
Urine-Stains
A urine stain is damage produced by a chemical reaction to the urine. In this type of damage to the floor, time is of the essence. How fresh the stain is will greatly determine the extent of the damage and the window of repair. Stains become more difficult to repair the more set-in they get.
You’ll need water, cleaning cloth, white vinegar, floor cleaner, stain marker, wood wax.
Recent stains
For fresh stains, follow these steps.
- Step 1: Use a clean cloth to blot up as much of the urine as possible.
- Step 2: Clean the area with water and white vinegar (combine one part vinegar with one part water and put in a spray bottle).
- Step 3: Dry the area with a clean, dry cloth.
Older Stains
For older stains, follow these steps.
- Step 1: Clean the area with floor cleaner and dry.
- Step 2: Use sandpaper to sand off the finish.
- Step 3: Rinse the area clean (apply water and vinegar mix if it’s smelly)
- Step 4: Apply wood bleach (follow the manufacturer’s instructions) and allow it to dry.
- Step 5: Gently sand the area to open wood pores and allow better adherence of stain markers. (remove all debris with a humid cloth).
- Step 6: Apply a stain marker of the appropriate color and allow it to dry.
- Step 7: Apply a second coat of stain if needed. Allow to dry.
- Step 8: Apply wood wax to seal and protect.
- Step 9 (optional): Apply polyurethane sealant for a shiny finish.
Pro Tip on Applying Polyurethane Sealant: Purchase a polyurethane sealant with your floor’s sheen. Use a high-quality brush to apply thin, even coats. Lightly sand between each coating for a pristine finish.
Dog Damage to Floor Prevention
There are measures we can take to avoid future damage to floors. Routinely trimming your dog’s nails and ensuring they’re trained on obedience and house rules will go a long way.
For urine accidents, consider if your dog could benefit from a diaper. You can also place mats or rugs in strategic areas, like behind doors or wherever your dog spends time. The mats and rugs will be a physical barrier between your dog and the floor, providing reliable protection.
Floors: A Staple of Our Home
Floors have to endure a lot more than being stepped on. They bear the strain of excited paws, furniture displacements, and a variety of shoe soles. For many people, floors also serve the purpose of being beautiful, highlighting your home’s best qualities and providing you a comforting environment. By your side is little Rover and his adorable paws. With the proper care and management, our dogs and floors can get along perfectly.
