Having laid an expensive and gorgeous real wood engineered floor it doesn’t take long before the beautiful patina of the wood in small areas starts to get scratched and scuffed resulting from the ravages of everyday life. Dining chairs being dragged in and out, high heeled shoes dancing across the boards, toys being put through their paces and central heating systems all take their toll on the surface of the boards.
In order to remove the scratches and scuffs and restore the boards to their original condition a little bit of elbow grease and the application of some hard wax oil is all that should be required.
To remove scratches from from a small area of boards use a 300 grit sandpaper to remove the majority of the scratch and then go over the area with a 100 grit paper to smooth it down. Wear PPE for protection while sanding the boards. It is not necessary to completely remove the scratch as the application of the oil will fill and hide small indentations once they have been sanded.
Once the boards have been sanded hoover off the wood dust and then wipe them over with a mildly damp cloth to remove any remaining dust.
If the boards have never been oiled before then it maybe beneficial to give the whole floor a coat as this can both improve the look of the board and protect the surface and also help stop the boards from drying out. Preventing the boards from drying out will help keep their structural integrity and preserve the surface but as always make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions about preparation and application before applying any oil.
The oil can be applied with a lint free cloth or a brush using a thin coat. If repairing a small area then make sure to feather the edges around the sanded area to hide the transition from new oiled to surface to the old surface. Have plenty of ventilation while oiling the boards and leave them to dry as recommended by the manufacturer of the oil.
