3 Easy Ways To Get Scratches Out of Engineered Hardwood (2024)

Engineered hardwood flooring can stand up against a lot of life’s daily wear and tear. Unfortunately, no flooring is completely impenetrable. Over time, your gorgeous wood flooring will suffer a few nicks and dents. The good news is that a little scratch doesn’t have to be the end of your beautiful floors. You can try a few easy ways to get scratches out of engineered hardwood. With the right tools, a little effort, and the following tips on your side, you can protect your floors even when life’s little accidents happen.

Buffing Light Scratches

Light, shallow scratches are less stressful than major gouges in your wood floors, but they can still be unsightly. Fortunately, you can easily buff out light scratches in your wood. Before you do this, make sure the scratch is only in the wood veneer and doesn’t reach the core of the engineered hardwood. If this is the case, you can take a piece of fine-grit sandpaper and gently buff out the damage. For best results, move your sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain. When you’re done, wipe away the debris and seal the area to prevent further damage.

Handy Scratch Concealer

When scratches dig through the veneer of your floors, they reveal a stark white line. This makes the damage painfully obvious, especially when you have darker wood floor stains. Scratch concealer or touch-up repair kits help minimize the damage and make the scratch less obvious. Start by cleaning the area with the scratch. Apply the scratch concealer with a soft cloth. Wipe away the excess concealer, then expose the area to direct light to help the curing process. The concealer will reseal the floor and eliminate the glaring white line of the scratch.

Wax Repair Kit to the Rescue

One of the best ways to get scratches out of engineered hardwood is with a wax repair kit. Make sure you find a kit that matches the color of your wood floors. When you want to use the kit, clean the damaged area with rubbing alcohol. Make sure you get all debris out of the scratch itself. Once you prep the floor, follow the instructions in the kit to prepare your wax. Next, fill the scratch with wax. You can use a plastic putty knife or similar small tool to push the wax into the scratch. When you’re done, use a cloth to carefully remove excess wax from the area.

Scratches are a natural part of owning wood floors, but you have ways to minimize the damage. In addition to the above tips, you can prevent damage in the first place by investing in a harder wood species. Hickory engineered hardwood flooring is a gorgeous, versatile, and incredibly durable option for your home or business. Learn more about the benefits of hickory—and all our other gorgeous wood collections—by visiting From the Forest today.