Pee and Scratches on Hardwood floor Explained
Pets bring joy, companionship, and love to our homes, but they can also take a toll on hardwood floors. From scratches caused by claws to damage from pet urine, maintaining the beauty of your wood floors can feel like a challenge. In this article, we’ll explore the common issues pets cause to hardwood floors, how to fix the damage, and preventative measures to keep your floors looking stunning.
The Impact of Pets on Hardwood Floors
1. Scratches from Pet Claws:
Pets, especially dogs, can scratch hardwood floors with their claws. Over time, these scratches can dull the finish and leave visible marks. Pet toenail-scratches are very unlikely to cause permanent damage to a hardwood floor. Even when the damage goes through the finish and into the wood, it can usually be sanded out. But the bad news is that they have to be sanded out, which costs money or time.
2. Pet Urine Damage:
There are only two things that can ruin a hardwood floor beyond all hope: floods and urine, and when pet urine is left on hardwood floors, it can seep into the wood, causing discoloration, warping, and unpleasant odors. The acidic nature of urine can eat away at the floor’s protective finish, leading to long-term damage.
Tips to Fix Damaged Hardwood Floors
1. Fixing Scratches:
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Light Scratches: Use a hardwood floor repair kit or a wood stain marker to blend the scratch with the rest of the floor.
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Deeper Scratches: Sand the area lightly with fine-grit sandpaper, then refinish it using a matching wood stain and protective coating.
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Professional Refinishing: For widespread scratches, hire a professional to sand and refinish the entire floor for a uniform look.
2. Treating Pet Urine Stains:
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Immediate Cleanup: Blot the area with a paper towel and clean it with a hardwood-friendly enzyme cleaner designed to neutralize odors.
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Stubborn Stains: Sand the affected area and refinish it. For severe damage, replacing the damaged planks may be necessary.
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Odor Removal: Baking soda or specialized odor removers can help eliminate lingering smells. Professional cleaning services can offer advanced treatments for deep-seated odors.
1. Regular Nail Trimming: Keep your pet’s nails trimmed to reduce the risk of scratches. Alternatively, use claw caps for added protection.
2. Use Rugs and Runners: Place area rugs or runners in high-traffic areas to shield the floor from scratches and stains. Choose washable rugs for easy maintenance.
3. Clean Spills Immediately: Accidents are inevitable, but quick cleanup can prevent urine from penetrating the wood. Keep cleaning supplies handy to address spills as soon as they occur.
4. Protective Floor Coating: Consider applying a durable finish to your hardwood floors, such as polyurethane or aluminum oxide, for added resistance against scratches and stains.
5. Train Your Pet: Invest in proper training to minimize accidents indoors. Providing designated scratching posts and toys can also divert your pet’s attention from the floors.
Restoring and Maintaining Your Hardwood Floors
Over time, even with the best preventative measures, hardwood floors may need professional attention. A restoration service can:
- Remove deep scratches and stains
- Sand and refinish the surface
- Apply high-quality protective coatings
Our team specializes in restoring hardwood floors, ensuring they look as beautiful as the day they were installed. With years of experience and premium products, we’ll help you maintain the charm and value of your home.
General Questions
How expensive is Clean & Recoat?
Prices will vary but typically a contractor will charge you less than what they would charge you for sanding and refinishing the floor. Pricing will depend on how much time they spend cleaning a floor, the type of finish they use and the number of applications of finish they make. Get several estimates but pay careful attention to how long they will take, how they will prep the surface and the type of finish they will use. Learn More…
Is this a dusty, smelly process?
The smell of the chemicals used to clean the floors is comparable to typical household cleaners and are not toxic or hazardous. The buffers we use have dust containment systems attached to vacuums to minimize any dust from prep work. We only work with waterborne urethanes that have no offensive odors. Done correctly, Clean & Recoat is the least invasive recoating process on the market today.
How log will a Clean & Recoat last?
With proper care and maintenance and by following a common sense approach to reduce wear and damage, a floor that’s been recoated can give you years of excellent service. I’ve seen floors that I recoated more than ten years ago that are still in very good shape. Most floors that are being recoated will be getting a waterborne finish and these finishes are very good and easily maintained. Learn More…
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer — usually melamine. The print film layer is either fused or glued to the inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The earlayer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wearlayer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance. Learn More…
What is Engineered Flooring?
Engineered flooring is produced by bonding three or more layers of wood. The crossing of grain direction within the boards makes this a very dimensionally stable product able to resist nearly all expansion and shrinkage from normal moisture changes. This is one primary feature that makes it suitable for use directly on concrete and below-grade application. Learn More…
Will my floor age or change color?
Yes. You can expect to see shade differences in your floor over time. The cause is usually from exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, whether direct or indirect. This color change will be more noticeable in lighter colors, which will darken over time. In addition, certain species like Brazilian cherry, will naturally darken over the years. These changes are due to the natural characteristics of wood and are not covered by most manufacturers’ warranties.
What is Custom Finishing?
Sanding and refinishing performed to individual specifications. Custom finishing of wood floors is performed in the home on the completely installed new floor, or to refurbish a previously finished floor. Custom finishing permits the owner to select from a full range of stains, sheens and colors.
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