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I am trying to do some repairs of the floor. As you can see on photos, there are some cracks, dents, and gouges.

I am thinking of getting wood filler for these, but I am not sure which one would be best for these types. In addition, I also need to make sure it will not stand out when done. So, I need to find a way around it to match to the rest of the floor. I was thinking of using paint, but I don't know which color and, plus, I tend to be very clumsy in these things.

Any ideas? :)

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  • In a comment to an answer you mentioned you had extra laminate boards. Can you post a picture of one of the extra boards so we can see the how they connect together.
    – diceless
    Commented Aug 7, 2015 at 17:06
  • Yes, I do, but there is little point, since the boards are glued and stuck together. I tried taking out one of them and the others began also moving up along. It is more risky than I thought.
    – Billy the Poet
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 17:25
  • Typically that style of laminate is not glued together but it does take seperating the floor along the seam from one wall to the other. This is typically done with a mallet and a special tap bar to 'grab' the floor so they can be popped apart. But in a pinch, and if the click-lock is poor, you can use a shoe that sticky soul and kick the boards apart.
    – diceless
    Commented Aug 10, 2015 at 3:59
  • Leave it, it adds character to the floor. The one thing you're guaranteed to get with a wood floor, are imperfections. It's part of the charm (at least in my opinion). Knots, grain, dents, dings, scratches, they all add character to the floor. Clean it up, and cover it with polyurethane to protect the wood.
    – Tester101
    Commented Aug 26, 2015 at 11:30

3 Answers 3

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First, this doesn't look like like solid wood flooring. At best, this is an engineering wood flooring (plywood). Mostly likely, since there are 3 boards to a plank, this is a laminate floor.

Second, the finish, in general, is in really bad shape. Any type of spot refinishing is just going to stick out, maybe as bad as the damage you are trying to cover.

Since this floor is most likely laminate, the typical means of refinishing a floor (sand and refinish) is out the question. The dark areas is primarily dirt, but using any type of harsh cleaner to get it out and then reseal is also out of the question. The cleaners will mostly destroy what is left of the finish and the wood look.

If this damage is localized, lets say the entry way, you can always use an area rug to cover. This I feel is your best option.

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  • Thanks for the detailed explanation. But, are there any options other than using a rug? It's not like that's the end of all. I just need to repair it so it matches the rest of the floor. Besides, haven't fillers for laminate surfaces been used before for even worse stuff?
    – Billy the Poet
    Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 23:11
  • @BillythePoet How deep are those dents?
    – diceless
    Commented Aug 7, 2015 at 16:50
  • Fillers are usually used to cover nail holes, which are small deep indents. This give enough for the filler to grab and not fall out. Shallow wide indents and the filler will just flake out.
    – diceless
    Commented Aug 7, 2015 at 16:59
  • @BillythePoet Also, how long term do you need this to be? Are you moving out a rental and just want to get your deposit back? Or is this your residence and want the floor to last another 5 years?
    – diceless
    Commented Aug 7, 2015 at 17:03
  • ,Thank you for getting back to me! The dents are not too deep. And, yes, I need it to get my deposit back. My room was not well furbished even when I signed up for it. I don't think they intend to change anything as long as there is something below the feet. But, they will want to make money off me.
    – Billy the Poet
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 17:24
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it may sound crazy but if never done before, take pic , pull it up & flip boards. choose any color you like, lightly sand, stain, put wood back ( remember to stager boards & keep same gap as original ) lightly sand ( i prefer fine steel wool. ) mysel, a friend works in graphics industry, designed & produced .a large HARLEY DAVIDSON BAR &.CROSS SHIELD which i placed on floor ) &2coats of clear polyurithane ( steel wool between coats) & that floor will take anything you throw at it.

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  • I wouldn't recommend taking the wood up with tongue and groove flooring. While possible it's hard to get a good fit once the boards are removed. Additionally it's easy to have other boards damaged when trying to take the few boards out. Just my thoughts though.
    – Dano0430
    Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 15:30
  • Hi, Dave, is it much of a mess to pull out laminate boards and exchange them with others considering that I have extra?
    – Billy the Poet
    Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 23:33
  • Tearing out boards is likely to be a nightmare. If it's a click together floor, you'll need to pull everything in one direction to get new ones in. If they're tongue/groove, they were probably glued and will self destruct on removal. Since I assume complete replacement (with a more durable product this time around) is out of the picture, I agree with @diceless and the area rug.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Aug 7, 2015 at 2:41
  • They are glued indeed. I began to try but I quickly ceased any work. It didn't take me longer than a minute to understand this ain't going to work out :(
    – Billy the Poet
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 17:24
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My dad & I installed Hardwood while I was a teenager. We worked with another guy to finish it. He would get a putty and go over the whole floor with it. I would say with those gouges you can try to sand out the dark outlines and fill with some putty. Their odd shape and form will make them stand out a bit but it's better than paint. If you get a putty to match your end coat (clear finish with poly or something like that) then I think you'll be okay. Clear coats are a little easier to match I think. Also the Woodworkers Stack Exchange would have a wealth of ideas on this but not sure about cross posting.

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