How can I repair scratches in engineered hardwood floors?

Question

I have two large dogs, of which one has nails that any woman would kill for, and the energy of a nuclear power plant. My home's primary living areas are all hardwood floors: kitchen, bath, living room, dining room, and staircases. I have an open floor plan.

My hardwood floors are engineered Bruce Oak with a high gloss finish have areas that are severely scratched and grooved from the dogs' nails. Around columns and corners the finish is gone from my female dog who runs laps up and down the stairs and around the breakfast table and snack bar area. I have had so many unqualified friends give me advice on repairing these areas that I am very confused on what to do.

Can anyone tell me what is the best way to fill these groves below the finish and put the finish back down without having a professional come in to do it? I am fairly self sufficient and do a lot of my own home improvements. I can fix almost anything except the furnace and have done everything from auto, appliance, and home repairs for friends as well as myself.

I just need to know what the best filler/putty or compound is for filling, and what type of polyurethane I should use. I would also like some type of technical assistance, step by step, on how to do the repairs.

Answer 1

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there is really no magic putty or filler for shallow scratches and gouges in hardwood flooring. Even though there are a lot of colored wood fillers on the market, they are not designed for high traffic flooring or nuclear dogs. If it was just a couple of scratches you might be able to sneak by with a filler, but not for a refinishing job in a larger area as you describe. Most engineered flooring has 3/16" to 1/4" of hardwood veneer over a plywood base. If the scratches have not gone through the veneer, then you can sand the scratches smooth, stain to match, and refinish with 3 to 4 coats of urethane. I would recommend an oil based urethane. Apply 3 to 4 thin coats rather than 1 or 2 thick coats. Remember, the veneer is fairly thin and usually can only be sanded and refinished 2 or 3 times at best. Once the scratching penetrates the plywood base, your floor is unrepairable.

My advise would be to protect the floors with area rugs, runners, etc or keep the dog's nails cut short, or better yet, train them to behave in the house.

Answer 2

My sister recently started to use some silicone covers for her dogs nails. She trims the nails, the puts drops of glue in the nail covers, then slides them on. She says they are a god-send. I have no idea what brand she uses or where she finds them, but they were surprisingly not too expensive.

Added Link: http://www.softpaws.net/colors.html

Answer 3

A high-gloss finish and energetic dogs (or kids, for that matter) probably make a bad combination. It may be too late for your floor, but if you have to replace it and want more wood, I would recommend something with a texture to it. There are a number of wirebrushed engineered floor choices that do a great job of hiding scratches; in fact, they only give it more character! A light-colored wirebrushed engineered floor might be the perfect thing.

Answer 4

I'm confused. Why are you going to go to the trouble of repairing the floors, if you are keeping the dogs and they are still going to be tearing around? The repaired floor will just get ruined again, so waste of money and time. You say rugs are not an option. Why? Slippage? You could use a non-slip underpad. The other option is broadloom installed wall to wall, although aesthetically that's not always a preference...