Low-Cost Fixes to Floors When They're All Scratched Up

By Lisa Kaplan Gordon

In every floor's life, a little mug will fall or chair will drag, scratching or denting its surface. But don't despair; creativity and a trip to a drugstore or home center will cheer up your unhappy floor.


Hardwood

A fast application of a hardwood cleaner will add a quick shine to dull flooring. Of course, it won't look as good as a floor refinish, but at $15 per gallon, it won't break your budget.

• A box of crayons will fix minor scratches on wood floors. Pick a matching crayon and color it in -- be sure to stay in the lines. Buff to a shine. A matching permanent marker can camouflage deeper, ugly scratches.

• Grind the meat of a walnut or pecan into scratches. The nut oil will provide a shine that blends with a polyurethane or water-based surface finish.


Ceramic Tile

Always keep spare tiles to replace those that are irreparably damaged. For smaller fixes, try these tips.

• Reattach chipped tile (if you have the chip) with a little Crazy Glue.

• Use nail polish to fill tile scratches. Select a shade closest to your tile color, and apply to scratches.


Vinyl

It's hard to wreck resilient vinyl. But if you do ...

• To cover small burns on vinyl sheeting, sand a spare piece of vinyl; mix the vinyl "powder" with clear nail polish, and dab over the burn. Warning: wear a dust mask when sanding.

• To reattach peeling edges of bathroom vinyl tile, cover the tile with aluminum foil and an old towel, then press down with a medium hot iron. This should melt the underlying adhesive and let it re-bond the loose edges. Weigh down with heavy books for 24 hours.


Laminates

Laminate flooring is tough, but it isn't invulnerable. Most laminate floor manufacturers offer color-matched floor fillers ($6-$12) for repairing nicks and scratches; ask your retailer. Or, try these tips:

• Nail polish remover will remove furniture scuffs from laminate floors. Pour a little on a clean rag and wipe scuffs. Erase more stubborn scuffs with a pencil eraser (not the stand-alone pink ones, which can stain).

• Rub a color-matched putty stick on nicks and gouges.

This article was originally published on HouseLogic.

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