How To Fix A Long White Scratch On Wood Flooring

Watch our simple how-to to fix a long white scratch on a wood floor.

Few things stand out more than a long white scratch on a stained prefinished wood floor.

Many prefinished floors are coated with a urethane finish which contains Aluminum Oxide. While ALOX makes the finish incredibly durable and long lasting but when scratched it will appear white– quite alarming on a dark floor!

When this happens, many people think that the floor needs to be torn up and replaced. While board repairs are the best way to get rid of an obvious scratch, it is not an easy DIY project and can be costly to hire a pro who can produce results.

Here is an easier, DIY approach for repairing a surface scratch with just a few simple tools. Using stain and colored markers, along with clear wax can make the white scratch seem to vanish and the repair hardly noticeable.

Watch the video above to see the steps for repairing a bright white scratch. See our Amazon list for all the products we used.

Tools Needed:

Markers in various shades that match the floor (Sharpies or wood floor stain markers)
Optional: Hard wax, soldering iron and plastic scraper

filling in scratch on wood floor — First Step: Fill in the scratch with the markers that match. Use several colors to blend it in to the surrounding area.

Step 1 – Fill in Scratch with Markers

For the best look, pick a couple markers that match the different shades in the flooring. Use various color markers to fill in the scratch with the color that matches the surrounding floor.

We used multiple colors to blend in the scratch better. Look at the area and see if there are areas that are darker or lighter. Use a dark color in darker areas, then fill in the rest with the lighter color that matches.

Depending on your needs and how deep the scratch is, you can stop here! You may need to fill in the scratch again as the color comes off, but it’s a quick fix.

If the scratch is in a high traffic area, it’s a good idea to cover the marker with some wax to protect the color. Keep reading for how to create a wax coating over the scratch.

using wax to fill in wood floor scratch — Step 2: If you’d like more protection, fill in the scratch with a clear or color hard wax. This will fill in the scratch and keep the color from coming off from wear and tear.

Step 2 – Fill in Scratch with Hard Wax

If you are satisfied with how well the marker filled in the scratch, use a clear wax to cover it. If you think you need more color, use a wax with color that matches your flooring.

Heat up the soldering iron and use it to press the wax onto the scratch.

scratch repair — Last step: Scrape off excess wax and assess your work! Be sure to look at it from a standing angle and see how well the scratch blends in to the rest of the flooring.

Step 3 – Scrape off Excess Wax

Once the scratch is filled, let it dry and smooth out the excess with a plastic scraper. Take a look at your work and see if it could use more color or blending in. You can use the marker or more wax until you have the look you want.

fix a wood floor scratch — In just a few minutes, you’ve repaired a scratch! On to the next one!

Want to learn more about using a hardwood floor repair kit?

Get our guide to wood floor touch ups and download a checklist of all the things you need to build your own wood floor touch up kit. Using a repair kit is the easiest way to hide a hardwood floor scratch without replacing the board.

Have a board that needs more than a quick fix?

Sometimes a board is so damaged that it needs to be replaced. We’ve broken down all the steps to easily replace a board – get the tutorial here.