Hardwood floors are beautiful and durable, but they are not impervious to scratches or scuffs. While some smaller scratches can add character to a home, some can be a real eyesore. When this wear and tear begins to show, it's pretty hard to ignore, and can cause a lot of anxiety for any homeowner.

So today, I'm going to show you some ways to fix scratches in hardwood without breaking your budget.

Step 1: Smaller Scratches

For smaller scratches, you usually only need to help fill in the color of the wood. To do this you'll want to grab a stain pen or can of stain that is as close to the existing color of your floor as possible. Apply the stain to the floor and use a rag to help blend it into the floor.

On lighter floors, you might consider applying the stain to the rag directly and wiping it onto the floor. It's always a good idea to test the stain on some scratch wood or an inconspicuous area of the floor first to ensure it blends in nicely.

Step 2: Medium Scratches

For larger or deeper scratches, another good option is to apply a melted wax that fits the color of your floor. There are a lot of wax kits available, or you can even use a crayon if the shade works.

Using a blow dryer or heat gun, heat the wax until it is slightly melted, then apply it to the floor. Fill it to just above the scratch, the using a clean rag, buff the scratch and the surrounding area to blend it in.

Step 3: Larger Scratch Materials

For a larger scratch, you're going to need something a bit more substantial to fill it in, so consider grabbing the following items:

Stainable Wood Filler
Stain Pen
Painter's Tape
Wipe-on Poly
Putty Knife
Sanding/ Sponge Paper

With these tools ready, we can deal with this larger problem pretty easily.

Step 4: Dealing With Large Scratches

Apply some painter's tape around the area you're fixing, then apply the wood filler to the area to the scratch. Do your best to keep it as smooth as possible. Once it's dry, lightly sand the area and attempt to feather the edges with the surrounding floor.

Next, apply the stain the patched area using a rag or foam brush. Again, it's always a good idea to test this out on some scratch first if possible. Once it's dried, if your floor as a luster to it, apply a small amount of wipe-on poly to the area to help blend it in better.

Step 5: And That's It!

Hopefully this guide was helpful in showing some ways you can cover or fix scratches in your floors. The only true way to fix deep scratches is to replace the wood or refinish it, but these tips should be able to make those troubled spots far less noticeable, especially if you're on a budget.

Thank you so much for checking out this guide, I hope it helped you in some way! If you want to see some other tips, tricks, and projects that I've done, here are some great places to start.

How to Install Hardwood Floors

How to Fix a Crack in Concrete

And as always, I'll see you next time!