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I've recently moved in to an apartment where the floor boards are damaged in some areas, presumably because there has been a lot of traffic in these spots. And it has been like this for years it seems, since the damage goes so deep. I'm attaching a photo.

I know I can't repair these much, I'm mostly looking to prevent further damage. My idea is to sand the area and carefully apply new white stain and new varnish. Never done this before though. How likely is it that the repairs will match the colour of the rest of the floor? Any advice on technique or products to use? Can I fill the "holes" with some kind of wood filler and then stain?

damaged floor :(

Tester101
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jimmy
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1 Answers1

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You'll never get it to match. Even if you bought the exact same stain and exact same varnish, it still wouldn't match because the rest of the floor has aged.

The only real solution to this is to refinish the entire floor by sanding it down and re-staining. While a lot of work, it is in the realm of do-it-yourselfers if you have the right tools and some patience.

You mentioned an apartment - if you are a renter you should get permission from the landlord before you try any type of repair by yourself.

Steven
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  • Thank you. As I said, I don't expect a perfect, or even good, match. It's more about preventing further damage - the wood is fraying. – jimmy Jul 27 '15 at 21:02
  • The damaged, frayed wood seems like it could pose a safety hazard to a barefoot passerby. I would petition the landlord to pay for the fix. If looks do not matter you could rent a drum sander and take down the area until smooth, then stain it... or just hide the area with a rug. – Jimmy Fix-it Jul 28 '15 at 03:13