# Repairing a dent in an Oak Floor



## grampa bob (Apr 9, 2007)

I have an opportunity to try and repair a dent in a new Oak Floor. I have in the past been quite sucessful at raising small dents in wood working projects by wetting or steaming the surface. I'm trying this on a sample piece of flooring with out much luck. I have sanded off the finish and tryed applying water by making a small putty dam around the dent. 24 hours of soaking has not raised the dent enough.

Any ideas or different approaches?


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

I would try and inject water into the wood at the dented area with a syringe. This will get the water into the wood and then take an iron with a wet rag and steam it out. Place the wet rag on top of the dent and then the iron on top of the rag and it should steam out.

Hope this helps.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Keep in mind if you are even able to get the needle of that syringe into the wood itself you will be left with a hole you can clearly see, on top of the dent in the wood. In addition the water (if you can get the needle into the wood which is unlikely) will not migrate past a fiber or two but will squirt uo into your face and not into the wood. It takes LOTS of pressure for wood fibers to acceot moisture between them (i.e. pressure treated wood) and you will never make the crushed cells themselves (bound water) take any. 

Not critisizing your needle idea Dave it is novel and ingenious. grampa Bob if I were you I would test it first before injecting the dent because if a dent bugs you a hole will drive you nanners. Plenty of diabetics around from whom a syringe may be borrowed. :glare: 

The dents your fixed with water before were they hardwood or soft? I am suprised to hear`if that ever worked on a hardwood.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I liked the idea so much I tested it, although as I had stated I just didn't think it would work. 

Before you view the results keep in mind my needles are extremely small gauge so they probably aren't the right tool for the job. But remember small needle small hole. Big needle big hole. 

Results: 
Hardwoods; Forget it. Couldn't penetrate any of the ones tested and I tested about 5 oak being one of them. At least with my needles. You might go to a feed store and get a bigger needle BUT . . . . read on.

Softwoods; Tested pine and cedar and was able to get slight penetration but, here's that but I was referring to, the water just squirts back out of the wood and I don't believe any of it penetrated.

I think that getting the needle in a hardwood is possible you cluod even drill a teeny tiny pilot hole but I think water penetration between the fibers would be a high hurdle to jump. If anyone tries it with a bigger needle please let us know what your results are. Removing dents from wood has never crossed my mind until this post but it seems like a wide-open market for someone who comes up with an effective process.
Dave you might be on to something you certainly have the right idea. Find a way to make those fibers take the water and maybe the dent will be minimized at least. I don't know how in the world you could ever get H20 in a cell again to re-inflate enough of them to "uncrush" a fiber strand though.


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

I have done it with softwood. I have never used the needle idea but thought I would throw it out there. What I have done which works is to take a wet terry cloth towel and place it over the dented area and then take a preheated iron and put right on top of the dent. This will cause steam which is forced into the wood swelling it up. I've heard of people using this method on hardwood and working but I have never tried it personally.


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## JCCLARK (Jan 30, 2007)

I use an iron and wet rag to steam out dents in hardwood all the time.
It works really good. I use mostly cherry and oak.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I learned something today I can go back to sleep now.


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