Issues of Urine – While no one can predict rain damage, if one owns a cat, dog or even a bunny rabbit, you know that one of these days there will be accidents, and if it happens once, it usually happens two, three and more times. If the accident isn’t cleaned up immediately, this can damage your hardwood flooring.

IF you discover the pet stain within four hours, douse the spot with mild acid like vinegar.   This may neutralize any ammonia. Allow this to dry completely (2 weeks) before you try any other corrective measures. If the accident occurs on a carpet or a rug, this keeps the liquid from drying and causes even more damage.

There is a false belief that stains like these can be bleached away, this is untrue. However sanding may work. Use a sander of at least 36grit. It is important to keep the sander moving.

Toenail scratches – Scratches can usually be sanded out, which costs money and time.

You can try using more coats of finish. This will allow the scratches to affect mainly the topcoat. Or you could use a tougher finish – Waterborne Polyurethane finishes tend to ward against Traffic. They can be more expensive, but is much less than re-sanding a floor.

If you don’t like the extra-plastic look of the multiple coats of Polyurethane, another option is penetrating oil. This will increase the need for maintenance, which should occur at least quarterly.

Make sure to keep your pet’s nails clipped, and free of grit and sand.