Cracks, chips, and scratches are pretty common in hardwood floors and furniture. Whether it’s deep scratches from when you try to move furniture, or it’s the claw marks of your pet, holes, dents, or other damages, the best wood filler for hardwood floors can fix them up nicely.
You don’t need to ask a professional woodworker to fix your hardwood floors. Using a wood filler is easy and straightforward; you can quickly fix scratches and cracks within no time.
Wood fillers come in different textures and consistencies, and some even come in pigmented forms to match different wood colors. If you are planning to get one, these reviews will help you to pick the right one according to your wood type.
Quick Pick Recommendation
If you are in a hurry, you can pick Elmer’s E914 wood filler formula. It comes in a 16 oz. container, which is perfect size for most home use.
The formula dries naturally and turns into white color which you can further sand, stain, and paint the putty surface without any issue. You will find this non-toxic interior wood filler as a great damage repairer for your furniture too.
Best Wood Filler for Hardwood Floors Reviewed
The list is made considering various types of woods and their colors. Among them, you will find the right wood filler for your wooden floor or furniture.
List of Top 5 Wood Filler for Hardwood Floor
- Coconix Floor and Furniture Repair Kit
- Elmer’s E914 Carpenter’s Color Change Wood Filler
- Minwax 42853000 Stainable Wood Filler, 16 Ounce
- Nadamoo Wood Filler Furniture Repair Kit
- Goodfilla Water-Based Wood and Grain Filler
1. Coconix Wood Floor and Furniture Repair Kit
Moving furniture often leads to scratches, chips, and dents on hardwood floors. You shouldn’t bother about damaging the floors in such cases when you have this amazing floor and furniture repair kit.
If you are particularly looking for a wood filler for cracks, look nowhere else.
You can mix the wood putty and the paint tubes that come with it to find the perfect match for your hardwood floors and furniture.
- Custom coloring
- Handles deep scratches and chips
- Impressive results on various woods
- Easy to apply
The kit includes one wood putty with 10 paint tubes that allows you to make custom colors to repair. There are mixing instructions and color charts from Coconix that come very useful.
If you have any colored furniture that got scratches, cracks, chips, etc., of them, you can rest assured after applying the putty on the damaged areas. It doesn’t require any glue, markers, wax, etc. to apply the putty whatsoever.
The thick properties of its putty allow you to repair large areas on the floors. Even if there are some serious and thicker scratches, the putty will take care of it flawlessly.
If you have pets in your home, and they just love clawing, you can easily bring the finish back, whether it’s furniture or the floors.
Downside: Before using these products, you need to work on the wood putty. It can be a bit challenging to use due to how dry it can be. Read the instructions to use it properly.
Verdict
Besides the wood putty, this repair kit is remarkable. The paints, for instance, are thick enough to fill in scratches, dents, and chips. They’re far much better than the crayons found in other sets, making these products a must-have for hardwood floors.
2. Elmer’s E914 Carpenter’s Color Change Wood Filler
Whether you are a professional carpenter or DIY person, you might have to come across cracks or holes in woods that require proper handling to be able to match with the wood color.
You can rely on this wood filler for such purposes. This is the best stainable wood filler for hardwood floors that you can get.
You can fix deep scratches, dents, chips, and even holes when you have this filler.
- Sandable, stainable, and paintable
- Fixes scratches, dents, holes well
- Non-toxic formula
- Natural color after drying
- Very easy to apply
When you apply it on the wood surface, it appears to be pink or purple. But, as it dries after a while, it turns into a more natural color that allows you to further sand, stain, or paint the surface.
If you are allergic to chemicals, you might like this non-toxic formula to fix your wood surface.
However, it’s recommended to use it for interior purposes only as it doesn’t hold up against outdoor weather well. If you are looking for a wood filler for staining, it definitely will bring great value to your carpentry work.
Downside: If you use this product on a vertical surface, you’ll notice that it doesn’t adhere as easily as it does over horizontal surfaces. It’s a bit challenging.
Verdict
This product is not grainy but rather smooth and clean. Because of that, working with it is a breeze. Another benefit is that it dries fast, and it holds the finish for a long time.
3. Minwax 42853000 Stainable Wood Filler, 16 Ounce
Before giving the final finish, you may notice some cracks and other defects on the wood pieces of furniture you are working on.
You will need a wood filler like this one that improves staining on wood. The filler is very much paintable so that you can give a proper finishing touch to the furniture.
No matter whether you prefer to use oil-based or water-based wood stains, this filler will be very much stainable with both types. Applying the filler is quite simple, like you always do. It dries much faster compared to the conventional formulas out there.
- Very effective at cracks, holes, and gouges
- Dries very fast
- Rock hard once it dries
- Makes staining and painting smoother
- Easily sandable
It takes about a minute or two to harden the putty. Once it’s hardened, then you can sand it to make it smooth. When it dries, it becomes rock hard, which means it will easily last for years. Due to its hardening character, it’s the best wood filler for large holes that you can buy.
There are some woods that suck up the moisture no matter how well you stained and painted the surface. This results in softwood rot. But, if you use this filler before staining the surface, it will prevent such issues from happening. You can save hundreds of dollars by not repainting the furniture.
Downside: Once applied, the filler remains visible. So, it’s almost necessary that you do some extra work afterward to leave the finish looking as good as possible.
Verdict
Though it needs some work after applying it, this filler remains one of the best. In fact, it’s so effective that you’d want to use it for other applications as well. For DIYers, carpenters, or homeowners, this product is a must-have.
4. Nadamoo Wood Filler Furniture Repair Kit, Wooden Surface Scratch Repair
Most houses have furniture in different colors. It’s hard to find a house that has one particular type of wood and color. Therefore, to hide or restore damages on the furniture, you will need a wood filler of different colors, or you have to paint the putty later on.
To make it easier and convenient, this wood filler kit comes with 12 wood fillers of different colors so that you no longer need to buy multiple products to handle the damages.
- 12 different colors of putty to match all wood types
- Easy to apply
- Nicely restores damages on furniture
- Nicely restores damages on furniture
- Provides matte finish on the wood
Regardless of the color of your furniture, you will find any of the 12 filler matches to the wood. However, if it doesn’t match as you expect, you can mix them and make custom colors that go perfectly with your hardwood furniture.
Applying the putty is easy, and it doesn’t take too long to repair the wood. All you need is to apply any of the custom filler onto the area and use a scraper to make it smooth. The kit includes a brush that you can use for detailing touch-ups.
If the damage occurs when you move the furniture or you have a pet that claws on the wood for no reason, you can conveniently repair those cracks, chips, dents, pet marks, and even holes with this amazing repair kit. No need to pay a professional to retouch the furniture at all.
Downside: The color of the filler rarely matches the wooden furniture or tables. Because of that, you have to mix them to find a mixture that would blend better with the surface.
Verdict
After using this filler to work a scratched coffee table, it’s near impossible to tell where the scratch was unless you look closely. The finish may need some work to match the color, but with this product, you can do that and more.
5. Goodfilla Water-Based Wood and Grain Filler – White Oak
Even though all the wood fillers claim to be stainable and paintable, the finish after staining or painting still remains questionable.
If you have previously used wood filler that you are not satisfied with, this water-based wood and grain filler will take care of all the damages on furniture.
Due to its excellent adhesive properties, the filler doesn’t crack, sink, shrink like the cheaper ones.
Once you apply and it becomes dry, the filler will go flawlessly with whatever stain or finish you throw onto it. There’s no need to buy extra hardened filler; this water-based formula will be more than enough for most cases.
- Pleasantly stainable and paintable
- Non-toxic water-based solution
- Great finish on the furniture and hardwood floors
- Dries quickly and very sandable
- Easy to apply
You can conveniently apply the filler to repair damaged or scratched furniture, apply it onto floors that are ready to finish, and repair the cracks and dents on wood pieces that you are about to stain.
The filler allows sanding, staining, tinting to deliver an excellent finish. It’s the best stainable wood filler for hardwood floors that you can get. This non-toxic water-based filler will surely save you both time and money.
Downside: Be careful to apply this product in a controlled environment. Sudden temperature changes cause it to shrink, and that could mess up the finish.
Verdict
This wood filler goes one step beyond with the ability to repair severely damaged chairs and furniture. It gets rid of scratches, chewed sections, or any other type of damage. If you have cats or dogs in the house, consider this one.
What to Look for Before Buying Wood Filler
To make sure you don’t end up buying the wrong one, here are the things that you need to consider before purchasing a wood filler –
Indoor or Outdoor Use
First, you need to determine where you will apply the putty. Is it for indoor or outdoor furniture? For indoor furniture as well as hardwood floors, water-based and gypsum wood fillers bring the best results.
As outdoor furniture has to endure different weather issues, getting a latex-based plastic filler will be the right choice to go with. These exterior wood putty are water-resistant, thus suitable for the outdoor environment.
Epoxy wood filler, on the other hand, works pretty well on both indoor and outdoor furniture.
Filling Types
Wood fillers come for specific filling purposes; whereas, you can use most fillers in versatile purposes. The packaging will tell you for what purpose the filler is formulated.
There are wood fillers for big holes, while some perform great filling cracks and scratches. Some are suitable for filling pores in open-grain woods. More so, some specific fillers work great on hardwood floors.
Color Matching
Wood fillers mostly have white or close-to wood colors. If you are to stain or paint the repaired area, you can go with a white formula. However, some fillers come in different colors to get close to the color of the furniture or wood piece.
There are some wood filling kits that come with different colors for you to pick one that goes perfectly with the wood color. Also, you can mix colors to get a custom color if none of them get close to the color of your furniture or hardwood floors.
Stainable and Paintable
If you are to stain and paint on the filler, make sure the putty can take stains and paints well. Some of them are hard to notice after staining and painting. However, this is not the case with all of them.
Types of Wood Fillers
To be able to find the best wood filler for hardwood floors or other reasons, you need to know about different types of them. Then you will easily get which type suits your needs the most.
1. Cellulose-Based Wood Filler
This is the most commonly available one. Made of wood filaments as well as binding substances, these wood fillers come in the form of power or dry mixable paste that is soluble in different solvents, including alcohol-based ones.
Although it takes time to prepare the mixture, once you apply the putty onto wood surfaces, it will provide you a long-lasting effect. You can also stain or paint on the applied area.
2. Gypsum-Based Wood Fillers
This type of wood filler is made of components that are mixed with water and minerals. The filler is soluble in water and forms a pretty hard surface that is too tough for cracking or shrinking. These wood fillers go well with surfaces that will be painted later on. You can only use the filler on indoor furniture.
3. Vinyl-Based Wood Fillers
These fillers got a mixture of calcium carbonate and poly-vinyl acetate. If you are to apply a very thin layer of putty, this is the one to go with. The thicker coat will cause cracking and shrinking. As the formula acts as a catalyst, it’s weatherproof, which means you can use it on outdoor wood surfaces.
It goes perfectly on small dents, scratches, and cracks where you will paint later on.
4. Epoxy-Based Wood Fillers
Based on petroleum substances, epoxy-based wood fillers are also used as adhesive glue. It’s basically a two-part putty formula that requires mixing and dries within a very short time.
Once the putty becomes dry, it forms a very solid bond that allows you to easily sand and paint on it. However, it doesn’t go well with stains. You can use it on outdoor furniture as it can withstand moisture quite well.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wood Filler
1. Can I put screws in wood filler?
As most wood fillers turn into solid rock surface when it’s dried, you can absolutely screw, drill, and saw on the applied surface without any issue.
2. Do all wood filler putty take paint?
You can paint oil-based wood filler easily. However, before painting, you need to sand the applied surface for the sake of the paint finish.
3. Can you put stain over a wood filler?
Pretty much all fillers are both stainable and paintable. And as far as epoxy wood fillers are concerned, this type doesn’t go with staining quite well.
4. How to fill large holes in wood furniture?
First, clean the area where you want to apply the putty. If you don’t want to paint the surface, make sure the color of the putty is close to the color of the furniture. Gently apply the putty on each hole. Let it dry before you touch or stain it.
5. Which wood filler is waterproof?
Latex and epoxy wood fillers are water-resistant; thus, these are applicable for outdoor furniture without any issue.
Final Words
When you have the best wood filler for hardwood floors, your interior will no longer be ruined due to major scratches, cracks, and dents.
Some fillers can also be used on furniture, which also saves you money as these fillers don’t require you to put much effort in applying them.
