Thanks for that expert advice - let’s consider the scenario where I don’t know what I’m doing, and I just want to avoid my landlord deducting too much from the deposit when I move out, what would you recommend?
In that case, I would recommend using your time machine to go back in time and buying something to protect the floor from the sofa.
Short of sanding the floor down, there’s really not a lot that you can do. The dents and dings aren’t going to pop back out; it’s not like auto repair where you can use a suction cup to pup them back up. Sanding the floor down is expensive; you’re looking at thousands of dollars to have it done by a professional that will do it correctly. Doing it yourself is… not a great idea, unless you are a perfectionist and have a pretty good idea of what you’re doing. Even then, renting the machines–or buying!–and buying the needed sandpaper, CA glue, and poly finish (assuming you want to use poly; I have other finishes that I prefer, but poly is fast and usually non-toxic) may well be more than your deposit.
The argument that you’re going to want to make is that this is expected wear and tear; that might fly with your landlord, it might not. You could make a small-claims case out of it, and you might be able to win that. Or you might not, and then you’d be out your deposit, plus the cost of filing a small-claims case.
If it’s actual hardwood then, if you try to fix this, you’ll almost certainly end up doing more damage. An expert probably won’t touch any job for less than $750 because they’re experienced artists as well as technicians.
The best case scenario is it’s not true hardwood, instead wood veneer tongue and groove where pieces are easily replaced… which starts by removing all the baseboards and pieces of floor from the edge to the piece that needs replaced. Anyone could easily learn to do that. But, is it worth the time and effort for a couple hundred bucks?
Probably the best thing to do now is to prevent any more damage. That could be as simple as some 1/4 plywood between the legs and the floor. A quality rug is more expensive and would also work.
Thanks for that expert advice - let’s consider the scenario where I don’t know what I’m doing, and I just want to avoid my landlord deducting too much from the deposit when I move out, what would you recommend?
In that case, I would recommend using your time machine to go back in time and buying something to protect the floor from the sofa.
Short of sanding the floor down, there’s really not a lot that you can do. The dents and dings aren’t going to pop back out; it’s not like auto repair where you can use a suction cup to pup them back up. Sanding the floor down is expensive; you’re looking at thousands of dollars to have it done by a professional that will do it correctly. Doing it yourself is… not a great idea, unless you are a perfectionist and have a pretty good idea of what you’re doing. Even then, renting the machines–or buying!–and buying the needed sandpaper, CA glue, and poly finish (assuming you want to use poly; I have other finishes that I prefer, but poly is fast and usually non-toxic) may well be more than your deposit.
The argument that you’re going to want to make is that this is expected wear and tear; that might fly with your landlord, it might not. You could make a small-claims case out of it, and you might be able to win that. Or you might not, and then you’d be out your deposit, plus the cost of filing a small-claims case.
I’m not an expert, just a hobbyist.
If it’s actual hardwood then, if you try to fix this, you’ll almost certainly end up doing more damage. An expert probably won’t touch any job for less than $750 because they’re experienced artists as well as technicians.
The best case scenario is it’s not true hardwood, instead wood veneer tongue and groove where pieces are easily replaced… which starts by removing all the baseboards and pieces of floor from the edge to the piece that needs replaced. Anyone could easily learn to do that. But, is it worth the time and effort for a couple hundred bucks?
Probably the best thing to do now is to prevent any more damage. That could be as simple as some 1/4 plywood between the legs and the floor. A quality rug is more expensive and would also work.