This article was written for Blue Hippo Flooring.

Can I remove that mark without redoing the floor?

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the lead character begins to lose her sanity as she contemplates her role in a murder (yes this has something to do with flooring).

Lady Macbeth’s famous line is “Out darned spot!” Since this is a family-friendly blog, the quote is slightly edited.

Yet her spirit captures our anxiety about a glaring scrape or scratch in an otherwise beautiful wood floor. The good news is that you may not have to refinish your entire floor to remove the darn spot.

Depending on the scratch, we may be able to isolate the area and lightly sand and refinish it. Good as new.

The big question is: Will the difference be noticeable? Yes and no. You, the home owner, will know where the mark was. If you study it under light, you’ll likely be able to see the difference. But for most everyone else, it will appear seamless.

Now, we must qualify this with “it depends.” We’ll need to look at the scratch and be honest with you about whether a spot repair is recommended.

And if it’s a major gash or a huge dent, there is no quick fix. There’s no workaround for fixing the hole from when you dropped your 45-pound dumbbell in the dining room.

And here’s a preventative note: Put felt pads on all solid surfaces that touch your floor. Felt is the key. Plastic sliders will still leave scratches.

The best way to keep out that darned scratch is to keep it from happening in the first place.