Tried to do something to make my wife happy and ended up causing a bigger problem. NO good deed goes unpunished...

We just got prefinished hardwood floors installed. Contractor was supposed to come back and move the kitchen stuff back into place but hasn't come back yet. I moved everything in without a problem (table, chairs, etc.) However, in moving the refrigerator, I made a mark. I moved it first about five feet in an area I knew would be covered by a table and rug and it was fine. But when I changed direction, it looks like one of the wheels got stuck and rather than rolling just slid across the floor and left what looks like a pushed in line across the boards maybe a 1/4 inch wide for about 6 feet. I feel like such an idiot for doing this. Is there any easy fix for this or will I need to bring the installer back and pay him to fix it?? Unfortunately, I can't find the camera at the moment or else I would have posted pictures.

Thanks,

Nick

No need to post a photo. We've all seen this a million times. IMO, there is no good fix outside of board replacement. You can TRY to steam it with a clothes iron but I am unsure how well that will work through layers of alum. oxide polyurethane. Just pay the installer to replace the boards or live with the dent line.

I've got extra boards from the original installation. Is this something I could tackle myself? I have limited knowledge, no tools but am willing to learn, buy and go slow. I have a feeling I just answered my own question. How would you rate this in a difficulty scale?

There's a decent chance you could mess up more boards while trying to remove the ones that are already damaged. It's really, really easy to damage additional wood if you try this. Plus why buy tools you might never use again just for one job?

Get your installer or somebody else knowledgeable to do it and you won't regret it. Why compound your mistake by making things worse at this point?

You could live with it.. Have a conversation piece.
Call it a work of Art and sign it !!

There will be more scratches.. it's wood

Good one!

Ray, that don't sound like scratches... that usually means the floor is dented. I'm in agreement with prometheus, call back the installer. Why did he/she not come back?

Go to a big box store and buy a sheet of thin Masonite. Have them rip it for you into 12" wide strips so you can lay those down when the ref. has to pulled out for cleaning. Keep'em underneath a bed

I made the same mistake with my big screen TV. It was on casters and so I thought I could just roll it in carefully (diy mistake). Well, it made the same dent that yours did. To be honest no one has ever said anything about it, nor can I see it without looking really closely and getting on the floor.

My questions for you:

How easily can you see it? Do you have to search for it, or can you see it clearly at an upright position?

You are right Jerry. This is an indentation.

All kidding aside, one might try putting water on the dent and see if it swells back to 50% or better, to minimize the dented appearance. A friend of ours in Louisiana dented their floor the same way and upon our visiting we put some water in an eye dropper and placed some water INTO the Dented area. Waited about 30 minutes and removed the excess water. The dent swelled up, and it did look much better, although there was still a dent.. just not as noticeable.