What is the best way to restore hard wood after carpet has been laid on top and dogs have soiled it?

the best way would be to sand/buff it then stain then clear coat(may take multiple coats allow 24-30 hours in between) keep area super clean the whole time. its alot of work but its the best way.

sometimes you have a dent in the wood or a gougeor a splint-rip or a simple blunt dip. first you need to know how good you want others to see it as-- and then decide on the method of repair. when issuing questions like this one it is good to allow e-mail so that you can mail photos to show --and you can then get much better answers.

you can fix it-- so-so ,or OK,- or Good - or Excellent its up to you and your likings

you can't just sand down a gouge-- gouges are usually filled-in and sanded. or gouged sections are cut out and replaced with new or filler pieces.

Most dents & dips can be raised with a water sponge by just placing a wet sponge over the dip or dent and waiting a while. some dips and dents could swell in 1/2 hour to 1 hour or ( sometimes over night for most hardwoodwoods such as brazillian wallnut, Mahogony, Oak, Maple + others) -- the wood will absorb the water and swell up again and then you can sand it to level the wood surface for smootheness and top coating.

when you sand wood you may need to sand an 18 inch section just to level and repair a 6 inch area. wood cannot be sanded constantly in the same spot in just one area-- you will create a dip in the wood that will then be irreparable. You will need to overstep your sidelines considerably when sanding to keep that even -flat look to the wood.

Splint-rip-- when a splinter of wood raises and you pull it up and create a worse scenario for your wood surface. This is when you have real trouble and the section may need to be cut out and replaced PERIOD. The good thing about wood is-- it can be manipulated to be what you want it to be if you know your tools and know how to use them to your advantage.

OR-- you can sand the entire surface using a 60 grit paper then an 80, then a 100, then a 220-- remember to let the machine do the work and constantly moving in long strokes. Good Luck.

- Before you start sanding, cleaning cutting take time and a little cost to purchase a small metal detector. These are on sale in most good buiders suppliers and diy stores afor about £10.00 ($15.00) The cost is well offset when you come to saveing the blades of a saw and the belts of a sander or planner later on.