hardwood floors repair

Throw rug.

It's going to be hard exactly the match the surrounding floor without refinishing it all. The sanding will likely lighten the color considerably, particularly for woods like cherry.

The floor is oak, and the area is is a small room off of the foyer. May main concern is to prevent additional damage to the hardwood itself. I am hoping that the small area, it location and surrounding item will disguise and slight difference.

In that location I think the rug would create more problems than it would solve.

Since it's mainly about protection, you might consider a few coats of clear polyurethane. It will fill some of the damage and protect what's there. If appearance is also an essential part of the repair, it sounds like you'll have to sand and match the color. It would help if you posted a pic to a hosting site.

What are the alternatives ? I can't think of a single one. Perhaps I'm missing something .. John T.

It depends what kind of ramage. sometimes just spot sanding or scraping with a cabinet scraper then touching up with a colored varathane finish or "toner" can give an acceptable match and will protect from further damage.

On this topic, is it possible to mix stains the way a painter mixes colors to get a specific color?

Thanks.

Trail and error to match yes it is.

Thanks!