How To Repair Scratched Laminate Flooring?

Today, laminate can rightfully be considered one of the most popular types of flooring for domestic and commercial premises. This coating looks very solid and noble, visually reproducing the effect of a solid plank floor made of solid wood. Various colors and designs of lamellas allow you to create luxurious compositions and original solutions in both classic and modern interiors. However, even small scratches and damage immediately spoil the overall picture and the first desire that arises in the owner is to quickly eliminate these defects.

Causes of scratches

The strength and durability of the laminate depend not only on its class, production technologies, and the quality of the materials used but also on the correct installation and operation. As a rule, laminate is classified as a fairly durable floor covering that is resistant to scratches and chips, but if there is an error during the installation process, any mechanical impact can be fatal to the surface. In this case, the laminate can be scratched by sand or debris, not to mention the impact of sharp heels, pet claws, and the movement of heavy interior items.

Of course, when choosing a model, it is worth considering the place where the laminate will be laid and the level of load. If you install household laminate flooring with a low wear resistance class in a busy office, this coating can quickly become covered with scratches and other damage from intensive use.

Based on the degree of impact, scratches on laminate flooring can be divided into two groups:

• lungs;
• deep.

How to get rid of light scratches?

If light scratches have formed on the lamellas, such defects can be eliminated using wax pencils. To do this you need:

• Select the shade of the chalk (pencil) as accurately as possible so that it is similar to the color of the laminate.
• Wet clean the area to remove dust and debris.
• Paint over scratches with wax crayon.
• Use a soft, dry cloth to remove any residue and buff the area.

How to get rid of deep scratches on laminate flooring?

If the scratches on the slats are already deep enough, you may need a repair kit that includes a special putty (putty). It must be applied with a spatula to a previously cleaned area of ​​the laminate where there are deep scratches. Remove excess putty with a damp cloth, and then thoroughly wipe the area with a dry soft cloth. Allow the composition to dry.

If the situation is so serious that even putty cannot help, you will need to replace the damaged lamella with a new one. This is not so difficult to do thanks to the locking system that is used in modern laminate flooring models. To do this, you will need to carefully remove the baseboard, dismantle the adjacent boards, and install a new one in place of the damaged one in the same place. All that remains is to reassemble the dismantled area and install the floor plinth – done!

Of course, the best remedy for scratches is competent prevention, which consists of several important, but not difficult, points:

• do not walk on the surface in shoes with mud and sand or sharp heels.
• install special softening substrates on the legs of heavy furniture.
• regularly clean up debris.
• lay a rug in front of the entrance to the room.
• If you need to move furniture, you should do it only on a soft surface.

Taking good care of your flooring will significantly extend its service life and save your wallet from unnecessary expenses.