Laminate scratches - how to remove?

One of the most sought after flooring of our time is laminate flooring. It is affordable, perfectly imitates a floor made of natural wood or stone, practical in care, has good sound insulation and is incredibly easy to clean. Laminate has a long service life, which averages 10-15 years. For such a long time, regardless of its quality, it happens that due to inaccuracy, scratches or chips appear on it. This incredibly spoils the appearance of the flooring and upsets the owners. However, in this case there is a way out. From this article you will learn what can be done so that scratches do not appear on the laminate, how to remove them if they already exist.

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How do damage appear on the laminate?

Laminate is positioned as a fairly strong coating with a high degree of wear resistance. Why, then, does damage appear? The reason lies in non-compliance with recommendations for its operation or in unpleasant accidents.

The two most common causes of damage are:

1. When the class of the laminate does not match the load that it receives in the room where it is used, then damage cannot be avoided. For example, a laminate of class 31 can be used in rooms with low traffic, such as bedrooms, pantries. In the event that such a laminate is laid in the hallway, where sand is sometimes present, small stones brought on the sole of the shoe, then eventually it will show abrasions and small scratches. Laminate 31 class can not stand the constant movement of chairs on it.
2. The most common cause of scratches and chips is mechanical damage. These include the movement of heavy furniture on the floor, the fall of heavy metal or sharp objects on the laminate. As a rule, these are screwdrivers, hammers and knives.

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How to get rid of small scuffs and scratches on the laminate?

Minor damage appears on the floor due to regular friction of small particles, such as sand, or from light mechanical damage, these include the movement of chairs with unprotected legs on the floor surface. Visually, it looks like a floor that has lost its luster and brilliance in places of damage. In this case, a special polish will help correct the situation.

Laminate polishes

In construction or specialized stores, you can find on sale several types of polishes:

• liquid polishes;
• polishes in the form of mastic;
• polishes in a spray.

Important! Buy polishes exclusively for laminate flooring, since parquet products can leave indelible marks!

Liquid

Work with liquid polishes reminds usual cleaning. It is only necessary to dilute the polish in water, according to the instructions, and to wet the floor. This will noticeably refresh your floor, create an invisible protective film.

Important! This procedure is short-lived, it is necessary to regularly clean the floor with the addition of funds. Nevertheless, this method is very affordable and convenient, and with regular use it practically eliminates the full polishing of the floor.

Mastics

Thick polishes and mastics have a longer-lasting effect, they must be applied once every 1 year.

Important! This method helps to eliminate small scratches on the laminate, hides scuffs, restores shine, creates an additional protective film on the surface.

The procedure for polishing the floor is quite simple, although time-consuming. The required amount of the product is applied to the fabric and rubbed into the floor surface in circular motions. After drying, the surface is ready for use.

Important! When polishing the floor with thick, non-water based products, the floor remains slippery for several days. Be extremely careful!

Sprays

Such products have exactly the same effect on the laminate as thick polishes. They differ only in the method of application. The product must be sprayed and then rubbed into the surface with a cloth.

Important! The advantage of aerosols is their uniform distribution over the surface.

Wax chalk or pencil for laminate flooring

If you are concerned about the issue of how to remove scratches on the laminate, then pay attention to wax chalk. It is a small wax-based pencil, which is presented in an extensive color scheme, so you can easily choose the right shade. If possible, take a piece of laminate board with you to the store to choose the color more accurately.

The procedure for masking scratches is very simple:

1. Thoroughly clean the area to be restored from dust and debris with a vacuum cleaner.
2. Wipe with a damp, lint-free cloth.
3. After drying, swipe the wax crayon over the scratch, moving in the direction along the scratch, pressing it firmly to the surface.
4. Using a piece of dense fabric, polish this area, along with which a trace of chalk will be erased outside the scratch.

Important! If the pencil for the laminate from scratches is selected as close as possible to the tone of the floor, then after restoration it will be extremely difficult to find the place of damage.

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How to repair deep damage to the laminate?

In case the scratches on the laminate are deep, or if there are chips from falling sharp objects, it is necessary to use a special putty. It can be either in the form of pasta or in the form of briquettes, somewhat reminiscent of soft plasticine.

Important! The grout has a certain range of shades, so, armed with a sample of the laminate, you can pick up what you need.

Grouting algorithm:

1. Thoroughly clean the area where you will carry out restoration work.
2. Apply with a spatula or small spatula.
3. If you opted for a dense grout, having separated the necessary piece, apply it with a small spatula, squeezing a little inward.
4. If the laminate has a specific pattern, renew it using grouts of different colors.
5. After you apply the repair grout, use a thick cloth or felt to polish the surface. If the grout is more fluid in consistency, use a damp sponge for these purposes.
6. Allow the grout to dry for several hours.

Important! The grout for the laminate is quite thick and dries quickly, so be careful when working with it, do not go beyond damage. If this happens, you need to quickly wipe off the excess, since after drying it will be extremely difficult to remove the remnants of the grout. Trying to erase them can damage the surface of the laminate.

As you can see, the grout for the laminate from scratches can very well be used at home, since it does not require special skills, except for accuracy. It will help not only return the original appearance to the laminate, but also protect it from moisture, because a damaged laminate does not have an upper protective layer. Small chips can cause moisture to enter the main layer of the laminate and it will swell and deform. Therefore, it is better to timely eliminate such defects.

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What should I do if I can’t fix the scratch?

It happens that the damage area is too large.It is impossible to imperceptibly hide the formed depression, let alone repeat the textured pattern. In this case, it is necessary to replace the damaged laminate board with a new one. Well, if during the repair you purchased a laminate with a margin, it happens that by the time of replacement, it has been discontinued and is difficult to find on sale. Therefore, keep in mind that if you decide to buy a laminate for replacement, you must purchase it strictly from the same series and the same manufacturer.

Important! Replacing the damaged area of ​​the laminate is possible only in the case of its glueless installation.

Replacing a damaged laminate board is as follows:

1. Determine the wall with which the laminate will be disassembled - it should be located closest to the damage.
2. Carefully remove the baseboard so as not to damage its fasteners.
3. Gradually begin to disassemble the laminate until you reach the damaged area.
4. Pull the boards out carefully, without making too large an angle when removing them, so as not to damage the locks.
5. Replace damaged boards with new ones.
6. Replace the boards you removed earlier.
7. Replace the baseboard.

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How to prevent scratches in the future?

After reading the article, you already know how to repair scratches on the laminate, however, how to prevent their further appearance? You need to follow certain laminate care tips:

• Do not walk in heels on a low-class laminate;
• do not allow sand to get on the laminate - just lay the rugs at the entrance, on both sides of the doors;
• when cleaning the flooring do not use hard sponges and abrasive products;
• purchase special felt or silicone linings for furniture legs in the furniture department and stick them on all the legs of tables and chairs;
• if there are armchairs and chairs on wheels, use special rugs for them;
• Use a water-based polish for every wet floor cleaning by adding it to the water.

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Stock footage

Remember that it is always better to prevent damage than to repair it, especially since replacing the flooring is an expensive procedure!