We remove scratches on the laminate with our own hands

What to do if your laminate plank is badly damaged and has a huge scratch on it

In this case, you will have to replace the damaged piece of laminate. And here we have only 2 options for the development of events.

First - disassemble the floor (if the lamellas are not glued to each other) to this board, replace it and lay the laminate again. For this we need a whole beautiful plank to match. And if you have no extra pieces left (suddenly you saved them) after laying, you can take it from under the furniture. You can't see it there anyway.

Sequence of work:

Remove the skirting boards around the perimeter of the floor disassembly;
Gently snap off the rows of the laminate. It is advisable to mark the pieces with a pencil so that you do not get confused later. To disassemble the first row, you need to hook it with something;
We remove the damaged board and change it. Then just put the floor back together and screw on the baseboard.

Second - we remove the lamella separately without disassembling the entire coating. Again, we are looking for a piece to replace. In this case, you will need a bunch of additional tools. There will be a lot of dust, you will have to cut the laminate.

How to remove it is shown in the video:

Eliminate the cracks

If the gaps are insignificant, you need to take a special repair kit or prepare the composition in a "handicraft" way. The second option consists of: building paint in a shade of laminate, crushed chalk, sawdust and liquid glass. We dilute liquid glass with water, and then add the rest of the components. With the help of a spatula, all existing cracks are well covered, then all this is smoothed out with sandpaper and all that remains is to polish the coating.

We remove the shabby, dull look

It happens that the laminate needs to be updated even without the presence of strong defects on it. It's just that the floor can lose its former shine, make it dull, unattractive. Then the laminate must be polished with mastic, liquid polish or polish made on a viscous base.

We observe the following rules when polishing:

1. Carefully clean the laminate from dirt and dry well.

It is important to apply any sprays, viscous formulations evenly.

3. Cloths should be used.

As you can imagine, it is not difficult to renovate outdated laminate flooring using readily available tools. The considered methods will allow you to keep the floor in its original form for a long time.

When starting to figure out how to remove scratches on your laminate flooring, you need to figure out why the issues of minor floor repairs are so relevant. By examining the structure of the material in detail, you can also find ways to protect the laminate from damage. Thus, it is quite possible to significantly increase the service life of the coating and maintain its attractive appearance.

Why is this flooring so popular? Perhaps instead of figuring out how to remove scratches from the laminate, what should be done for the floor? In fact, laminate flooring combines affordability with ease of installation, presentable appearance (good quality flooring is difficult to visually distinguish from parquet) and resistance to household dirt. It is easy to remove ink from the pen or other stains from the surface that may appear during use. Therefore, having learned how to protect and restore a laminate with low mechanical resistance, you can fully enjoy all its advantages.

Laminate flooring consists of individual boards or tiles that can be stacked end-to-end (special adhesives are used for fixing), or, which is the most popular option, boards with locks on the end parts, which make it possible to mount the coating quickly, easily and ensure reliable fastening of the elements.

This type of coating has a layered structure.The upper protective layer - lamination - gave the name to the material. Therefore, in order to determine how to repair scratches on the laminate, the depth of the damage should be determined.

The smallest defects appear due to the abrasive effect of the smallest particles - not only sand accidentally brought on the shoes, but also dust. Such scratches impair the appearance of the coating and reduce the protective properties of the top layer, but do not damage the base material. If the integrity of the lamination is restored in time, the life of the laminate floor will not decrease.
Sharp heels, hard-toed shoes and pet claws inflict deeper damage to the laminate. When it comes to a children's room, dropped metal, wooden and even plastic toys become an additional risk factor. In these cases, lamination often gets a through scratch, direct access of moisture to the base material is opened (during cleaning, if water or drink is accidentally spilled, etc.). Repair of scratches on the laminate in this case must be urgent, otherwise a small damage in area may increase in size in width and depth and turn into a crack.
The most significant damage is cracks, chips, deep and wide scratches. It is almost impossible to restore such a coating, the only optimal way out is to replace the damaged area.

How to remove scratches on laminate flooring at home

How to cover up scratches depends on the type of damage to the coating.

Wax crayon

Crayon is affordable, easy to use and effective. It is best to match your crayon (wax crayon) by color as soon as you have chosen your laminate flooring. Crayons have an almost unlimited shelf life, and in case of trouble, it will be easy to remove the defect on the laminate with such an improvised tool. The compact wax crayon is easy to store and always close at hand.

Removing scratches with a special chalk

The technology for using chalk is simple:

Clean the surface of the board from dust (the easiest way is to use a vacuum cleaner).
In addition, wipe the damaged area with a dry soft cloth.
Cover the scratch by moving the wax crayon along it.
Excess painted wax composition, which makes the defect visible, should be carefully removed by wiping the surface with a soft cloth with light movements (if you overdo it, you can erase the chalk completely, returning the scratched laminate to the same appearance as it was before the restoration).

Laminate restoration paste

Pastes of this type are sold in hardware stores in jars, briquettes or other packaging and may differ in consistency (more or less viscous). Taking with you a part of the laminate (a board or its scraps), it will be easier to choose a composition by color.

The larger the area of damage, the more accurate the color match must be. If a large crack appears on the laminate with a pattern, it may be necessary to use pastes of several colors for a high-quality restoration.

Using floor repair paste

How to restore a laminate with paste:

Before using this method, the surface of the floor covering must be cleaned of dust and dirt, without moistening, if necessary, dry it.
To apply the composition, use a plastic or metal stack (for more viscous pastes in briquettes) or a spatula (for liquid).
Using a spatula or a stack of paste, spread it over the scratch, gently pressing the tool to fill the resulting space and moving it in the direction of the grain.
You can remove excess composition with a dry or slightly damp sponge or rag.
To dry the paste, leave the restored coating for 2 hours.

Putty

The use of a melting putty is more laborious, but it allows you to restore the laminate in case of significant damage.The disadvantage of this method is the limited choice of putty colors (the range is much smaller than that of crayons and pastes).

If there is putty and a large scratch on the laminate, here's what to do:

Clean the surface.
Cover the perimeter of the defective area with masking tape.
Heat the composition with a battery or gas melter (some putties can be melted in a water bath).
Apply the mixture to the scratch with a spatula.
Quickly remove excess with a soft cloth before the putty hardens.
Remove the tape.
Sand the restored surface gently (eg with felt).

Using the repair kit

The laminate repair kit allows you to repair damage of various depths, and it is convenient and simple to use it. Usually, the kit includes a wax pencil, putty and a spatula for applying it, but depending on the manufacturer, the equipment may be different.

To avoid getting repair compounds on a clean, undamaged surface, it is recommended to stick construction tape around the scratch.

Quick Step Laminate Repair Kit

Laminate device and the reasons for its damage

Why is this flooring so popular? Perhaps instead of removing scratches from your laminate floor, you should choose a different material as your finish?

In fact, laminate flooring combines affordability with ease of installation, presentable appearance (good quality flooring is difficult to visually distinguish from parquet) and resistance to household dirt. It is easy to remove ink from the pen or other stains from the surface that may appear during use. Therefore, having learned how to protect and restore a laminate with low mechanical resistance, you can fully enjoy all its advantages.

This type of coating has a layered structure. The upper protective layer - lamination - gave the name to the material. Therefore, in order to determine how to repair scratches on the laminate, the depth of the damage should be determined.

Laminate structure

The smallest defects appear due to the abrasive effect of the smallest particles - not only sand accidentally brought on the shoes, but also dust. Such scratches impair the appearance of the coating and reduce the protective properties of the top layer, but do not damage the base material. If the integrity of the lamination is restored in time, the life of the laminate floor will not decrease.
Sharp heels, hard-toed shoes and pet claws inflict deeper damage to the laminate. When it comes to a children's room, dropped metal, wooden and even plastic toys become an additional risk factor. In these cases, lamination often gets a through scratch, direct access of moisture to the base material is opened (during cleaning, if water or drink is accidentally spilled, etc.). Repair of scratches on the laminate in this situation should be urgent, otherwise a small damage in area may increase in size in width and depth and turn into a crack.
The most significant damage is cracks, chips, deep and wide scratches. It is almost impossible to restore such a coating, the only optimal way out is to replace the damaged area.

How to remove scratches on a parquet board at home

The parquet board that adorns the floors in the apartment looks very expensive and presentable; it can become a special accent that will add zest to the entire interior. However, the scuffs that have arisen on it can ruin the whole impression.

That is why it is important to find answers to the question of how to remove scratches from a parquet board.

The following are the most effective ways to combat damage to parquet flooring:

Wax sticks or pastes:

you need to choose the right shade of the product, since there is a considerable range of them in hardware stores;
the wax is heated by heating in an oven or microwave;
you need to apply this product using a spatula, right into the depth of the scratch;
at the end of the application, you need to level the surface;
when the agent dries, the damaged area should be polished with a soft cloth.

Walnuts:

the scratch must be rubbed with the core of the walnut, as a result of which it will acquire a dark shade;
it is important to remember that this method should not be used on light-colored parquet, because walnut paint will only accentuate the damage.

The varnish used to repair parquet boards does a good job of masking small scratches. It must be applied to a previously cleaned floor and dried well.

Pencil, which is used for retouching, applied deep into the scratch, makes it less visible.

Iodine will help, if not remove the scratch, then make it invisible. It is especially good at masking damage on oak and walnut boards.

If possible, you can use a special flat grinder. After its impact on the parquet, the board needs to be varnished.
Very deep chips can be masked using a professional line putty (Irkom, Synteko Wood Filler and others):

the color of this product should be a tone darker than that of a parquet board;
first remove dust and other dirt from the floor surface;
then put putty on the scratch or chip and smooth it out;
after the layer is completely dry, it must be sanded using sandpaper;
Finally, the damaged area of the parquet board needs to be varnished.

In the event that the depth of damage exceeds 5 mm, the following manipulations must be performed:

clean the gap and slightly expand it with a chisel;
after the damage is cleaned, you need to put a small wooden wedge, greased with glue, into it;
when the surface dries up, remove the excess product and polish the floor.

Soft wax crayons and special hard wax for laminate flooring

The most common recommendation is to seal up scratched laminate flooring with wax. But not always wax crayons or crayons are suitable for this purpose. It is almost impossible to paint over a small scratch with such a pencil. It is best to use a marker. But if you have a serious chip on the laminate or deep damage - wax is exactly what you need.

Use a soft wax pencil.

The gap is pre-cleaned. We carefully cut the burrs at the edges with a knife, degrease the area;
Run the pencil several times over the scratched surface so that the wax fills the hole. Then we polish this place with a dry cloth.

These pencils are sold by the piece, the price is $ 2-3, or in whole sets costing from $ 15. There are any colors. At home, some use baby wax crayons. They are easy to find at a stationery store.

Hard wax allows you to get rid of deep scratches on the laminate. It is melted and covered with chips and cracks on the floor surface. After complete solidification (1.5-2 hours) it has increased mechanical strength. Connecting with the surface of the laminate during application, it will not crack or sag in the future.

How to apply hard wax to a damaged laminate:

Trim the edges of the burr scratches, then paint over them with a marker of a suitable color. This is necessary so that after filling the border with wax, the scratches do not stand out. And also, so as not to catch on, when removing wax residues from the smeared surface;
Take several pieces of wax of different colors. It is difficult to choose the exact shade, for this we will mix the colors;
It is easier to melt wax with a soldering iron. You can use the usual, but you can buy a special battery powered soldering iron (so we drive it into Google) it is also called the wax melter. It costs us $ 15-20, on Chinese sites the price is slightly lower. You do not have to bother with a soldering iron and heat a clerical knife with a lighter;
Next, we cover our chip or scratch with melted wax. Without waiting for complete drying with a plastic spatula (you can use an old plastic card), carefully clean off the excess. Do not try to scrape off the hardened wax with a knife - there will be even more scratches.

Laminate manufacturers sell special wax kits for repair and restoration. Discontinued Quick-Step Mix & Fix is sometimes available on the market. And the most famous of the existing repair kit is the Quick-Step Repair Kit. Here it is:

It includes:

Plastic multifunctional spatula;
A set of solid pieces of wax of different colors;
The same special wax melter (a soldering iron with three batteries);
Brushes, wipes and sanding cloths.

It is very convenient to purchase everything at once, but such a set costs 50-60 dollars. In my opinion, there is no point in overpaying. It's easier to buy hard wax, heat a knife with a lighter and cover up the scratch. And clean off the remnants from above with a plastic card. But it's up to you to decide.

Can scratches be covered with regular nail polish such as vinylux or kodi gel polish? The composition of these varnishes includes just the same acrylic resins. So this is perfectly acceptable. However, a shiny stain will remain on the floor, and this does not look very nice.

Minor scratches and abrasions

Small scratches often occur on the laminate that degrade the appearance and need to be repaired without completely replacing the coating. How to cover up scratches on the laminate in this case? It is quite possible to do this with improvised means that every owner has even in the kitchen, but it will still be better to use specialized means.

There are simple ways to repair minor damage to tidy up your flooring:

the use of olive oil;
the use of a special polish;
universal aerosol grease WD-40.

These are the main methods, but they all start with the fact that the floor surface is thoroughly cleaned of dust, and then the selected materials are applied to it. They are suitable in cases where you need to hide a superficial scratch of small depth. For example, after rubbing a door or dragging chairs.

Olive oil

This culinary ingredient is useful not only for preparing delicious meals. They can cover up scuffs and mask shallow scratches. In order to use the recipe, in addition to oil, you should prepare:

water;
detergent for the floor;
an absorbent cloth or towel
dry soft cloth.

First, the floor is washed using shampoo. After that, it is wiped dry in the places of restoration. To remove a scratch on the laminate floor, olive oil rubbed directly into the scratches will help. Moreover, simply driving the ingredient into the structure of the tree will not be enough - it is necessary to polish the problem area. The result will become noticeable in 15-20 minutes. There have been cases that after a while the effect of using the oil becomes less noticeable. In this case, you need to repeat the procedure.

Polish

In household goods or construction shops, a specialized tool is sold - a laminate polish that works great against scratches. It comes in different forms:

in the form of a liquid;
in the form of mastic;
in the form of an aerosol.

You should only buy special polishes designed for laminate flooring, as other products can leave traces that cannot be washed. Working with liquid options is more like a standard floor cleaning, you just need to dilute the contents of the vial in water and wash the floor.This will not only tidy up the coating, but also create an additional protective layer.

Mastics are protective silicone materials that are rubbed into the laminate, and their consistency is quite thick. They are enough for an average of a year, but the effect is more noticeable than that of liquid polishes. Polishes in the form of mastic well mask abrasions and minor scratches, and the coating gets its original shine. Polishing the floor is easy enough. You just need to rub the material into the floor in a circular motion, wait a while (usually the waiting time is indicated in the instructions for use of the product) and rub the floor with a dry rag.

Sprays are similar in action, but differ in application - they are sprayed onto the surface, after which they are rubbed in and polished.

Using the WD-40

Who would have thought, but the usual WD-40 universal grease, familiar to every car owner, can help in removing minor scratches on the laminate. The use of this tool will not be difficult. You need to act as in the case of polish: spray on the damaged area, wait a few minutes and clean the area with the most ordinary brush. Spray WD-40 will help mask or hide minor defects, but more effective methods should be used for deep damage.

Types of laminate damage

Serious damage to one or more planks

Sometimes, when asked how to repair a chip on a laminate, you have to answer that - no way. If the board is badly damaged, it is best to replace it.

When replacing a board, proceed as follows:

If this is one of the extreme boards and you can get close to it by disassembling part of the floor, then this is what they do
.
Replacing the damaged board with a new one, assemble the floor in the reverse order.
Much more often it is not possible to get close to the damaged board.
... In this case, we will replace the laminate board by removing it from the floor using trimming.
We mark and make cuts with a circular saw, cutting the board into small pieces that can be easily removed.

Cut off the locks at the new board. We do this very carefully, trying not to scratch the front surface of the laminate.
Apply liquid nails around the perimeter of the newly prepared board.
We carefully put the new board in place, pressing it down with a heavy object evenly from all sides. Remove any excess glue with a soft cloth. We leave the load on the floor until the glue is completely dry.

Deep chip or crack

Let's figure out how to cover up chips on the laminate, deep cracks and crevices. There are a lot of options for such repair mixtures.

If it is necessary to repair chips on the laminate, then this can be done using:

a mixture that is prepared from gypsum and sawdust in a one-to-one ratio, add just enough water to get a thick composition;
polyester or epoxy resin;
special mastic for wood;
acrylic sealant.

It is necessary to work with these mixtures with care, preferably with a rubber trowel, taking care not to scratch the floor surface. You should not strive to close the chip at once.

Usually, three approaches are needed to get a positive effect.

You should not strive to close the chip at once. Usually, three approaches are needed to obtain a positive effect.

Minor damage

We figured out how to remove a chip on a laminate. But there are also not very significant damage to the laminate flooring.

For light scratches, wax crayons can be used.

They are:

tough;
soft.

Soft restorative wax is intended for fast and high-quality sealing of cracks and scratches on laminated surfaces that bear light loads, while hard wax is used for surfaces that bear medium to heavy loads.
.

Soft wax is more suitable for sealing cracks on damaged laminated wall surfaces or for covering joints.

If it is necessary to get rid of cracks in the laminate flooring, a hard wax should be used.

Each type of wax pencil is accompanied by instructions for use, which must be followed when repairing scratches on the laminate (see).

Damage when sawing a board

Such damage is best avoided. How to cut a laminate without chips?

make a clear marking of the board on both sides, it must match;
along the line of the future cut, it is necessary to glue masking tape, it will not allow the decorative coating to crack;
cut the laminated coating with a sharp cutter along the marking lines;
cut along the markings with a jigsaw, the file should be with fine teeth, it should be cut at an angle of 30 degrees.

Laminate floor coverings are highly resistant to surface wear. The price of a laminated floor is much lower than the price of a parquet floor, and the quality of this material allows you to keep the floors in perfect shape for many years.

Quality laminate flooring is not easy to scratch, but be careful. It is not advisable to drop heavy objects with sharp edges or corners.

It must be remembered that shoes with heels or rough soles are very harmful for laminate flooring. It is better to take off such shoes. In a house with laminate flooring, it is better to wear slippers.

Even if there is a nuisance and damage has formed on the floor, then you already know how to repair chips on the laminate, how to restore a scratched surface and even change one or more boards.

Take good care of your laminate, but after a while it still has scratches, chips and cracks? It's just that it's time to restore it to return it to its former shine and smoothness. First, let's find out what damage can be repaired?

Small chips, cracks.
Slight abrasions, dull look.
Modest-sized gaps between the lamellas.

Deep scratches and damage

If you had the negligence to parade on the laminate in heels, or during the next rearrangement did not take care of the careful "movement" of furniture, deep damage to the laminate is guaranteed to you. And, unfortunately, the problem is not only in the absence of aesthetics, but also in the fact that the parquet can begin to deteriorate further.

First, water will enter through the damaged surface (for example, a chip) during wet cleaning. Over time, the lamellas will swell and rot from the inside.

Such damage cannot be ignored.

Wax chalk

A laminate pencil or wax crayon is one of the most common ways to deal with damaged laminate flooring. First, the floor is washed well using a special detergent. Then let it dry. After that, the scratches are “painted over” with wax crayon across the damage. Finally, the restored area is polished with a dry soft cloth.

If the damage is very deep, the procedure will have to be repeated more than once. As a rule, if the color of the chalk is suitable, the restoration will be completely invisible to the prying eye.

Another advantage of a wax crayon is that it has an almost unlimited shelf life. This means that such a tool can be purchased for future use, just in case. Moreover, it is inexpensive and does not require the use of additional tools for the restoration of the laminated surface.

A wax crayon or crayon is the easiest way to deal with minor but noticeable scratches.

Laminate restoration paste

The wax crayon mentioned above is the ideal solution for medium to moderate damage. If you need to resolve the issue with the restoration of deep damage - the restoration paste is definitely your story.

Such a paste is sold in specialized stores, and its use requires certain skills.So, before proceeding with the repair of parquet in a conspicuous place, it is better to practice on an unnecessary board.

These remedies are used for more serious damage.

The paste is applied strictly to the damage; the mixture should not protrude beyond the edges of the break. If this happens, you need to remove the excess paste as soon as possible so that they do not have time to freeze. After applying to the scratch, it should be left on for about 1 hour. After the paste has dried, it is better to cover the restored area with a special varnish. It will be more aesthetically pleasing and will extend the life of the laminate.

Even if the surface color is not uniform, there is still a way out - you can mix several colors at once into one and get a suitable shade.

Acrylic varnish and plaster

Perfect repair of damage on a glossy floor is guaranteed by an acrylic-based varnish. First, the floor is washed well with a special product. Then, with a small brush, varnish is applied to the damaged area, allowed to dry, and then the surface is polished.

With plaster, the process is more complicated, but in case of deep damage, this remedy has no worthy alternative. In other words, only plaster will mask severe abrasions and chips.

Varnishing the laminate allows you to give the flooring a gloss.

For work you will need:

Water;
Gypsum;
Sawdust;
A small piece of wood matching the color of the laminate flooring.

The damaged area is cleaned of dust and dirt. While the laminate is drying, the sawdust is mixed with gypsum in a 1: 1 ratio. A little water is added and stirred until the consistency of a thick, homogeneous paste. With a small spatula or a knife with a narrow blade, the mixture is put into the crack, and a piece of wood is applied on top to mask the defect. It is left to dry completely.

After that, the restored area is sanded and covered with acrylic varnish. And again it dries well.

If gypsum was not at hand, and repairs are urgently required, then PVA glue can be mixed with sawdust. In this case, no water needs to be added. The rest of the work steps are exactly the same as with plaster.

So, it is obvious that the answer to the question: how to remove scratches from a laminate, or how to restore deep damage - exists. And often expensive materials are not required for restoration. All formulations can be purchased in household chemicals stores within walking distance. And your neatness and attentiveness will guarantee a quality repair.

The main thing is to eliminate minor defects in time in order to avoid the most unpleasant - saturation of the material with moisture and its deformation.

Elimination of bloating without parsing the floor

You can repair your laminate floor yourself. How to remove scratches, chips, bumps, you can find out if you read the article. When there is no need or desire to disassemble the entire floor covering, you can replace a separate area that has swollen during operation. To do this, use a circular saw. In each corner of the damaged lamella, it is necessary to drill holes, stepping back from the edges of the product about 1.5 cm. This will eliminate the likelihood of damage to adjacent lamellas.

At the next stage, the holes are made along the long sides of the board, the distance between them should be 25 cm. With a pencil, draw a line that will connect the holes. The technician will have to adjust the depth of cut with the saw to match the thickness of the laminate. If this recommendation is disregarded, the subfloor may be damaged.

If you need to repair the laminate with your own hands indiscriminately, you should definitely study the methods of carrying out these works. One of them is the use of an electric saw. At the next stage, along the drawn line, you need to make a cut, starting from the center. Use a knife to cut the short sides of the board.The interior of the swollen element is removed, as are the remnants of the damaged lamella. The site is well cleaned of dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner. At the same time, the adjacent boards must remain in good condition, otherwise they can also be removed.

Using a sharp knife, the lower part of the lock is removed from the new product. This applies to the short and long sides. Joiner's glue is applied around the perimeter of the laminate board, the lamella is placed in place. With a clean rag, excess glue can be removed by placing a weight on top so that the board is well fixed in one position.

How to prevent the problem from occurring

Of course, it is better to prevent the emergence of a problem than to solve it later. In order for damage not to appear, and in order for the flooring to last for a long time, it is necessary to remember several important rules:

it is recommended to lay a rug right at the entrance to the room. All dirt, dust will accumulate on it, while it will not spread throughout the room;
it is worth installing special soft pads on the legs of the furniture. These elements can be purchased at a furniture or hardware store, and if you wish, you can make them yourself:
Ladies should not walk at home in heels or stiletto heels, it is best to wear flat-soled shoes. This will relieve the laminate from unnecessary stress;
if your house is often visited by guests, then be sure to lay a thin rug at the entrance. This element will protect your floor from unexpected scratches.

Of course, no matter how all the rules are followed, it will not be possible to foresee everything. For this reason, it is better to insure yourself in advance and purchase means for sealing scratches and cracks on the laminate and first find out how to remove scratches on the laminate. The main thing is to properly care for your laminate floor, then it will last a long time, while it will always look beautiful and stylish.