How to remove scratches on the laminate?

Laminate flooring has become one of the most commonly used flooring materials. It is used everywhere in the decoration of housing, and for various public spaces. Like any other material, laminate is subject to wear. Over time, scratches, chips and other minor damage appear that significantly affect the appearance of the floor. Therefore, it is important to have knowledge of prompt and timely elimination of such defects.

There are many reasons for scratching the floor. They can be systematized and highlight the main factors:

• The quality of the material.This factor is of great importance, since, based on the characteristics of the laminate, you can determine the service life and purpose of the material. The lower the quality, the faster the signs of exploitation will appear.
• Humidity. An important role is played by the indoor climate. In conditions of high humidity there is a high probability that the upper protective layer of the coating will move away from the substrate. As a result, deep cracks and irregularities appear.

• Mechanical damage. This could include traces of the furniture being moved, the effects of walking in shoes with heels, scratches with the claws of domestic animals, as well as rubbing with sand that can be brought from the street.
• Incorrect installation. If during the repair work the laying rules were ignored or the size of the boards was chosen incorrectly, then over time these nuances will make themselves felt, and your floor will become unusable.
• Wrong care. If you care for the floor covering incorrectly, clean it with unsuitable means, do not comply with the operating conditions, this will significantly reduce the life of your floor.

The first group includes small scratches, abrasions, minor cracks. To eliminate these defects, you can purchase special tools or prepare them at home from scrap materials. To hide minor damage, it is best to use a wax pencil or a marker for laminated surfaces. These tools can be purchased with the flooring, and the seller in the store will help you find the right color. Enough to cover the damaged place with chalk.

The easiest option is a marker or proofreader. Thanks to the special components, they can be used to hide shallow, superficial damage, as well as darken the edges of the chips or holes before applying the repair mixture.

To get rid of minor damage, you can use polishing materials. Unfortunately, the effect of them is short-lived. If you decide to use improvised means, wash the floor with a small amount of water with cleaning liquids and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Put some olive oil on the dry damaged areas and then polish.

In order to get rid of significant damage, deep scratches and cracks, you need tools that can seal the gap. For these purposes, suitable wax pencil or chalk, paste, putty, sealant and other repair mixtures.

An easy-to-use and practical wax crayon helps to hide visible defects. Due to its structure, it gives the site water-repellent properties. With the help of a wax pencil, you can even restore a bright laminate. The method of use is simple: clean the scratch from dust, paint it with chalk, then polish it with a soft, dry cloth. It is important to choose a chalk on the tone darker than the color of the coating.

The wax pencil is a bit more difficult to use, as it requires pre-heating to a paste-like state. Use a spatula or a spatula to fill the crack with the mixture and rub it with a soft cloth.

It is necessary to choose a mixture to match the coating. Perform a compliance test first on an old board or piece of laminate. Fill the cleared crack with paste or sealant, clean the excess with a dry cloth, sand with a special napkin and cover with a colorless varnish.

Putties vary in density: solid, paste or powder. A rich palette of colors will allow you to choose the shade you need. Pastes or putties are applied to the cleaned scratch, smoothed with a small spatula, and the excess cleaned with a sponge. After the putty is completely dry, polish the treated area with a dry cloth. To avoid further difficulties excess putty must be removed immediatelybecause removing dried putty is a very laborious process.To keep the repair tool out of damage, the area can be plastered around with masking tape.

Putty is a universal remedy that can be used to process not only laminate, but also wood floor, parquet, stairs and other wood objects. The main thing - when working with heating elements to remember about safety to avoid burns and other troubles.

If you need to hide chipped or fill deep cracks, you can apply a special putty. A wide range of colors will allow you to easily find the desired shade, and if there is none, you can mix it yourself. Grout is easy to use, as it can cover up cracks and crevices without much effort. When working with putty, the problem area is cleaned and degreased, the edges are pasted over with masking tape. Preheated putty must be quickly and carefully applied to the defect, while the surface must be leveled so that there is no "bumps".

The handle, like a screwdriver, has a heat button.The heating element resembles a small narrow spatula. In order not to buy this device, you can replace it with a regular soldering iron.

Unlike repair paste, putty hardens very quickly, so you should avoid getting the mixture on the floor. If this happens, you need to immediately remove the excess with a damp cloth, otherwise after solidification you will need a solvent. After full hardening of the putty, the treated area must be thoroughly sanded.

If you scratch the laminate, you can purchase a special repair kit at the store to repair the damaged area. The price of a laminate repair kit is above average, but it varies depending on the variety of substances included in the composition. There are simple kits in which you can find a spatula, a wax crayon and a polishing sponge. The average price makes the kit affordable for everyone, and ease of use helps to quickly solve problems with coatings.

To remove scratches and cracks, you can find repair kits for laminated coatings in hardware stores, which are slightly different in composition from the previous version.In this set, in addition to the instructions for use, there are about twenty wax briquettes for the repair of laminate, a special heater. This kit is a bit more expensive, but also more diverse. With it, you can eliminate most of the damage, and due to the long shelf life, you can use it for a long time.

Repair kits are recommended to be purchased together with laminate, because scratching is a matter of time, but the means to correct defects will always be at hand. Also, it will allow you to optimally choose the color and composition that is suitable in a particular case, and help to correct the resulting defects.

Another means of repairing floor damage is lacquer. It is used as a finishing finish, they cover the treated places. Also, acrylic lacquer is used when removing scratches from a glossy laminate.Carefully treat the problem area with lacquer, without going beyond it. Wait until dry. Additional processing is not required.

If the damaged area is large and deep, you can use gypsum. If you do not pay attention to the sufficient laboriousness of the process, then, if properly performed, the damage will become imperceptible, and the floor will last for a longer period. Gypsum can be purchased at hardware stores or made independently. Both options allow you to repair the floor and restore damaged areas without high costs.

To create gypsum at home you need plaster powder, water and sawdust. Work will also require a small wooden bar that is the same size as the damage. First you need to clean the damage site. While it dries, you can prepare a repair mixture. To do this, in a small container, mix the plaster with sawdust and fill with water. It is necessary to achieve the consistency of thick toothpaste.

Fill the damage site with a block, pour plaster in and level the plaster with a spatula. After waiting for complete drying, sand with a sponge and varnish.To achieve the desired color, use a dye that can be purchased at the store.

The probability that your floor will remain without damage is extremely low, because over time, everything is subject to wear. It is impossible to prevent, but you can postpone this moment. In order for the laminate to last longer, there is Some important maintenance rules and prevention tips are:

• It is important that several small rugs are placed at the entrance, on which garbage, sand and excessive moisture will linger.

• Consider the possibility of rearrangement, putting protective caps on the legs of all furniture. Instead of caps, stickers are now sold, the installation of which is easier, but they are suitable only for fixed legs. For furniture use felt, felt or polyamide lining, which can be put on glue or nailed with small nails.
• Keep walking in the footwear to the minimum. This is especially true shoes with high heels.
• It is also important to adhere to the recommendations for the care of laminated coatings. Special products are used for their cleaning, as they contain special silicone and wax combinations,the presence of which will protect the joints from moisture and improve the appearance of the floor. Do not take abrasives.

• Under the mobile furniture on wheels you need to put soft rugs, which are purchased in stores or made independently. Under the computer chair you can also lay a small carpet that will keep your feet warm and in addition protect the flooring.
• Remove all spilled liquid immediately. To remove stains, purchase special cleansing pastes in advance.

How to remove a scratch from a laminate, look in the following video.