How to remove plastic stripes from laminate flooring. How can I remove small and large scratches on a laminate using improvised and special tools (with video)? Replacing a damaged board

Laminate is a popular floor covering. Nice, cheap, fast. Here are the main benefits. But there are certain restrictions that must be observed in order for the surface to remain attractive. Otherwise, scratches are formed that spoil the appearance. Is it possible to get rid of them? How to remove scratches from laminate? Yes, in general, no way. You can only paint over and make more or less invisible. Why? A scratch that is visible to the eye is damage to the protective film. Restoring it is impossible. It can only be masked by choosing a color and protected from washing out during cleaning.

And do not think that making a scratch on a laminate invisible is easy. Not at all. First, you need several shades. Secondly, it is necessary to repeat the drawing, often the texture. And this requires artistic inclinations and several means. Furniture wax and felt-tip pens or markers (also furniture) - this is at least. But that's not all. You repeat the drawing on the basis. And the protective film is not restored. The floor is washed frequently, so that without protection, all the "art" is erased. So either you have to repeat everything again, or treat the place of damage with varnish. But the varnish needs to be compatible with the protective film and it will also have to be updated from time to time. In general, the whole bunch of materials costs a lot. Having suffered a little, they either replace the die, or completely cover it.

It is impossible to remove a scratch from a laminate. Can be painted over, sketched, made inconspicuous

To better understand how to remove scratches from a laminate, you need to understand what kind of coating it is and what it consists of. The basis is pressed cellulose, one of the types of MDF with a higher density. It's called HDF. Locks are formed in this layer - a ledge and a groove. A stabilizing layer is glued to the bottom of this plate. It is also often water resistant. This layer is called stabilizing. It reduces the bending loads that occur in the HDF layer during the manufacturing process.

Visible scratches appear when the top layer is damaged and the “picture” pasted on the base is touched

The image is pasted on the base. When pasted, they can simultaneously, under pressure, form the required texture. The image is covered with a protective polymer film. That is, while the film is intact, the image is protected. The film is worn out or scratched - we have problems.

Loss of shine. This is due to the large number of small scratches. The film becomes cloudy, the coating loses its attractiveness and brightness. Problems often arise in places of the most intensive use.
scratches. Occur if not only the polymer protective film is scratched, but also torn. Often the “picture” is also scratched. These are usually local damage.
chipped. This is when a dent is added to the scratch. Appear if something heavy and/or sharp is dropped.
scuffs. This is the most difficult type of laminate damage to repair. This is when the protective layer is worn off and the picture has already been erased under it. You can restore the appearance, but for a short period of time. The main method of treatment is replacement with a new board.

Such thorough abrasions occur due to insufficient wear resistance of the selected type of coating. Repairing such damage is almost impossible. Can be made less visible. In general, it is necessary to replace the damaged boards and lay a special rug in the place where the chair stands. It is made of transparent silicone and is not too conspicuous. Anything is better than this kind of stain

As you can see, the basis of all defects is damage to the protective film. That is, when it is necessary to pay attention to this factor. The appearance and durability of the coating depends on the strength of the thin polymer layer.

Fixing scratches on laminate flooring at home

Before removing scratches from the laminate, we carefully examine the pattern, the texture of the coating in the damaged area. If the laminate is dark and the base is light, it is better to first paint over the scratch with a marker or felt-tip pen of a suitable color. Although the layer of wax applied during the repair is colored, it will shine through and the damage will stand out. Therefore, it is better to paint over. Part of the paint will fall on the film next to the scratch. Immediately take a soft cloth and wipe. Microfiber works well for this task (take a clean kitchen rag). Please note: you need to wipe the mark from the felt-tip pen or marker right there. Otherwise, then you will have to use solvents, and they can damage the polymer, and indeed, the pattern can spread.

How to remove scratches from laminate? There are several ways. But they do not remove in the full sense of the word, but mask

Repair kit

To repair damage to the laminate, there are special repair kits. This is a set of wax pencils of similar colors and a small device for melting and applying them. Outwardly, it resembles a mini-soldering iron. It usually runs on batteries. You will also need a protective varnish for laminated surfaces. It is sold in furniture stores. The most convenient is the one in the can. If this is not found, an acrylic-based varnish will do.

How to Repair a Chip in Laminate: Fill with Hard Wax (Not Candle Wax)

Then we choose wax pencils of a suitable color. We look carefully and select all the colors that are found. Turn on the soldering iron and wait until it heats up. The restoring mechanism is as follows:

We melt part of the wax pencil, the color of which matches the main tone of the coating. We apply a little on the damage, trying to form a roller. If the scratch is large, it may take several "approaches" to the wax.
We are waiting for the wax to harden. We take a piece of plastic (an old card) or a scraper that comes with the kit and scrape off the excess.
Removed the layer, held the palm of your hand. Feel the difference? Again, remove the excess with plastic. And so on until a smooth surface is at hand. That is, until you match the level of wax with the level of the protective film.
We polish with the same microfiber to remove the foggy wax mark at the repair site.
Take the second shade, add strokes, following the pattern nearby. We are trying to recreate the original "picture". Are you satisfied with the result? We wait until it hardens and again remove the excess, then polish.

If traces of wax are not removed in a timely manner, there will be a stain on the coating that catches the eye no less than a scratch

These actions are repeated until the result satisfies you. Carefully wipe the repair site with microfiber, after which we apply a layer of protective varnish. It dries very quickly. The application method is described on the can, but nothing complicated.

How to cover scratches on a laminate without a repair kit

We buy wax crayons in a furniture store, in the construction department of floor coverings or in those that sell parquet. This is a special hard parquet wax, which is much denser than regular candle wax. Did you buy wax? You need to loosen it up somehow. It can be on the battery or just hold a small amount in the palms of your hands. To repair scratches, we separate a little wax from the pencils. We warm up and mix, trying to get into the color of the coating as accurately as possible.

In furniture stores or where they sell parquet, there is one or another colored wax

When we got the wax of the desired color, we make a thin “sausage” out of it. Thin is about a millimeter thick. We lay this flagellum on the scratch and rub it into the surface, trying to fill the depression that the scratch forms. There is little wax, and it becomes pliable from body temperature. So it’s not so difficult to cover up a scratch on a laminate with wax. If the first flagellum was not enough, we make another one and rub it again. We make sure that there are no delaminations. We pay special attention to the edges.

There is another way - we heat the wax of the desired color until it melts. You can put it in a spoon and heat it with a lighter. When the wax becomes liquid, fill the damage. It's faster and easier.

Scratches on laminate flooring are common. How to cover up? Fill with wood repair wax

When the scratch is filled, leave it for a few minutes. As in the case above, we take a piece of plastic and a microfiber cloth and start sanding. When the strip of wax becomes imperceptible under the fingers, we take microfiber and polish the repair site, removing wax residues from the surfaces adjacent to the scratch. The last step has already been described. This is a protective varnish. Without it, the wax will not last long. He's not tough though.

Improvised and not quite means

Not only wax or furniture pencils allow you to restore the laminate. They are not even recommended to be used. Wax is too fragile and wears off quickly. Can be used:

As you understand, these are all ways to mask scratches. Unfortunately, they cannot be removed. It can only be made less noticeable.

How to polish minor scratches

Small scratches on the surface of the laminate are formed from sand. Under the soles, it works as an abrasive. So it is best to put small rugs in places - to collect sand and small debris and often clean with a vacuum cleaner.

But if the surface of the laminate has become cloudy from scratches, either special polishes for laminate or furniture can help. Which ones are better? And you have to try. Depends on the type of film. If you already have some kind of furniture cleaner at home, try it on a clean and dry area of \u200b\u200bthe floor. There will be no harm for sure. If the result is, you can process the entire coverage. But for now, in the same room. See how long one treatment lasts and whether any side effects will come out. For example, laminate flooring can become slippery after polishing. Special tools do not give such an effect, but furniture ones are possible.

Muddy laminate becomes from a large number of small scratches

You can try using vegetable oils. They will remove or reduce turbidity for a while. An elementary way is to add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the water to wash the floor. If there are particularly damaged areas, they can be treated before cleaning. It won’t be slippery, don’t worry, and there won’t be greasy stains either. By the way, this is one of the .

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

Causes of defects

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

Material quality. This factor is of great importance, since, based on the characteristics of the laminate, it is possible to determine the service life and purpose of the material. The lower the quality, the faster the traces of use will appear.
Humidity. The indoor climate plays an important role. In conditions of high humidity, there is a high probability that the top protective layer of the coating will move away from the base. As a result, deep cracks and irregularities appear.

Mechanical damage. These include traces of moving furniture, the effects of walking in shoes with heels, scratches from the claws of pets, as well as scuffs from sand that can be brought in from the street.
Wrong styling. 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 take care of the floor covering incorrectly, clean it with inappropriate products, do not follow the operating conditions, this will significantly reduce the life of your floor.

After the main damage factors have been identified, these damages can be classified according to the complexity of the repair. You should divide them into three groups and figure out how to eliminate each of the subtypes.

Elimination of minor damage

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

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

The advantages are ease of use, convenience, savings - the corrector lasts for a long time, however, please note that subsequent varnish processing of the defect area is necessary.

To get rid of minor damage, you can use polishing materials. Unfortunately, their effect is short-lived. If you decide to use improvised means, rinse the floor with a small amount of water and detergents and wipe dry with a soft cloth. On dry, damaged areas, drip a little olive oil, and then polish.

Correction of deep visible defects

In order to get rid of significant damage, deep scratches and cracks, you need tools that can close up the gaps that have formed. For these purposes, a wax pencil or crayon, paste, putty, sealant and other repair mixtures are suitable.

Wax pencil or chalk

An easy-to-use and practical wax crayon will help hide noticeable defects. Due to its structure, it gives the place of damage water-repellent properties. With the help of a wax pencil, even light-colored laminate can be restored. The method of use is simple: clean the scratch from dust, paint over with chalk, and then polish with a soft, dry cloth. It is important to choose a crayon that is a tone darker than the color of the coating.

A wax pencil is a little more difficult to use as it requires preheating to a paste. Use a spatula or spatula to fill the crack with the mixture and rub it with a soft cloth.

It is important to remove the excess immediately, because the hardened wax is more difficult to remove.

Sealant or paste

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

putty

Putties come in different densities: 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 out with a small spatula, and the excess is removed with a sponge. After the putty is completely dry, the treated area should be polished with a dry cloth. To avoid further embarrassment, excess putty must be removed immediately because removing the dried putty is a very laborious process. To prevent the repair tool from getting beyond the damage, the area can be pasted around with masking tape.

putty

Putty is a universal tool that can be used to process not only laminate, but also wood floors, parquet, stairs and other wood items. The main thing is to remember safety precautions when working with heating elements in order to avoid burns and other troubles.

If there is a need to hide chips or fill deep cracks, you can apply a special putty. A wide range of colors will make it easy to choose the right shade, and if there is none, you can mix it yourself. The 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. The heated putty must be quickly and carefully applied to the defect, while the surface must be leveled so that there are no "bumps".

For heating, you can use a special high-temperature melter, which can be of a gas or battery type. Outwardly, it looks like a trimmer.

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

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

Special formulations

If you have scratched your laminate, you can purchase a special repair kit from 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, wax crayon and a polishing sponge. The average price makes the set affordable for everyone, and the ease of use contributes to the quick solution of coating problems.

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

Something in between the composition of the previous two options - a set that includes a spatula, wax crayon and a special putty or putty. This allows you to use the tool that is most suitable for a particular damage.

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

varnish

Another means of repairing damage to the flooring is varnish. It is used as a finish, they cover the treated areas. Acrylic varnish is also used to remove scratches from a glossy laminate. Carefully treat the problem area with varnish, without going beyond it. Wait for complete drying. Additional processing is not required.

Gypsum

If the damaged area is large and deep, plaster can be used. If you do not pay attention to the sufficient laboriousness of the process, then if done correctly, the damage will become invisible, and the floor will last for another long 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 gypsum powder, water and sawdust. To work, you will also need a small wooden block that matches the size of the damage. First you need to clean the damage site. While it dries, you can prepare the repair mixture. To do this, mix gypsum with sawdust in a small container and fill it with water. You need to achieve the consistency of thick toothpaste.

Fill the place of damage with a bar, fill it with gypsum and level the gypsum 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.

Damage prevention

The likelihood of your flooring remaining undamaged is extremely low as everything wears out over time. This cannot be prevented, but this moment can be delayed. In order for the laminate to last longer, there is

Floor coverings

How to remove scratches on the laminate and not aggravate the situation?

From the author: hello dear reader. Scratches are the most common thing that happens to laminated boards. Even if the coating is laid on the floor in accordance with all the rules, no one is immune from such damage. Today we will talk about how to remove scratches on the laminate with the help of affordable means.

Where does damage come from?

Everyone knows one simple truth: the best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from occurring. Therefore, it is enough to adhere to preventive measures that will help in the future not to wonder about getting rid of minor scratches on the floor covering. To prevent damage, you just need to follow a few rules:

do not move heavy objects on the floor. When moving furniture, it is necessary to put a rug under it or, if possible, lift it and move it;
do not enter the premises in dirty shoes, which may contain dirt, sand or small pebbles stuck in the tread of the sole. This may damage the coating;
regularly clean the floor using products recommended by the manufacturer;
for home. For a residential area, class 32 or 33 is optimal with an AC3-AC resistance index of the protective layer. Usually this information is on the packaging. Check this question with the sales assistant at the time of purchase.

Here is a small list of preventive measures that will help to avoid more serious damage than just scratches - for example, cracks, swelling, delamination, laminated boards:

before laying, unpack the material and let it acclimatize in the room for a couple of days;
lay the coating only on a flat, hard, clean and dry surface. If you are, styling can only be done after it has completely dried;
use only . It is better to forget about a cheap rolled substrate right away. Under the influence of constant dynamic loads, such as walking, moving furniture, etc., the boards will literally erase such a substrate into dust in a couple of years, after which the locks will become unusable;
during the laying, leave an expansion gap - the distance between the wall and the laminate is ≈1.5 cm, which will be closed by the plinth. It is necessary, because under the influence of changes in the percentage of humidity and temperature, the tree tends to change its size. And if the laminated boards have nowhere to expand, then the joints can take the form of the letter "Λ";
do not use soapy water and a large amount of water when cleaning, but only special coating care products. Ideally, use a washing vacuum cleaner with a soft nozzle.

Source: http://xcook.info

It would seem that the rules are quite simple. But, oddly enough, they are violated with enviable regularity. If your floor does show damage, don't worry - it can be repaired almost as easily as it was applied.

Ways to fix scratches

Now we'll talk about being at home. If the scratches are shallow, they can be removed with a wax crayon. Here is the sequence of actions to be followed in this case:

go to a hardware store (preferably the one where you bought the laminate itself) and, together with the sales assistant, select a wax crayon that matches the color. You can, of course, order from the Internet, but in a regular store there will be more chances to choose the right color;
clean the scratch area;
paint over the scratch with a crayon;
wipe off excess wax with a dry soft cloth;
polish the damaged area.

Source: http://svoy-dom.org.ua

This method is good for minor defects. But if the damage is more serious, then a more serious approach is required. For example, use putty:

pick up a putty in a hardware store that matches the color of the coating;
clean the scratch;
fill the damaged area with putty. Before that, it is better to practice on an unnecessary laminated board;
wipe off excess paste with a dry, soft cloth;
let the paste dry for several hours.

Even if this method does not solve the problem, even more drastic measures will have to be used. In this case, you need to completely replace the board. There are two ways to do this.

In the first case, you need to remove the plinth and dismantle the coating. Dismantling should begin from the board closest to the damaged area. Move in this way to the damaged board, and then simply replace it with a new one.

It happens that for some reason it is difficult to remove the plinth. Or, for example, the damaged board is in the center of the room and getting to it is too long and tiring. Then you have to do the following:

using a drill, drill holes in the damaged board - in each of its corners. In this case, the distance from the edges should be approximately 1.5 cm;

Source: http://srbu.ru

at the same distance from the edges, drill holes along the long edges at a distance of approximately 25 cm;
draw a line with a pencil connecting these holes along the shortest path;
adjust the cutting depth of the circular saw so that it is equal to the thickness of the laminated board. Otherwise, you will damage the substrate and, possibly, the base itself, and this is highly undesirable neither for the floor, nor for you;

Scratches on laminate flooring are one of the most common problems that not only worsen the appearance, but also lead to rapid deterioration of the flooring. Wood is not as durable as tile or stone. Defects can appear due to falling objects, friction or point impacts. If they are not removed in time, the damaged coating wears out and begins to rot.

To restore the original appearance of the material and prevent its critical wear, you should figure out how to remove scratches on the laminate. To do this, there are many specialized and folk remedies. Our tips will help you understand the specifics and order of their application to restore the flooring.

How to remove scratches from laminate flooring

During use, any material wears out, and laminate lamellas are no exception, despite the wear-resistant coating. If there are scratches, they must be eliminated as soon as possible, because in addition to the unpresentable appearance, the resulting damage serves as the basis for further destruction of the coating. Some owners are accepted to disassemble the floor and shift individual slats. But this method is very labor-intensive, and it will be difficult to find material of the same color, since even the same laminate from different batches can have a different shade.

Any person can repair scratches at home if he knows about the methods used for this. The existing methods of laminate restoration are divided into 2 groups depending on the depth of the scratches:

small;
large.

The first appear due to the abrasives present in the room. The most expressive example is the sand brought into the dwelling by the shoes of the owners. Damage from such particles is not immediately noticeable, but accumulating, spoil the pattern and make the floor unpresentable. But these damages can be easily fixed, for which there are simple recipes tested by home craftsmen.

Large scratches are divided into medium and large, the first ones appear due to cats and dogs that damage the coating with their claws. If small objects fall on the laminate, they can also leave marks in the form of scratches and even chips. But the biggest problem will be deep defects that appear when rearranging furniture, walking on the floor in heels and other strong influences. To tell you how to remove scratches on a laminate at home, we have collected the most convenient and effective methods available even to people who have not done repairs before.

How can you cover up a scratch on a laminate? Smearing is used in cases where the defects are not so serious as to cover individual sections or the entire floor, but still spoil the appearance. One of the more popular methods is to use a laminate wax crayon or it is also called a "crayon". A variety of shades that are present in stores allows you to choose a restoring pencil in the color of a damaged coating.

To remove scratches from a laminate with your own hands, a wide range of methods and tools can be used, but each of them has its own nuances. They depend on the type of agent used, its consistency and method of application. This leads to a reasonable question - how to properly get rid of scratches on the laminate? So let's look at all the possible options in key detail.

Minor scratches and abrasions

Often there are small scratches on the laminate that detract from the appearance, and they need to be repaired without completely re-coating. How to cover up scratches on the laminate in this case? This can be done with improvised means that every owner has even in the kitchen, but it will still be better to use specialized tools.

To bring the flooring in order, there are the following simple ways to repair small damage:

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

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

Olive oil

This culinary ingredient is useful not only for the preparation of gourmet dishes. They can cover scuffs and mask shallow scratches. In order to use the recipe, in addition to oil, you should prepare:

water;
floor cleaner;
a rag or towel made of absorbent material;
dry soft cloth.

First, the floor is washed with shampoo. After that, it is wiped dry in the places of restoration. To eliminate a scratch on a laminate, 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 be 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 stores, a specialized product is sold - laminate polish, which 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 may leave marks that cannot be washed. Working with liquid options is more like a standard mopping, you only need to dilute the contents of the vial in water and wash the floor. This will not only bring the coating in order, 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 last on average for a year, but the effect is more noticeable than that of liquid polishes. Polishes in the form of mastic well mask scuffs and minor scratches, and the coating gets its original shine. Polishing the floor is pretty easy. It is only necessary to rub the material into the floor in a circular motion, wait for a while (usually the waiting time is indicated in the instructions for using 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 and polished.

Using WD-40

Who would have thought, but the usual universal lubricant WD-40, familiar to every car owner, can help remove 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 place with the most ordinary brush. A WD-40 spray will help mask or hide minor imperfections, but deep damage requires more effective methods.

deep scratches

Severe scratches on the laminate are quite common in everyday life. It's all because of walking on it in heels, inaccurate movement of furniture and falling heavy objects with sharp edges. Deep damage to the laminate can only be repaired with special measures. Chipped laminate flooring is a serious problem, and if left uncorrected, the unprotected area will soon become the basis for the destruction of the coating as a whole. First, during wet cleaning of the room, water will get into the defect. It will stay there longer than usual and will soon lead to swelling of the material. Laminate lamellas can then heave or begin to rot as moisture gradually seeps underneath.

A laminate pencil, or as it is often called a wax crayon, is the easiest and at the same time effective way to get rid of deep damage to the material. With its help, it will be much easier to eliminate the defect. As for any other method, it is first necessary to thoroughly clean the floor by washing it thoroughly with a special detergent. Before starting work, it is necessary to wait for the surface to dry, and only then all existing scratches are painted over with wax crayons across the direction. To equalize the tone of the wax and the base coat, it is necessary to polish the place of application with a cloth or soft brush.

More than one pass may be needed depending on the severity of the damage. An excellent result will be the inconspicuousness of the repair to the prying eye.

A wax crayon designed for laminate flooring is available at every hardware or specialty store at a low cost. You can stock it for the future, because the shelf life of wax is practically unlimited. No additional tools are required as repair waxes are ready to use from the start.

The wax pencil developed for laminate flooring is applied to more or less minor imperfections in the flooring. To solve more serious problems, you need a grout for a laminate, which is also known as a restoring or repair paste. It can be bought in building or specialized stores, and it is possible to choose it according to the color of the flooring slats.

It might not work the first time. Therefore, before proceeding with the repair, it is better to practice in advance on an unnecessary board, as the process requires skill.

Putties of this type are applied exclusively to the place of the scratch, you should not go beyond its edges. If, in addition to the damaged board, the grout gets on other parts of the floor, then it should be removed as soon as possible, since it will be extremely difficult to wipe off after drying. Moreover, the sealant paste adheres well to the surface, and there is no guarantee that if you try to peel it off, new damage will not occur. The material will take about an hour to dry. After that, it is better to varnish the area so that the paste wears out more slowly and the procedure is not required again soon.

Acrylic lacquer and plaster

An effective remedy for deep scratches that have arisen is an acrylic-based varnish. It is ideal for glossy floors. With a small brush, gently apply it to a previously cleaned scratch. After processing, allow the composition to dry and polish the damaged area. The scratch will disappear and the floor will be like new again.

But ordinary gypsum will help to eliminate strong abrasions, chips or cracks. The process will require:

gypsum;
water;
sawdust;
a small piece of wood for decorative laminate flooring.

The troubleshooting procedure is as follows:

As usual, it all starts with cleaning and drying the damage site.
While the defect dries, mix gypsum with sawdust in proportions one to one.
After that, add a little water and mix thoroughly to get the consistency of a homogeneous paste.
With the resulting composition, we close up a chip or crack on the laminate. For such work, we need a small spatula or a knife with a thin narrow blade.
We glue a small piece of wood on top of the laid mortar to mask the defect.
We wait until everything dries, after which the repaired chip can be sanded and coated with acrylic varnish.

Instead of gypsum, PVA glue can be used as a binder. The technology for removing a chip or crack remains unchanged, only the addition of water is not required.

Putty

To tidy up laminate at home, a special putty, sometimes called a melt, is often used. The composition is sold in different colors. In specialized stores, managers offer to choose the right shade using a special card.

The process of removing a deep chip or scratch will be simple. It is enough to follow the instructions:

The first step will be washing and degreasing the surface;
Next, we glue the masking tape around the perimeter of the defect so as not to affect the undamaged areas of the floor covering;
We fill the scratch or crack with the material to the full depth, by analogy with the paste (the composition quickly hardens, so you need to act quickly);
We leave the defect alone for a few minutes so that the putty hardens;
Peel off the molar tape;
We grind the hardened putty on the repaired area.

If everything is done correctly and accurately, then as a result, the place of repair will not be noticeable at all. Professional craftsmen most often restore laminate and parquet using this method.

Using the repair kit

A quick and convenient way to repair a defect in a laminate is to use a special repair wax. It is sold as a kit, which includes a small spatula and the wax itself. Wipe scratches and severe damage is not difficult: just follow the attached instructions exactly.

Restoration and restoration of damaged laminate with this kit is similar to the previous options. In general, the procedure goes through all the main steps: cleaning the surface, applying a repair compound (using a special melter that comes with the kit), applying a protective coating over it and polishing. Therefore, problems with the use of the kit will not arise if you study the manufacturer's recommendations in detail.

The advantage is that everything you need to carry out the work is compactly collected in one package at once.

When buying a laminate, you can immediately purchase such a set of the desired color in order to quickly eliminate emerging defects.

Remember! After applying any repair agent, protect the defect site. For these purposes, a special varnish is suitable, which can be bought at any hardware store. It will protect wax, pencil, plaster or mastic from abrasion.

You can see in detail and in detail how a deep scratch on a laminate is removed with hard waxes from the repair kit in the video.

How to prevent the problem from occurring

If the causes of scratches on the laminate are known, it is advisable to know how to avoid them so that you do not have to spend time and money on repairs in the future. To do this, it is extremely important to properly care for the laminate, as well as the prompt elimination of factors that affect the appearance of problems with the coating. First of all, you need to use protective compounds of well-known brands. This will extend the life of the floor and improve its appearance.

Products based on silicone and wax will help protect the wood from moisture and improve the overall appearance of the surface. Despite treatment, spilled water and other moisture from the laminate should be immediately cleaned up. If this has led to the appearance of stains, do not use alcohol-containing liquids or solvents. They can damage the finish. It is best to buy cleaning pastes or specialized products that will not harm the laminate and improve its appearance.

To protect against abrasive compounds, you can lay a rug at the entrance to the apartment, which will trap sand and dust, preventing most of them from reaching the laminate. In addition, it will absorb excess moisture that we bring into the house on shoes.

For mobile furniture, rubber or silicone mats can be placed under them to protect the floor from chair rollers. You can also replace the rollers with rubber or silicone coated rollers. They do not cause damage to the laminate when moving, roll easier and less noisy than conventional plastic ones.

Felt pads are usually nailed to furniture legs to avoid punching and scratching when moving. You can also glue special linings made of thick felt or cardboard, which are sold in stores selling furniture fittings and household goods.

Glossy laminate should be polished and varnished regularly. These procedures will help keep the flooring in its original form.

Instead of a resume

Laminate flooring is popular with homeowners due to its low cost and durability. But the appearance can deteriorate for banal household reasons. Moving furniture, walking in shoes, falling heavy objects - all this contributes to the appearance of scratches, chips and cracks on the laminate, which should be quickly corrected. For this, there are both folk recipes and professional remedies. The success of the procedure depends on the nature of the damage and the choice of material to repair the defect. Use our tips and you will be able to keep your coating in its original form.