Authored by Mary Lamphere in Home Repair
Published on 12-08-2009
Although laminate flooring is quite durable, over time homeowners still find the need to repair minor scratches and dings in the laminate which occur as a result of everyday use. There are many ways that you can repair scratches on laminate flooring including using a fill product such as Unika, creating your own floor fill, and of course–doing everything that you can to prevent the scratches from occurring in the first place!
Unika Floor Fill to Repair Laminate Floor Scratches
Unika is a brand of laminate floor fill that can be purchased at the local home improvement store for about $10 and it really does a great job at filling scratches and dents in laminate flooring. To use Unika, all you have to do is fill in the scratch on the laminate flooring with a small dab of the product, use a plastic putty knife to apply the product and then use a spatula to smooth the product out over the crack or scratch in the flooring.
Unika laminate floor filler is one of the easiest to use floor repair products because it takes the guess work out of trying to create a color that matches the laminate flooring. This product is available in hundreds of different colors and tones that coordinate with popular styles and tones of today’s laminate flooring choices. As a homeowner, it is also a good idea to purchase a coordinating Unika filler color when you decide to install laminate flooring in the home. This way you can easily repair any small blemishes as they occur over time.
Do It Yourself Laminate Floor Scratch Repair
Another option homeowners have when it comes to repairing laminate flooring scratches is to create their own laminate floor filler. While this method takes a little more guesswork than the Unika filler method, it is a bit cheaper too! Homeowners can create their own DIY laminate flooring scratch repair system by purchasing a wood putty filler, toner, damp cloth, plastic spatula and a 1 inch plastic putty knife. It is recommended not to use a metal putty knife or spatula on the laminate as this could cause additional scratches.
To repair the scratches on the laminate flooring you must first create a putty that is colored to the tone of the laminate. This requires mixing a bit of putty with a dab of toner until you reach the desired tone. Next, simply use the putty knife to apply a small amount of the wood putty to the scratch on the floor. Use the spatula to spread the putty evenly into the scratched laminate flooring surface and then use the damp cloth to gently smooth the putty over the surface. Allow to dry completely before walking on the floor.
Preventing Scratches on Laminate Flooring
Finally, while you can always spend time going around and repairing scratches on laminate flooring the absolute best method is to prevent the scratches before they occur! To prevent laminate flooring surfaces from becoming scratched it is advisable to place felt pads on the feet of any furniture in the room, remove shoes before walking on the laminate flooring, never ever use a vacuum with a beater style brush on the flooring and clean the floor with only a damp cloth. If homeowners follow these tips for keeping the laminate flooring free from debris and sand, the likelihood of the laminate flooring becoming scratched over time will be minimized and the need to repair the floors will be less likely.
