Laminate is a very popular flooring. It has a wide selection of textures and colors. It also has excellent wear resistance. But over time, even on such a floor covering, various defects can form.
The most common damages are:
- Crevices;
- If there is high humidity in the room or liquid is frequently spilled on the floor, this leads to swelling of the floor covering;
- With careless use or careless movement of furniture, scratches of varying depths very often appear;
- Under mechanical stress or prolonged pressure, chips or dented areas may occur;
The gaps in the coating should not be ignored. Over time, they most often lead to complete deformation of the entire laminate. Also, moisture penetrates through them into the inner layers of the product, which leads to swelling. If you do not take any action, then after some time you may need to completely replace the entire floor covering.
Regardless of whether the damage is severe or not, it will spoil the entire appearance of the flooring.
You can get rid of almost all defects that appear on the surface of the laminate yourself.
There are several ways to get rid of defects that have appeared.
Classification of laminate damage
High-quality laminate from trusted manufacturers is durable and reliable. It is based on high-density particle board. This ensures the ability to withstand mechanical stress during operation. But life is not so simple. And sometimes, due to improper installation of laminate flooring or errors in maintenance, defects appear on the floor.
Among the damages that often appear on laminated flooring are the following:
- gaps between individual planks;
Crevices
- swelling of individual planks due to increased humidity levels or water leakage onto the surface of the boards;
Swelling of planks
- scratches due to careless use of the laminate, dragging furniture;
Scratches
- chips, depressions, depressed areas that appear due to mechanical stress on the laminated coating.
Chips
It doesn't matter what kind of damage there is to the floor. Even a small gap spoils the whole picture. Therefore, the sooner you fix the defect, the better for you.
Important! Most of the deformations of the laminate: cracks, scratches and cracks can be easily removed with your own hands, without outside help. Before you begin to repair damage to the coating, it is important to determine the cause of its occurrence in order to avoid similar problems in the future.
How do gaps appear between individual laminate boards?
Installation of a laminated coating is not difficult, but even with proper and high-quality performance of all manipulations, cracks may appear on the laid laminate over time. Why does this happen? Here are some reasons:
- If the room has high humidity levels, the floor will deform over time, and gaps will appear between the individual planks.
- In the event of flooding by neighbors or spilling liquid, if it is not wiped up immediately, cracks may appear in the coating.
- If you do not “press” the locks during installation, this will result in loose contact of the individual laminate strips with each other.
- If special deformation gaps are not provided when laying the laminated coating, it will swell or cracks will appear. After all, this distance is specially created for further linear expansion of individual planks. This situation will not necessarily happen, but professionals still recommend cautioning yourself and not forgetting to create deformation gaps.
Deformation gaps
- Gaps also appear when laying laminate flooring because the planks are mounted on an uneven surface. And if the preparatory work to level the base is done poorly, discrepancies will form between the laminate boards during operation.
- If you saved money and used poor quality material, this could also cause deformations and gaps between the individual laminate flooring strips.
Important! If there are cracks in the laminate, don't worry. We will tell you how to seal them and give the flooring its original appearance. Today it is possible!
Preparing the Inserts
An equal gap between the wall and the laminated boards ensures uniformity throughout the entire covering. This can be done using pegs of equal thickness. To save time, some professionals use scraps or parts of the same laminate that they lay.
However, you can also use metal or plastic inserts.
The inserts must be placed vertically along the entire perimeter of the room. Pegs are always placed in the center of each element.
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How to cover cracks in laminate flooring?
There are several answers to the question of how to remove cracks in laminate flooring. We will look at common methods that you can use yourself:
- Damage in the laminate is dealt with using wood putty. This method can be used to seal a relatively small area of laminate flooring. The putty composition is applied using a spatula, and then, after the surface has completely dried, it is carefully sanded with sandpaper;
- A mixture of gypsum and sawdust will help remove cracks from the floor surface. The ratio of components is one to one. It is important to achieve an extremely thick consistency of the resulting composition. Coating is carried out as in the previous case, and then the surface of the damage is sanded with sandpaper;
- Laminate cracks are also sealed with sealant - grout. The process of applying the composition to the floor surface and final processing is also not much different from using wood putty. To achieve the visual effect of a complete coating, use a sealant that matches the shade of the laminate. But in this way only minor damage can be removed;
- If you go to a hardware store with a problem about how to remove cracks in laminate flooring, they will advise you to use repair paste. In this case, the coating adjacent to the crack, gap or other damage is carefully taped with masking tape so as not to unnecessarily stain the laminate strips. And only then, using a spatula, cover all the cracks;
Caulking the gap
Important! Before using the repair paste, first thoroughly clean the floor from dust, dirt and other debris.
- Another method of combating the formation of cracks in the laminate can be wedging. This option is good if a gap has appeared between individual dies near the wall surface. To perform this work, it is recommended to drive wooden wedges between the panels and the wall.
Which putty is better?
The domestic market offers a sufficient range of various materials for repairing and maintaining the laminate surface. Almost all of them do an excellent job. One of the most important points to achieve the desired result is choosing the right shades of wax or other repair products.
The most popular materials for laminate restoration are German and Dutch “Quick-Step” products. Both companies produce putty in the form of paste, wax bars and pencils, as well as in special kits.
Repair kit “Quick-Step Mix & Fix” for repairing scratches on laminate and parquet.
Companies present on the market 24 shades of wax putties that mix well with each other. Therefore, if desired, you can achieve any color that will effectively mask the flaws that have appeared.
The most difficult method of eliminating a gap
If there is a large discrepancy between the individual planks, professionals recommend re-laying the floor. This is true for coatings that are laid on an uneven base. Under the current circumstances, there is no other choice but to re-install it.
Stages of re-laying the coating
- First, the planks are dismantled. They do this extremely carefully, because it is not necessary to buy new boards.
- The base is cleaned of dirt and treated with a primer.
- Using self-leveling mixtures, correct the base;
- After complete drying, a new substrate is laid. This is a must, the old one is no longer good;
- At the last stage, they begin laying the laminated planks.
Important! When installing laminate flooring, do not forget about deformation gaps. If the shape of individual boards is changed, this will ensure the normal appearance of the floor.
Now you know how to remove cracks in laminate flooring. But in this case, as in medical practice, it is better to prevent than to treat later. Therefore, let's figure out what to do to prevent gaps from appearing on the floor surface in the future.
How to avoid gaps in laminate flooring?
In order not to struggle with the appearance of cracks in the laid laminate in the future, it is recommended to take good care of the floor:
- Do not neglect the rules of hygiene - do not allow excessive contamination of the laminate surface;
- In every home, liquid can spill on the floor. In this case, wipe it immediately with a dry cloth, avoiding liquid absorption into the material;
- Do not move heavy pieces of furniture across the surface. If this cannot be avoided, provide safety measures for the covering by placing rags under the legs;
- Watch your gender. If you see even a small gap or depression, immediately begin to eliminate them - the deformation will only worsen in the future.
These simple manipulations will help you avoid problems with the floor and unnecessary expenses. After all, there are situations when cosmetic repairs can no longer give the floor the same appearance. And the only solution is to replace the boards or even the entire covering in the room.
You can use any means to close the gap. There are tons of options here. It all depends solely on your wishes and preferences. If the simplest methods of combating the appearance of a gap are not suitable, proceed to radical measures.
To understand the information better, watch the video instructions for eliminating the gap in the floor between laminate boards:
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How to remove minor scratches and abrasions
Shallow damage is hidden using simple-to-use products. In this case, you only need to level the surface. If the problem of how to repair a chip on a laminate is being solved, consider products based on fatty components and special polishes. This method is suitable for cases where furniture or other large heavy objects were moved across the floor. Polishes are also used to eliminate the consequences of constantly opening the door when it fits tightly to the floor covering.
Olive oil
This product helps restore the coating by polishing. Before repairing chips on the laminate, the floor is prepared
It needs to be washed, and it is important to remove all contaminants, including fatty components. For this reason, shampoo is added to the container with water.
After washing the floor with this solution, the area to be restored is additionally cleaned of shampoo residues. To do this, use water without additives.
Before starting to restore the coating, you need to dry the surface. If the humidity in the room is high and the drying process needs to be accelerated, use a hair dryer or other heat source. You can wipe the surface with a lint-free cloth.
Polish
When all the floors in the house are covered with laminate, it is recommended to purchase a special product. Polish is a composition that is designed specifically to protect such floor coverings. It has all the necessary properties that are important to protect the material: moisture resistance, resistance to stress. Laminate polish is available in the form of mastic, solution and aerosol.
The liquid substance is added to water and used to wash the floor. When the product is applied to a damaged surface, it is recommended to polish the area. After finishing the work, the properties of the laminate improve: it is protected from mechanical loads and its attractiveness increases.
Mastic is a silicone composition. It is more effective compared to a liquid product. Laminate repair paste is applied to the scratch and rubbed; excess substance must be removed immediately. Thanks to this product, the laminate acquires shine, so it is recommended to treat the entire surface so that the coating looks attractive and individual shiny spots do not catch the eye.
The principle of action of an aerosol is similar to that of a concentrated liquid: the product is sprayed over the surface; When the suspension settles on the floor, polishing begins. To do this, use natural material, for example, a hand towel is suitable (use an old thing).
Using WD 40
This is a universal lubricant that is used to solve various problems (removing rust from parts, protecting against dust, etc.); This product is also suitable for restoring the coating. The lubricant is supplied in a bottle; The kit includes a nozzle with a minimum cross-section, which helps to apply the substance to hard-to-reach areas.
Operating principle: polish is sprayed over the laminate, then treated with a rag made from natural material until the scratch disappears. There is no need to rinse off the product. A brush can be used to clean the treated surface. The advantage of this product is the ability to protect the laminate from dust and other contaminants. Treated surfaces remain attractive for a long time.
