Repairing Laminate Floors

Laminate flooring is built for today’s active lifestyle. The HDF laminate core is both water resistant and dimensionally stable and the laminated surface is treated with Aluminum Oxide, adding strength and a high degree of scratch resistance. Laminate warranties cover fading, denting, staining and manufacturers defects, they do not however cover normal day to day wear and tear.

Although very durable, it is normal to find minor scratches as result of daily wear and tear. Fortunately, this situation is easily remedied with the aid of a laminate floor repair kit, available from the laminate manufacturer. These repair kits may include acrylic or latex putty, wax pencils or crayons and are color coded to match the floor. In the event that your color or style of flooring has been discontinued, you can purchase a generic kit from your local hardware store. Always take a plank of flooring with you, in order to select the correct color.

For more serious damage, it might be necessary to replace the damaged boards. The introduction of glueless laminate flooring has resulted in a floor that is both easy to install and repair.

To replace boards that are situated close to walls or moldings, follow these steps:

1. Start by removing the baseboard or molding. Be sure to do this carefully as not to damage the molding, as it is replaced in the final step.
2. Remove the boards starting from the molding until the damaged board is accessible.
3. Replace the damaged board and then the rest of the boards you removed, by clicking them back in place.
4. Replace the molding.

The process of repairing a laminate floor board that is closer to the center of the room is more detailed and time consuming. The process involves removing the damaged board utilizing a saw or router, then replacing the board utilizing a sufficient water resistant adhesive. Follow these steps.

1) Mark the damaged board 1-1/2” from ends and side. Drill 3/16” holes at corners of marked area.
2) Cut along lines between the drilled holes and remove the center section. Then cut remaining piece in the center on both sides and remove.

3) Prepare a replacement board by cutting and removing the factory tongue along the long and short end of the board. The figure below represents the two types of locking systems available.

4) Apply adhesive to the cut edges and replace the board by aligning the groove on the replacement board with the tongue of the abutting board, and snap back into place.

5) Make sure all edges are even on either side of the joints. Utilize a heavy object to apply pressure for at least 24 hours. Make sure the weight is evenly distributed across the new piece.

Prevention is better than cure. Place floor mats at door entrances inorder to reduce the amount of sand tracked into the house. It is a good idea to place felt pads under furniture legs as this wil lprevent scratching caused by dragging the furniture across the floor. Also keep large pets' nails groomed.