We are figuring out how to remove scratches and small damages on the laminate in order to return it to its original appearance.
Laminate is widely used in interiors when decorating floors due to its durability, strength and excellent imitation of expensive parquet. Indeed, designers consider it one of the most durable, safe and budget coatings that do not require specific maintenance. However, even such an unpretentious floor covering sometimes requires repair when cracks or dents appear, which look very unaesthetic. Woman`s Day tells you how to properly care for your laminated plank so that it will serve you for a long time.
1. Of course, the easiest way to renew a damaged laminate board is to simply replace it. This option is suitable, for example, if the damaged area is located on the edge and it will not be difficult to remove it and additional funds.
2. In the event that a lot of the smallest (shallow) scratches appear on the laminate, it is quite easy to fix it with a special wax pencil, which can be purchased at almost any hardware store. The only thing, before buying such a pencil, you need to compare it with your laminate and choose the right color.
And then there was little to do. First you need to thoroughly clean the surface of the floor covering, degrease it, then apply a wax layer along the entire length of the scratches and leave for a while. The dried wax layer can be polished with a dry soft cloth.
3. But if your laminate has a deep enough scratch or even a dent, then its repair will take a little longer. To begin with, you will need to purchase a laminate putty in a special store and carefully study the instructions for its use.
After familiarization, you can directly start the process. First you need to remove dust from the damaged surface with a dry cloth, then degrease the scratch, apply a special repair paste and leave for several hours until it dries completely. Attention! Excess putty must be immediately removed with a damp cloth, otherwise after the repair paste dries, it will be almost impossible to clean it.
After a couple of hours, when the putty is completely dry, you need to polish the surface of the laminate with a dry soft cloth and that’s it – you can enjoy the result.
4. By the way, special hot mastic or natural wax, which is mixed with ordinary shoe polish matching the color of the laminate board, are also excellent helpers in the fight against scratches or dents.
5. But in order to rid the laminated surface of dirty stains, for example, it is necessary to use specially developed chemicals. However, if the contamination is strong and cannot be removed, then acetone or methyl alcohol will come to the rescue (they perfectly remove lipstick, ink, resin, pencil or even a felt-tip pen). Just remember that it is better to remove stains immediately, before they have time to penetrate into the material.
By the way, a regular scraper will do just fine with gum or wax (you just need to wait until the gum or candle wax that has fallen to the floor hardens). The main thing – do not forget to clean the surface with a special restoring paste.