Repair laminate yourself
The most common flooring is laminate, but even with careful handling does not exclude the appearance of scuffs, scratches and other types of damage. With the right approach, self-repair will not be difficult. It is enough to get acquainted with the instruction on the technology of repairing such a coating, and you can safely get to work.
Do not indiscriminately get all the available tool, because First you need to analyze this or that fault, and then, by the nature of the damage, select the necessary materials.
One of the more common defects are stains. But if many stains can be removed without resorting to special means, then a certain composition will be required to repair chips and scratches. Also, during the initial laying of the laminate on an uneven base, unevenness and cracks appear between the panels, which can be corrected, but problematic. Damage such as, for example, laminate swelling is one of the most serious problems. This is the only case where the replacement of damaged items is required.
Fight with stains
To remove different types of stains, for example, from nail polish, will help washing powder with a few drops of water and a brush with a non-coarse bristles. Acetone with a solvent perfectly cope with stains from paints or varnishes used in the repair of apartments. True, care must be taken here that the outer coating of the laminate itself does not deteriorate. If acid has got onto the laminate, then the only way out is to replace damaged panels.
Repair chips and scratches
Repairing chips or scratches also does not require great effort. Repair shallow scratches can be performed using special wax pencils. Scratch, which is carried out with a pencil, is filled with a special tool, after filling the scratch it remains only to polish the repaired place with a flannel. It is worth considering that the pencils must be selected according to the color of the laminate.
A repair kit will definitely be needed for chips or deep scratches, as a wax pencil will no longer cope. Most use the set is as follows:
- The damaged area is cleaned and degreased, and the edges are cleaned and sealed with masking tape.
- White repair paste need to squeeze on any suitable surface, then pigments are added from the jars included in the repair kit. The manual contains a palette to determine the proportion of pigments.
- Evenly mixed pasta with pigments take a spatula and fill the damaged area. Then remove the tape, and after an hour you can use the floor. Repair composition can also be replaced with acrylic sealant. For this purpose, a white sealant is more suitable, to which a color is gradually added, the color that most closely approximates its color to the color of the floor covering.
Replacement
If the laminate is damaged with the need to replace the panels, it may take a lot of time and money, but it will still be more profitable than hiring a specialist, or changing the floor completely. Removing the damaged panel, we cut out the outer parts of the laminate locks with an electric disc saw.
Then remove the sawn panel. With the sandpaper, we clean the joint of the panel locks and insert a new color of the same color (after cutting off the lower edges of the groove). Then fasten with glue.
Swelling coating
Often the cause of bloating is the absence of a gap between the wall and the laminate, in this situation it is necessary to remove the plinth, then cut the extreme panels with a circular saw (a few millimeters are enough). In a few days the floor will level out.
If it is necessary to level the floor itself under the laminate, then it is necessary to dismantle all panels, and then the substrate itself. After that, the floor is leveled with a cement screed or plywood. After leveling the floor with one of these methods, you can lay the laminate itself.
Surface repair can be avoided if you buy special protective lining for furniture legs (they are made of plastic, rubber, or cork), they will save the laminate from abrasions and scratches. Also, you can not wash the floor with abrasive cleaning agents, in case of accidental ingress of water it is necessary, as quickly as possible, to collect it. The stores sell special products for the care of laminate. Despite the fact that the laminate is a fairly stable type of flooring, it is still sensitive to moisture, and if you do not follow properly, the probability of its rapid deterioration is high.
See also:
Should I laminate varnish
Laminate which company is better
Video
Using the Quick Step kit, you can repair scratches: