Repair and restoration of laminate flooring after improper installation or aggressive use, the procedure for each problem. Repair and restoration of laminate flooring is a difficult and painstaking business. Having laid it down correctly and observing the operating technique, you can forget about your field for a long time. However, errors during installation, flooding the coating with water, walking in heels lead to inevitable damage. Eliminating them with a minimum expenditure of manpower and resources is the main task of the owner of the living quarters.
The main reasons for repairing laminate flooring
They can be divided into two broad categories. The first is a violation of the laminate installation technique, the second is improper operation and poor-quality care. In both cases, a careful approach is required to solve the problem that has arisen.
Mistakes when laying laminate
The manufacturers of this flooring write that anyone can handle it, just read the instructions. In fact, in 70% of cases, you can see laminate flooring, the floorboards of which creak, rise like a house, "breathe".
All this happens with a new floor after a couple of months due to the following mistakes when laying the laminate:
- Unprepared base … One of the main mistakes of those who think that "and so will come off." Such craftsmen think they can put the backing on an unrepaired concrete slab or old wooden base, and they can do without tidying up the subfloor. This is a serious misconception! The underlayment can only minimize minor defects in the substrate. Even a thick layer will not hide the hillocks. The consequences of such negligence: quickly collapsed locks on the lamellas, creaking, unevenness, visible even on the finished floor. Solution to the problem: dismantling the entire coating, leveling the base. Only then can you start laying the laminate again.
- Non-acclimatized material … People who first decided to start repairing do not stand the purchased laminate in the room where it is supposed to be laid. Any surface requires acclimatization. This is especially important for wood products. They should not only be at room temperature, but also equal in humidity to the room where they will be laid later. Installation of non-acclimatized material is fraught with swelling of individual lamellas, creak, destruction of locks. Solution to the problem: go through the entire coating, remove the lamellas with broken locks and curved ones, re-install the laminate.
- Desire to save money on the substrate … Laminate flooring must not be laid directly on the substrate. The substrate is chosen the more expensive, the better the finish floor covering. The use of an economy-class interlayer for an expensive laminate is fraught with the destruction of the lamella locks, creaking, and loosening of individual floor elements. Solution to the problem: bulkhead coating, replacement of damaged lamellas, laying a high-quality substrate and subsequent installation of the laminate.
- No compensation gap … If the laminate is laid close to the walls, then when the temperature in the room rises, there is a high probability of "swelling" of some of the lamellas. The result is a "humped" floor. It looks ugly, it is inconvenient to walk on it, a strong creak is heard, the locks on the floorboards quickly collapse. Solution to the problem: disassemble the coating, remove the damaged lamellas and repeat the installation observing the expansion gap.
Improper use of laminate flooring
Refurbishment of the laminate may be required not only due to installation errors, but also due to improper use. You can't walk on it on heels. They will leave dents, scratches, chips on its surface. A thick felt must be placed under the furniture legs.
If the laminate is chosen incorrectly, the load on the floor in a particular room or other characteristics (humidity) are not taken into account, individual lamellas may burst or swell, gaining moisture. For places with high traffic, it is recommended to choose especially durable types of coating. There is a waterproof laminate that is recommended for use in the kitchen, where the chances of accidentally spilling liquid are quite high.
Solution to the problem: observe the operating technique, purchase material in accordance with the parameters of the room. Chips and scratches can be repaired with a special paste. Henceforth, so that new ones do not appear, it is necessary to regularly (according to the instructions) rub the laminate with special wax. Broken lamellas can be replaced with new ones, but it makes sense to remove the cover and lay a more durable one. Floorboards swollen from moisture must be replaced. It is also better to change an unsuitable coating to a moisture resistant one.
There are more than enough reasons why a laminate restoration may be required. In order not to waste time, follow the technology when laying the flooring and properly care for it. Despite its strength, laminate is a delicate material. Improper use can cut its lifespan in half.
Laminate repair tools and materials
To repair the floor, you will need a few tools and materials:
- Wax, paste for laminate restoration;
- Various soft rags (rags);
- New lamellas if broken or swollen ones need to be replaced;
- Special sealant for sealing joints between floorboards;
- The handy tool.
Having put the surface in order, it will need to be maintained in this state throughout the entire service life. A special wax to restore the laminate will help in this. It comes in different shades, so it is not at all difficult to choose the right one for the color of your coating.
Laminate repair and restoration technology
Repairing a laminate floor is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. On the one hand, knowing your mistakes, it is easy to correct them. On the other hand, it is a lot of work and additional financial costs. It is impossible to restore a laminate laid with glue!
Repairing laminate flooring with an unprepared base
If the installation was carried out independently, it means that you can imagine what work was done and what was not. Do-it-yourself laminate repair, if the coating was laid by the master, you must start with diagnostics.
If you suspect a poorly prepared base, you need to carefully disassemble the floor into slats and carefully examine each one. Floorboards with broken or cracked locks should be discarded and replaced with new ones.
Then they start cleaning and leveling the subfloor:
- Clean the concrete slab from debris and dust and inspect carefully.
- Remove the bumps with a chisel and hammer.
- Cover the bumps and pits with mortar.
- Make a leveling concrete screed if the level deviation exceeds 2 cm by 1 meter.
- Be sure to let the screed dry well, do not rush to install the laminate.
- Lay the plastic wrap, connect the joints with construction tape.
- Open and lay the backing, and fix the joints with tape.
- Install the laminate according to the instructions.
- Be sure to seal the joints with a special sealant.
- Apply protective wax to the finished floor.
If you had to completely sort out the floor covering, carefully inspect each lamella. On the "humped" base, the locks of the floorboards loosen, "go" with cracks. Having re-laid such a marriage, it is likely that after some time it will be necessary to repair it again - to change the failed lamellas.
How to repair raised laminate edges
The edges of the slats can rise because the covering is laid close to the walls. In this case, you will have to disassemble the floor.
We carry out the work as follows:
- Carefully remove all lamellas and number them so that they do not get tangled when re-laying. If the floorboards are mixed up, gaps will appear between them.
- Replace damaged lamellas with new ones, be sure to pick up close ones in color or use the ones left after laying, which will be ideal.
- Mount the floor, leaving expansion gaps of up to 0.5 cm along the walls. Use a damper tape for this.
- Seal the joints between the floorboards.
- Apply a protective coating on top.
Restoration of laminate due to poor quality substrate
The elimination of such an oversight will result in a complete dismantling of the coating, removal of the old and laying of a new high-quality substrate:
- Carefully disassemble the floor and number the slats to avoid tangling when re-installing them. Replace floorboards with "broken" locks with new ones.
- Remove the old backing, clean the sub-floor of debris and dust.
- Lay a new underlay, connect the joints with construction tape.
- Install the floorboards according to the numbering.
If during the restoration of the laminate you have to completely dismantle the topcoat, do not be lazy and carefully inspect the base. It is better to immediately eliminate all possible problems so that after a while you do not have to start repairing again.
Repairing scratches on laminate flooring
The lesser of the troubles that can happen with coverage. Among the modern means that allow you to restore the laminate from scratches quickly and with a minimum of labor, a wax-based pencil stands out. Run it over the scratch several times until it disappears. Now rub the floorboard to be restored with a soft cloth. Defect as it happened!
Deep scratches and dents from heels must be repaired with a special compound - putty (paste) for the laminate. It comes in different colors, you need to choose the closest to the coating. Apply some putty to the blemish with a rubber trowel. Hammer in the scratch or dent flush with the floor. Remove excess with a cloth. Polish off dried putty with a dry cloth.
Elimination of scuffs on the laminate
They appear in places of frequent use - corridors, kitchens, hallways. This is due to two points: laying a floor covering with low wear resistance, or if no special protective equipment was used when caring for the floor.
The easiest answer to the question of how to restore a laminate from scuffs is to use wax. Apply it to the worn area, slightly going beyond the boundaries of the abrasion. Let dry and polish with a dry soft cloth. If the protective layer of the laminate is badly damaged, wax alone, even if it is used regularly, is indispensable.
We'll have to apply more stringent measures:
- Take the finest sandpaper. Treat the "bald spots" with it.
- Remove dust with a dry cloth or use a vacuum cleaner.
- Take sandpaper-zero. Walk through the already treated areas. Remove all dust thoroughly again.
- Take your laminate varnish and work on the cleaned areas.
- After the varnish has dried, cover the entire floor surface with wax.
How to remove swelling of lamellas due to water ingress
If water is spilled on the floor, and you did not notice it in time, individual floorboards will swell, and their edges will scratch. The solution in this situation is simple: disassemble the coating as soon as possible, reaching the wet lamellas.
Prepare blank sheets of paper before repairing laminate flooring after bulging. Place wet floorboards on them and let them dry naturally. When they return to their original form, reassemble the flooring, and put the previously wet floorboards in another place (where water will not reach them in case of a leak).
Even the most water-resistant laminate will not be able to withstand moisture if the joints between the lamellas are not covered by anything. Be sure to use a special sealant to seal the joints and regularly (according to the instructions) wax the floor surface. This is the only way to extend the life of the floor!
Restoration of laminate from chips
This is one of the main problems. Even if they walk on the floor in soft slippers, no one is safe from the fact that something heavy will not fall on him - a plate, a cup or a lid from a cast-iron cauldron. If the object hits the corner of the lamella, a chip will inevitably appear.
Before you repair the laminate from chips, purchase a special paste. Then proceed as follows:
- Clean out the chip. Try not to grab nearby undamaged lamellas.
- Apply the paste to the chipped area with a rubber spatula. Work carefully, trying to keep the composition only at the place of damage.
- Remove the paste if it accidentally gets in the vicinity of the chip.
- Align it flush with the floor surface, wipe with a dry cloth.
- Cover the restored area with something to avoid accidentally stepping on it.
- Cover with a protective coating after a few hours.
Laminate chip restoration pastes come in a variety of colors. It is not always possible to accurately "hit" the desired shade. Therefore, purchase several types of products, mix them during work to obtain the desired color.
How to restore laminate flooring - watch the video:
Now you know how to make your own laminate repair. Such a coating is very responsive to proper care. It extends its service life and allows you to keep the floor covering intact for the entire period of operation.
