How to care for a laminate?

To answer the question of how to care for a laminate, you need to understand what it is.

Laminate is a floor covering consisting of several layers: chipboard, stabilizing substrate, decorative paper, imitating texture, protective layer of melamine resin.

Care of the floors from the laminate is due precisely to the structure of this fashionable, practical and rather wear-resistant material.

Its top layer is transparent. It protects the decorative coating from moisture, mechanical damage. This coating can not be burned, it is very difficult to put an indelible stain on it, it is difficult to scratch it. However, the coating under the laminate does not tolerate a large amount of moisture. If it gets into the joints, the liquid can penetrate inside and damage the chipboard. That is why care for the laminate must be thorough and pointed.

• It is recommended to vacuum it daily. This will get rid of dust and other dry contaminants, but will not damage the floor.
• Do not wash floors covered with laminate, plenty of water. Ideal such a coating will help make a damp cleaning. In this case, the fabric that the floors are washed with must be very soft and hardly damp.
• Laminate scratches hard. But if the house has animals with long and sharp claws, they can damage the coating in the joints. Therefore, it is recommended to keep under control the length and sharpness of the claws of pets.

How to care for the laminate is now clear. But what if the floor was still scratched or had chips and cracks appeared on it? This can happen if the coating serves more than 10 years.

How can I care for a laminate if it is damaged? What if there are spots or other defects on it from time to time?

Care for the coating should be started with prevention. What most often damages the floors from the laminate? Sharp legs of heavy furniture, women's heels, hairpins, wheels of chairs. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude damaging effects from the very beginning.

• Do not walk at home on stiletto heels.
• Under the legs of furniture make special substrates of drape or felt.
• Buy and install on the wheel castors, designed specifically for floors made of laminate.
• Avoid getting a lot of moisture on the floor, especially in the seams and joints.

We did everything, but the floors are still damaged. How to care for a laminate, if it appeared chipped?

• It should be treated with special putty. It can easily be purchased at any hardware store. Since putties are different, you should first read the instructions, and then purchase and use this product.
• Stains from markers, inks or other dyes can be easily removed using gasoline or acetone-based products. Do not use powder cleaners or liquids designed to clean the floor or other coatings. After processing the laminate it must be wiped with a damp cloth, and then thoroughly dried.

Answering the question about how to care for the laminate, it should be said that the microclimate is very important for the preservation of this coating. Ideal conditions for operation are temperatures of 18 ° -20 ° C and humidity of 50% -65%. In this climate and with proper care the laminate will last more than 15 years.

By the way, home craftsmen came up with a little trick. Even with very careful care the laminate boards are damaged in a few years, especially in places of "high passability". What to do with the damaged site? Replace it with a plaque from under the bed or cabinet. It can be done with the help of specialists or independently, and the operation for replacing is carried out repeatedly. So you can save money on buying a new coating and maximize the life of the old laminate.