How to remove scratches on the laminate at home: effective ways and helpful recommendations

Laminate flooring - it's clean and cozy in the house. But due to the fact that the panels have a layered structure, it is possible to damage the floor in the form of scratches or chips. Over time, there are more, and the question of how to remove scratches on the laminate, can become an edge. Therefore, it is better to take care of the beautiful form of artificial parquet beforehand, to repair small scratches without delay, than to change the floor completely or partially, especially since some types of laminate can not be replaced without pain.

Causes of scratches on the laminate

From the causes of the appearance of scratches on the floor, we can distinguish such factors:

• Quality . The initial quality of the coating greatly affects its wear resistance. Cheap floor can get scratched after half a year of improper operation. Typically, the instructions for use indicate which rooms can use this product.
• Humidity . In case of high humidity in the room, the upper protective layer of the laminate flooring can move away from the base. This situation leads to large cracks or chips on the surface. To avoid such a fate, you should purchase a cover for better production or monitor the level of humidity in the room.

• Furniture . Movable furniture without protective coatings automatically damages the entire floor plane, and the task of how to remove scratches from furniture from the laminate becomes paramount.
• Footwear . Walking in shoes with heels around the room can lead not only to scratches, but also to the fact that the coating will look like a sieve.
• Toys . Children's toys with sharp details can also become one of the causes of damage to the laminate floor.
• Pets. The long claws of animals, as a rule, leave microscopic damages on the laminate, which eventually become very noticeable.
• Improperly fitted tiles. If you neglect all the rules for laying a laminate, then in the near future you can expect trouble in the form of damage. Due to humidity and during operation, edges that are not correctly fitted have the property of crumbling and cracking.

Types of laminate

According to the manufacturing method, the laminate can be divided into certain markings, which can be consulted when purchasing the material. The type of laminate is indicated on the label of the product or on the package. But you can always get competent advice from a specialist who will take into account all the factors of using floor material and advise which brand is best for this particular room.

• HPL - high pressure technology.
• DPR - technology of printing a picture on a printer.
• CPL - continuous pressure technology.
• DPL - Direct Pressure Technology
• Caching method.

A certain method of manufacturing flooring involves the use of certain materials, and accordingly, and certain ways how to remove scratches on the laminate at home.

HPL marking

The cost of this material is quite high, but this is justified by its great wear resistance. Laminate of this brand is used for covering the floor with increased load. Use this brand and for the manufacture of countertops or furniture facades. The method of manufacturing the product consists of a separate pressing of the upper layer of decorative paper, plastic and kraft paper, and after the press the resulting workpiece is glued to the chipboard.

How to remove scratches on the laminate of this brand? The method can not be called easy, simple wax is not an assistant here. To remove scratches from this laminate, you need to use the putty designed for this purpose. As a rule, these are mixtures that are preheated and evenly distributed on the damaged surface, previously cleaned of dust and fat-free alcohol, with a spatula.

DPR marking

The newest technology of laminate production is that the image on the material appears immediately on a plate made of wood and shavings. Such a floor covering can be varied in color, which greatly complicates the task of repair. Remove small scratches from a laminate of this production can be done with putty and wax pencils of the right color.

Scratches on the laminate how to remove improvised means in this case? Here you can use special repair kits for laminate, which are sold in any building supermarket. They have the whole set of necessary tools for the task to be solved with a positive result.

CPL marking

The method of manufacturing this material practically copies the production of the DPL coating, but because of the additional layers of paper the surface has great strength.

How to remove scratches on a laminate of the brand CPL? You can apply wax pencils or a special tool that is based on the mastic.

Remove small scratches from a laminate of the CPL brand is also possible with ordinary wax. That the mass has acquired a suitable shade, some masters mix wax and a shoe polish. This procedure adds to the mass of moisture resistance and increases its protective properties.

DPL marking

Plates manufactured by this method are the cheapest kind of laminate. This coating consists of four layers, which are pressed simultaneously:

• Paper with impregnation of melamine and corundum additive.
• Decorative paper.
• Pressed board made of wood shavings.
• Impregnated with phenol kraft paper phenol.

How to remove scratches on the laminate of this brand? The method differs little from the main methods, but it is worth remembering that this material is contraindicated due to the use of moisture in the process of its production of paper. Therefore, before removing the scratches from the laminate with your own hands, all the necessary surface must be degreased with alcohol and use the usual wax, painted under the tone of the coating.

Caching Method

The production of laminate by the method of caching consists of gluing paper impregnated with resin onto wood-shaving tiles. Therefore, the material obtained does not differ in durability, but it is very easy to repair. Scratches on the laminate how to remove improvised means in this case? It is enough to unglue the old paper and replace it with a new one, or to disassemble the floor and replace the coating with new parts of the laminate. If there are no spare tiles, then with the help of wallpaper and glue PVA or a suitable film on the color with a self-adhesive base it is possible to repair a small section of the floor. This is the only brand of laminate, with which you can solve the problem without any special monetary investment.

Sets for repair work

Can I remove scratches from the laminate? The answer to this question can be considered affirmative with the availability of special kits for repair work. Reliable and versatile means for such purposes can be mixtures based on wax or putty, intended for wooden surfaces.

The set for laminate work usually includes:

• Tuba with putty.
• Spatula made of plastic or rubber.
• A pair of elements with paint.
• Pencils based on wax.

After applying the ingredients from the repair kit, you should take care of the presence of a colorless varnish. It will completely impregnate the tiles and will not allow cracks and scratches to appear soon again.

Method of repair work

Any damage should be removed while they are small. This will allow the wood-base composition of the laminate not to fall apart and will not lead to a complete replacement of the floor covering. If the repair kit is assembled in full, then the repair should be carried out in the following order:

• Cleaning the site of dust and dirt by any means of home chemistry. But it is worth remembering that not all coating grades tolerate water well. Some types of laminate before repair is simply to wipe with a damp rag.
• The dry cloth should be degreased with alcohol or a special preparation for degreasing and wait for the complete evaporation of the alcohol composition.
• Putty or wax pencil carefully wipe the entire surface, followed by cleaning the excess putty.
• After the composition has hardened, the coated surface should be opened with varnish, preferably in several layers. It is the varnish that will not allow the surface to crack and hide all visible defects.

If all the rules are followed in accordance with the instructions to the repair kit, then the scratches will be almost invisible. In the case of substantial damage to the laminate, you can always go to replace the site completely.