Laminate is taking over the hardwood floor quite speedily because it mimics solid hardwood without actually paying the high price of actual wood. Despite the laminate being family and pet-friendly, this flooring is prone to scuffs and scratches! But there are several ways to get rid of these scratches, and this complete guide by Dubai Rubber explains it in so much detail. This guide is perfect for removing every type of scuff and scratch from a laminate floor.
An Effective Guide For Scratch & Scuff Removal For Dubai Homes!
This guide is a fully structured cheat sheet for removing scratches that can result from any and every incident. Your laminate flooring can get scratched during the moving of the furniture or due to extensive foot traffic quite frequently! Not only that, this guide also educates you on when to stop and call for professional help.
Most Common Scratches On The Laminate Flooring
Before removing the scratches from the flooring in Dubai, it is important to know whether it’s possible or not! Some laminate scratches are easy to buff out with simple kitchen ingredients, while others require a repair kit.
1. Light Scuff Marks
Caused by daily wear and foot traffic. Sometimes, because of the angry throwing by your toddler or your pet’s movement, your flawless laminate is damaged.
-
2. Medium Scratches
Mainly because of furniture moving. Dragging even the light furniture instead of simply lifting can damage the laminate floors. Furniture dragging can also chip off the color of the laminate floor.
3. Deep & Stubborn Gouges
Gouges in the laminate floor are caused by heavy and sharp objects falling on the floor. Sometimes, the planks even crack.
Preparation To Remove
Thorough Cleaning First
Clean the laminate floor thoroughly but carefully. Make sure you don’t push the dirt deeper into the scratches or gouges. Use a vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean the scratches and the gouges to get rid of the dirt.
Essential Tools And Safety Gear
The following materials and tools should be prepared before the scratch removal from the laminate floor.
- Tennis Ball Or Eraser
- Olive Oil or Any Other Vegetable Oil
- DIY Laminate Repair Kit ( Wax Sticks, Laminate Putty, & Laminate Pens)
- Hair Dryer (For Heat Repair)
- Mask or Gloves (For plank replacing)
Removal Methods For Different Kinds Of Scratches!
Laminate scratches are categorized into three classes: light, medium, and deep. Every type requires different scratch removal techniques.
How To Remove Light Scuffs?
Light scratches on the laminate floor are easily dealt with by simple DIY tricks.
1- Tennis Ball Or Eraser
- This is the most common and widely used method for scratch removal from laminate. Rub a clean and new tennis ball on the scuff marks.
- Rub the ball in circular motions, and the scuff marks would dull.
- This method is most effective for light shoe scuffs or rough toys being dragged around by the kids.
2- Pure Oils — Olive And Coconut!
- Laminate is a rather shiny floor, and eliminating scuff marks from the floor with oils is a great idea.
- Take a few drops of olive oil on a soft sponge or a cloth.
- Wipe the cloth across the scuff marks and gently rub. Don’t rub the laminate floor too strongly. It can damage the finish of the laminate.
Pro Tip: Don’t use olive oil if your laminate floor is white or any other color from the same spectrum. Use a transparent oil like coconut oil.
3- Oil Cleaners — For Buffing
Sometimes, oils alone can’t remove the scratches and scuffs.
- Mix a quarter teaspoon of oil with lemon juice and water. Lemon and water would buff out the scratches, while oil would renew the shine of the damaged laminate surface.
4- Color Blending For Minor Scratches!
- You can use oil crayons or color-correcting pens for color-matching the laminate.
- Correction pens are used when the cleaning process has bleached the laminate plank.
- These pens are mostly used to give the finishing touches to the laminate after scuff removal.
Repair Kit For Medium Scratches!
There are some instances where you can’t use the common DIY cleaners to revive your laminate floor. Use the following repair kit for a tad stubborn scratches.
Industrial Wax-Sticks Touch Up!
If the scratches are deep enough to buff out, use wax sticks to repair your laminate floor.
- Rub the wax sticks over the scratches until the grooves are filled with the wax.
- Now, remove the access wax with a blunt but thin object and buff the laminate floor.
Putty Or Fillers For Laminate!
Putty also works like a wax stick, but it is a more permanent solution for the laminate floor.
- Make the putty paste. You can make the paste match the laminate color as well.
- Apply the putty and let it set and dry.
- After it’s dried out, take some sandpaper and gently smooth it out so that it doesn’t damage the laminate finish.
- Heat Treating The Scratches
This is probably the easiest and useful trick for removing wide and prominent scratches from the laminate floor. Just blast the scratched surface of the laminate with hot air from the hair dryer.
This would make the laminate floor expand, and the scratches would become less visible.
Deep Damage And Gouges — When DIY Won’t Do!
If something heavy with sharp corners falls on your laminate, it damages it more than some minor scratches. The laminate tile can crack under pressure.
DIY Plank Replacing
When the damage is extensive, replacing the laminate tile is the only viable option. You can source the same match from the best suppliers of laminate flooring in Dubai. These names include Dubai Rubber, Lush Loom, Omni Home, and Nova Floor.
- If the damage is near the wall, then tread lightly. Use a pry bar and pry out the wall skirting.
- Now use a padded hammer and unlock the laminate tiles one by one until you reach the damaged tile.
- Now, carefully pry the damaged laminate out.
- Now, lay the new laminate plank in the same place and align it perfectly. If the rest of the floor is applied with glue, then apply a thin layer of adhesive.
- Reapply the wall skirting and clean the floor.
Call A Professional — When DIY Is Not The Answer!
Sometimes, more than one laminate tile is damaged. In this case, calling an expert team is the only way out. You can replace a tile or two, but replacing more is a skilled person’s job. In this situation, calling a professional for the repair of your laminate floor is better for your pocket and your sanity as well.
Maintenance Tips For Laminate Floor — Experts Speak!
If properly maintained, laminate floors can last for decades.
- Use furniture pads when moving. This way, their legs won’t leave scuffs on the laminate. This is also a great way to prevent permanent indentation caused by furniture on your laminate.
- Place rugs and carpets in the areas that face extensive comings and goings. This would help the laminate finish last longer.
- Clean up any spills and stains almost immediately from the laminate. This way, the stains or the spills won’t have any time to seep deeper into the laminate surface.
- Clean regularly to get rid of any dirt or dust accumulation.
- Don’t use water or steam mops. The water would seep into the grout, and the laminate would swell.
Summarizing The Debate!
Don’t think that your laminate flooring is ruined just because of a few scratches and scuffs. What is explained above is the gold mine to rid your laminate floor of these unsightly scratches. You just need to relax and carry out the DIYs, and your floor will be renewed in no time. Apart from nailing these self-renewal techniques, you need to know when the laminate is damaged enough to call a professional. Sometimes calling a professional is cheaper than trying to revive the laminate yourself.
