A large load is placed on the floor covering and over time it loses its original appearance - swelling, chips, scratches, and abrasions appear. If multiple defects have appeared on the laminate, this does not mean that it urgently needs to be replaced with new material. After minor repairs, you can give it the proper look.
How to remove scratches on the material
Scratches often appear on lamellas, the protective layer of which is very thin and fragile. If the defects are small, then they can be eliminated by applying a special wax pencil, appropriate shade. After that, the entire surface is well polished.
If the scratches are deep, for example, from furniture legs, then you will have to apply special repair kits, which include:
- putty - restoration wax;
- special repair putty for the laminate;
- acrylic varnish.
Consider how to use all of these devices:
- Putty - before use, it should be melted with a wax melter and applied to a clean fat-free surface, pre-paste the space next to the scratches with masking tape. Excess wax putty is removed with a damp rag without waiting for drying. After the composition has completely dried, the surface is sanded with a soft cloth.
- Repair putty - often found in tubes. Apply it to the cracks with a special rubber spatula - remove excess immediately with a dry cloth.
- Acrylic varnish, it is advisable to buy a transparent material.
After applying repair mixtures and grinding, the repaired areas are varnished for better protection and durability.
On a note! If the defect appeared in the area with a transition from dark to light, then it is better to purchase two mastics of different shades and mix them until the desired tone is obtained. Experts advise, if you want to bring the drawing as close as possible to the original one, after the mastic has dried and polished, apply the shading in the continuation of the ornament to the lamellas.
If the cracks are significant, then it is better to fill them with a gypsum solution into which small sawdust is added.
What to do if the laminate is swollen
How to repair a laminate? Swelling on the surface of the material can be as small as a few millimeters up to 2-5 cm. The most common cause of such a defect is non-compliance with the laying technology. Namely, the incorrect formation of a technological gap between the wall and the coating.
In this case, it is not difficult to restore the laminate:
- dismantle the baseboard;
- disassemble part of the coverage to the problem place;
- install the lamellas in the same place, while increasing the gap;
- mount the baseboard.
Advice! How to update a laminate at home? If the material is mounted the same in all rooms, then it is necessary to equip compensatory transitions and seams. The fact is that the microclimate in each room is different, therefore the expansion of the lamellas occurs in different ways.
Elimination of gaps between joints of a laminate
If large slots have formed between the slats, then the restoration of the laminate is done in the following ways:
- mechanical masking of the gap is the most affordable and easiest way. Often enough to hit with a wooden hammer on the canvas in the direction of the gap;
- can be filled with special wood filler - an excellent option for small gaps;
- if there are a lot of gaps, it remains only to disassemble the coating in whole or in part. At the same time, good lamellas are reinstalled, and defective ones are replaced with new ones.
In any case, repairing the flooring will be much cheaper than completely rebuilding the material.
Elimination of material delamination
If the laminate is constantly exposed to a humid environment, then the lamellas can begin to delaminate (a protective film is coming off), after which all layers of the material begin to swell and become unusable.
Some home craftsmen try to fix this defect by gluing the layers with epoxy compounds, followed by clamping the lamella between the clamps. But this process is long and painstaking - it does not allow to increase the durability of the material. Therefore, it is better to simply replace the flooring with a new material.
It is advisable to repair a defective laminate if the damage is not large, otherwise it is better to change the flooring.
Leave Your Comment