Removing scratches from laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is hardwearing, durable and able to cope with most of the knocks and scrapes it goes through in the course of everyday life; however, accidents do happen and over time you might notice scratches on your flooring. The good news is that you can fix most scratches simply, leaving your flooring looking as good as new.

Minor scratches

Minor scratches can be easily disguised by using a wax pencil in the same colour as your flooring. Simply clean the area of flooring you want to repair and ensure it is dry and free of dust or debris, then take your wax pencil and use it to fill in the scratch. Use your fingers or a lint-free cloth to force the wax into the scratch and to blend it into the surface of the laminate flooring. When you have filled the scratch, which is best done by dragging the wax pencil across the surface of the scratch in different directions to build up the layer, simply buff the wax with a clean cloth. This is a very effective method and is ideal for fixing minor scratches.

Larger scratches

If the scratch or scrape is too wide to fill with wax, you can purchase repair kits containing putty. The putty should be the same colour as your flooring. Using a putty knife or similar, spread the putty over the scratch as you would when applying filler to a wall crack. Force the putty into the scratch or scrape, then use your knife to level out the area. The putty is designed to harden and stay in place permanently.

Major scratches

In the event of major damage, putty might not be enough to fill the scratch. The best thing to do in this case is to replace the affected plank. Depending on the installation method of your flooring, this can be fairly simple. You will need to remove the baseboard from the wall nearest the plank you want to replace, then you will have to pull up enough planks to let you remove the damaged one. Simply lay a new board and replace the other flooring. For this reason, it is always a good idea to buy slightly more flooring than you need, just in case your laminate is discontinued or unavailable at a future date.

You can take some simple steps to minimise the risk of scratches appearing on your floor. Furniture pads on the bottom of chair and table legs are highly effective, as is a doormat at each entrance to your home to prevent sharp stones and debris being trodden indoors.