How to Remove Scratches from Laminate Floor?

Laminate floors are usually scratch-resistant, but even the hardest floors need repairing over time. Scratches occur when you move heavy furniture in your room or sometimes with a dog’s paws or might be with your child’s toys. If your laminate floor has scratches, you must opt for good strategies and ways to remove them without damaging your floor further. This article will provide the practical yet easiest ways to remove scratches from your laminate floor.

Remove Scratches from Laminate Floor

Laminate Floor Repair Scratch Kit

You can successfully repair your laminated floor from scratches if you match the right colors of the floor. The best way to match the floor colors is to get the laminate floor repair scratch kit directly from the flooring manufacturer. Usually, a floor repairing kit consists of a wax pencil, a putty knife, and a colored putty to repair the minor scratches on the floor. If you cannot track the floor manufacturer, you can take the flooring sample to the store and get your floor repairing kit accordingly.

Repair Minor Scratches with Wax Pencil and Colored Putty

Scratches on laminate floors can be minor or major. For minor scratches, a wax pencil is enough to repair them. Take a wax pencil that matches the color of the floor and fill the scratch by rubbing the wax pencil over it. You have to rub the tip of the wax pencil in a back and forth direction opposite to the scratch on the floor. Try to take short strokes to fill the scratch. After filling the scratches with wax, take a soft clean cloth and buff the edges of the repair gently. You have to buff it until it gets blended with the rest of the floor.

White scratches on laminate flooring look very disturbing and get the attention of everyone immediately. A wax pencil will not be enough if the laminate floor has a slightly bigger or wide scratch. You can use repair putty instead of a wax pencil in this case. Hold a putty knife to spread the putty across the scratch. You can also use a craft stick instead of a putty knife. To fill the putty across the scratch, hold the knife at a 45-degree angle and press the putty from multiple angles to the scratch. To ensure a flat and even repair, turn the knife on its edge and gently scrape it around the repair and surrounding floor. The putty will take a day to harden and become the permanent part of the floor.

Repair Major Scratches by Replacing the Board

If your laminate floor board is deeply scratched, bigger than usual, no wax pencil and putty can repair it. In this case, you need to remove the board and replace it. First, remove the board that is nearest to the wall and pull up the next boards one by one until you reach the damaged one. Replace the damaged one with the new board and fix all the boards back to their places. Please leave the gap at the wall for expansion. Replace the baseboard back to finish the repair.

Also Read: how to remove dried gloss paint from laminate flooring?

How to Fix Scratches in Laminate Floors from a Dog?

Pets, especially dogs, are the major source of scratches on your laminate floors. They scrub their paws on the floor and make scratches where they sit. Follow the method below to remove dog scratches from your floor.

Remove Shallow Scratches

• Clean the scratched area with a hardwood cleaner. Apply a small amount of hardwood cleaner to a rag and gently clear any dirt and debris from the scratched area with it.
• Take a stained-filled marker and apply it over the scratch. You can also use pigmented wood polish instead of the market if you want. (follow the directions on the product before applying it for correct application)
• If you are using the stained-filled marker, you can directly apply it over the scratch. But for pigmented wood polish, you will require a rag for application.
• Let the applied product dry and reapply it if needed. It’s better to coat lightly in the first attempt and then layer it up after drying.
• Apply a layer of shellac or polyurethane for a proper finish to your laminate floor.

The finishing product or polish color must match your floor.

Remove Deep Scratches

• Clean the scratch area with a rag and a hardwood cleaner. It’s important to remove any dirt and debris from the floor before treating scratches.
• Take a wood filler and putty knife to fill the scratch. Check the directions on the wood filler before application for the cure time. Cure time is the time that a product takes to settle down. Usually, the cure time for wood filler is one hour.
• After the wood filling is completely dry, sand the scratch area to remove any access on the top and around the scratch.
• After sanding, apply a wood stain that matches the floor color.
• For a proper finish, apply a coat of shellac or polyurethane.

How to Remove Scratches from Pergo Laminate Flooring?

Pergo is a brand of famous laminate flooring. Pergo floor has multiple layers of materials linked together. If your Pergo laminate flooring has scratches over it, you can remove it through the following method.

• Take one gallon of water and add ½ cup of ammonia into the bucket. You can also add 1 cup of vinegar instead of ammonia.
• Dip a rag or a sponge into the solution and rub the scratches with it. Turn and dip the rag or sponge frequently to rub the scratches from the floor. Make sure you are not flooding your laminate floor with this solution, as water can damage your laminate floor.
• Use laminate floor repairing putty to cover the scratches but choose the putty that matches the colors of the flooring.
• Apply the floor repairing putty to the scratch and use a putty knife to push it into the repair.
• You can apply a good finishing product or varnish over the floor to give it a proper finished look.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to get scratches out of high gloss laminate flooring?

To remove scratches from the high gloss laminating floor, you can use touch-up kits to fill the damaged area. Besides this, you can also use shoe polish to buff out the damage. You can use some other things for scratches like toothpaste, melted crayons, and bur-in sticks. If the scratch is deep, you have to remove the plank or board and replace a new one.

2. Do vinegar and olive oil fix wood scratches?

Yes, vinegar and olive oil can fix minor wood scratches. Take equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and mix them well. This solution removes dirt, moisturizes the floor, and gives a shine to the wood. Pour this solution directly on the scratch. Let it soak for at least 24 hours, and then wipe it off. Repeat the process if needed and the scratch will disappear.

3. How to get scratches out of grey laminate flooring?

If you have scratches on your grey laminate flooring, you can remove them using a floor repair kit. A floor repair kit is available in various colors. You can use a grey wax pencil that matches your laminate floor. Colored putty is also included in the floor repairing kit, and you can use it to cover up your floor scratches.