How to Repair a Laminate Floor

Laminate floors are made for high traffic areas, but once in awhile you may need to repair a small scratch or replace an entire board altogether. While they are durable and attractive, laminate flooring will undoubtedly need repaired at some point.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• screwdriver
• laminate floor repair kit
• hammer
• laminate flooring

Repairing Scratches

1. To fix a minor scratch in your laminate floor, you will need to purchase a laminate floor repair kit. You can find these at most hardware stores. Make sure to take a piece of flooring with you so you can match up the colors. Follow the directions on the package.

Replacing Laminate Floor Boards

1. To replace a section of laminate floor, remove the molding near the floorboard using a screwdriver or hammer to loosen it. Make sure you do not damage the molding; you will need to put it back in the end.

2. Remove all boards leading up to the damaged board. They all click into place, much like a jigsaw puzzle. Once you have removed the damaged board, simply click a new board into place. Then back track and replace all of the boards leading up to the molding.

3. Replace the molding using a hammer to pound it back into place. Now your floor should look as good as new.

Fixing Peaking or Buckling

1. To fix a section of your floor that is "peaking", you will need to decrease the tension among the boards. They peak or rise, due to an increase in tension around the wall. The floor has expanded due to time or weather, and there is no more room to expand.

2. Remove the molding that surrounds the laminate using a hammar or screwdriver. Save the molding for replacement after the repairs.

3. Remove the spacers that were set in place during installation. These provide support between the wall and the first board of laminate.

4. Install smaller spacers and then gently press down on the peak. If it does not disappear, allow the floor to settle and expand on its own.

5. Replace the molding using a hammer to pound it back into place.

6. Conversely, if you have a gap between boards, increase the spacers at the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Laminate flooring clicks together. No glue is necessary.

• When fixing a peak, if there are no spacers between the wall and the laminate, then remove the board that is closest to the wall and cut approximately ½ inch off the width. This will allow for expansion.

• Laminate flooring may fade over time. Take one of the existing boards with you when purchasing a replacement board so as to match the colors as best you can.

• Pick up a laminate floor repair kit. Minor scratches are easy to get rid of if you have access to a repair kit. Just make sure you match up the colors.

• Be careful of your molding. If you break your molding, it won't really matter that you replaced your floorboard; the room will still look awful.

• Remove the boards leading to the damaged board, when you are done snapping a new one in place; put the floorboards back into place.

• Never wetmop a laminate floor, as this will cause buckling or warping. Always clean up spills quickly.