When I moved into my home, the floor in the living room had just been refinished with beautiful honey toned laminate flooring.  It was beautiful and it fit my decor perfectly.  The only problem was the fact that one of my chair had popped a cap, unbeknownst to everyone involved, and it wasn’t until a few weeks later, when I went to rearrange a few pieces of furniture, that I noticed it.Much to my horror, the gleaming floor beneath the chair had become a scratched mess and I shuddered at the thought of fixing it.

Now, I’m sure that I am not the only person who has had to deal with scratched laminate flooring.  In fact, I’m almost positive that the problem is universally shared.  The simple truth is, if you are going to own laminate flooring, at one time you will own scratched laminate flooring.  Most people would simply sigh and shift the furniture around to cover the evidence, something that I actually did for a few months, but laminate flooring can be fixed without having to tear out pieces and replace them.

Most repairs in laminate flooring are pretty minor.  A glass may have fallen and gouged a small hole or the kids may have scraped a toy car, minus wheels, across a small section.  The scratches and holes are simply surface damage but they definitely detract from the once shiny beauty of your floors.

With minor damage, you will only need to do minor repairs to your laminate.  Unfortunately, as with most repairs, there is nothing regularly stocked in your shelves that will fix the floors.  You will need to make a run to the local home hardware or flooring store to pick up a repair kit.  Some manufacturers will make repair kits for their flooring so the best place to start is the store where you purchased your flooring.

If you aren’t sure of the manufacturer or the manufacturer does not have a repair product, simply purchase a generic repair kit.  A repair kit usually consists of a tube of putty or wax.This is your filler.  Some repair kits have colored putty while others have paint that you mix to create the matching floor color; this you mix with the putty before applying. Both are perfectly fine to purchase and you will usually run yourself about ten to twenty dollars.

Some repair kits come with putty knife and everything else you need but if it doesn’t simply pick up a putty knife while you are at the store.  Popsicle sticks work perfectly for applying the putty to the crack.

Before you start repairing your scratches and dents, make sure the area is clean of any debris and is dry.  There is no sense repairing a spot if a patch of dog hair is going to be glued into the floor.  Once the area is prepared, it’s time to get mixing.

If you went with a colored putty that matches your floor, all you will need to do is spoon in the putty, but if you went with a mix, you will need to match and create the desired color.  Once you have that, spoon in the putty and smooth with the putty knife.  Remove any of the excess putty so you have a smooth surface.  Lastly, wipe the area around the scratch, being careful to not touch the repaired scratch with a clean cloth to wash away any residue. 

Once it dries, your laminate flooring should look as good as new.

Once in a while, you will find the occasional scratch that is too shallow for the putty to work properly.  If this is the case, the best product on the market is ScratchAway.  This is a spray on treatment for any small scratches on laminate and other wood flooring.  All you need to do is spray the area and then buff until it is dry. 

So with a few little tricks of the trade, there are very few reasons why you can’t enjoy scratch free laminate flooring for years to come.

-Sirena Van Schaik

Laminate flooring gives you all the color options that come with hardwood flooring. However as far as textures go, it falls short of hardwood floors. So in way it is similar to hardwood flooring, yet it is not hardwood flooring.

The Shade

When deciding on the color of the floor you must remember that the color of the floor is basically the background of the room. It is the very foundation that you will have on deciding the scheme of decoration for the room. Suppose, you want to have light colored furniture for your room, then a dark colored flooring should be your preference. The opposite is similarly true. So if you are opting for dark colored furniture, then a light colored floor will best complement the furniture.

The color of the walls will also be dictated by the kind of floor you have and the furniture you keep on them. These three colors that of the walls, the floor and the furniture must all gel well and there shouldn’t be a conflict. Also depending on the color you use, the room will get a character. It might be made to look warm and cozy or bright and cheerful. The kind of look you want will depend on what use the room is put to. A children’s room will obviously have ad different look than that of a living room.

Maintenance

The main reason that one uses laminate flooring is because of its ease of maintenance and its affordability. Laminate floors are renowned for their ability in tackling almost any kinds of spills, dropping and scratches. Yet a minimum amount of maintenance helps.

If you want to use potted plants in your rooms to add more life to the room, then you must use a drip plate below the pot so that the excess water is collected and does not flow on to the room.

One can also use two separate shades of laminate floor boards for the floor. While one shade can be used to form the major base of the floor, the other can be used to form borders of the floor.

While doing up a room, it is not just about making it look good when it’s new, but one must also see to it that the room looks nice even after years. Especially in case of laminate floors where durability is one of the key features why people choose it. So try and keep the as scratch free as possible using felt pads under the legs of furniture and doormats at the entrances.

 

When most people get themselves laminate flooring the main reason behind the selection is the ease of maintenance. Although it is true to a great extent – laminate flooring probably being the easiest of all floors to maintain – yet, it would need some amount of basic maintenance all year round which is mostly effortless. This is more true because, for laminate flooring, damages might lead to entire planks being replaced. This is because apart from scratches and bruises, laminate floorings are susceptible to structural damages if not taken care of properly. So it is always better to take the necessary precautions.

This article will give you a few pointers as to what are the basic precautionary steps you can take for your laminate flooring. But beyond this, you must strictly follow the instructions and recommendations of your manufacturer. What we will discuss here are a few generic issues.

Preventive Maintenance Tips

• To avoid dirt and grit to settle on the floor place mats on all the doorways, preferably on both sides and also near sinks and stoves to keep the floor free of water and oil. Make sure that the mats are non-abrasive and the surface of the mat doesn’t react with the material of the floor.
• Don’t drag or pull furniture along the floor as it might lead to scratches. Instead try to lift them up while shifting them. Felt pads below the legs of the furniture can be a further preventive measure and will avoid scratches if the furniture is moved around.
• Areas of the room with high traffic areas can be protected by placing area rugs.
• The temperature and humidity levels of a room can also be crucial to maximize the flooring’s dimensional stability. The general trend is to maintain an average temperature of 72ºF and an average humidity of something around 55%.

Cleaning Tips

• While cleaning with a vacuum cleaner always use the hard floor attachment or you can get scratches.
• If you intend to use a mop, then don’t saturate it with water. After cleaning there shouldn’t be any water on the floor. Sweep with a slightly damp cloth.
• Don’t let spills to stand. Wipe them off immediately.
• Always use cleaners which are   recommended by the manufacturers. Never use soaps, abrasives or polishes.

This has been a rough guide to the maintenance of your laminate flooring. You can use this information along with the recommendations from the manufacturer.

Laminate flooring was introduced in America in 1994 and since then its popularity has always been on the rise. As with any popular product, there has been a flood of versions of laminate flooring. There has been this whole host of manufacturers who have jumped on to the bandwagon and are now producing laminate flooring of various types an numerous designs. As the saying goes, the more the choice, the harder it becomes to choose, and it is also very true for laminate flooring. What we are here trying to do is to help you decide on the right laminate floor that you will need.

There are various factors which you will need to consider before deciding on one particular flooring.

Price

This has always been a crucial factor no matter what you are buying. And as much as you would like to save the maximum amount, going for the best deal doesn’t always work out. First of all get your budget done. While researching on the net you might come across unbelievable deals like less than a dollar for every square feet. The best thing would be not to believe them. The normal price range for laminate flooring is generally between $1.5 and $3 for every square feet, with some going as high as $6 per sq. ft. Anything lower than that might mean either they are discontinued products whose replacements wont be available when you need them or you might need to buy a huge quantity to get the special discounted price.

Design Choices

There are numerous designs available today, enough to make you go crazy. If you are looking for wood designs, you will get the designs for all the species. You will also have to choose between:

• Single strip
• Two strip and
• Three strip

Then you will need to decide on laminate boards with

• square edges,
• beveled edges and
• micro-beveled edges

Finally you will have to take a call on the different surface finishes and textures. That is quite a choice. But decide only after seeing the boards, preferably installed on a floor. You can also look photographs of rooms with particular type of floorings. However, never should you decide on a particular kind just by looking at a photograph. Also remember that your floor forms the foundation of the room décor and it should gel well with the furniture and the color of the walls.

Warranty

Before finally deciding on a particular product, look at the warranty on offer. The general trend is to provide a 15-year residential warranty for protection against premature wear, staining and fading. Protection against accidental moisture damage would be a bonus.