4 Common Laminate Floor Repairs

Laminate floor repair is not difficult, and will save you the time and expense of replacing the entire floor. Laminate floors can be damaged in a number of ways including scratches, mold, water damage and warping. Making most repairs requires the following tools. 

Tools

•     Laminate floor repair kit
•     Extra laminate floor boards
•     Screwdriver
•     Hammer
•     Spacers

Fixing scratches

Scratches can be repaired without removing boards. If you have small children or pets you may want to keep a laminate floor repair kit on hand. Most repair kits come with a paste, a few pigments to match your color, and a spatula or putty knife. Just follow the directions on the kit to cover up the scratch.

Fixing warped boards

Most warping occurs because the walls have expanded and there is no place for the flooring to go. The solution is to remove the spacers between the boards and replace them with smaller ones. This can usually be done without removing the floor boards, but the moding and trim will have to come up. Once that is taken care of swap out the spacers that were put in place during the original installation with smaller ones. Then, go around and press the warped boards back in to place. Replace the molding.

Replacing cracked and broken boards

If you have a board that is cracked, broken or in general disrepair, you will need to replace it. Fortunately, this isn’t a difficult job, either. Start by removing the molding or trim that is nearest the damaged board by prying it up with a screwdriver or back end of a hammer. Be careful not to damage the molding as you will need to replace it.

The next step is to remove the damaged boards. Since laminate floors are constructed of interlocking pieces you will need to remove more than one board to replace any of them, unless the damaged board happens to be flush with the molding. Pull the boards up one at a time until you reach the damaged one. Be sure to keep track of the order in which you removed them because you will want to return each board to its original position. Replace the damaged board with a new one and then work your way back replacing each board. Finish the job by replacing the molding.