How to Remove Scratches from Your Wood Laminate Flooring

Quality laminate flooring looks similar to real wood, stone or tile, and is often more durable and definitely easier to maintain. Of course, you might still end up with the occasional scratch or flaw in your flooring, so it's important to be prepared with a solution. Check out these three easy ways to remove scratches from wood laminate flooring.

1. Use a Laminate Repair Kit

Whether it's a small scratch from a dropped fork or a larger scratch from moving a chair across the room, a laminate repair kit will fix most flaws. These kits are available at hardware stores and from flooring retailers, and they include all the tools you'll need to remove scratches. Laminate repair kits come in different colors, so by choosing the right match kit, you can match your repair to the exact shade of your wood laminate flooring. Pick up a kit at the same time you buy your new flooring, or bring along a sample plank so that you can match colors at the store. It's a simple and extremely affordable way to remove scratches.

2. Try Colored Filling Pencils

Try special filling pencils for removing scratches from your wood laminate flooring. Most people buy these pencils to remove scratches from real wood, but the pencils can also be used on laminate materials. Before you begin filling in the scratch, you should make sure that the area around the problem spot is cleaned and dried. If the color is matched correctly, the pencil will fill in the scratch and make it less visible to visitors.

3. Save Extra Planks for Repairs

In some cases, it might be necessary to replace the section of the flooring that is scratched. Replacing a plank takes longer and can cost more than a colored pencil or repair kit. However, it might be the only way to truly remove extreme scratches or areas that are especially damaged. If you have a significant dent in your flooring, it's going to be easier and more effective to replace the plank than to try to fill it in with a pencil.

If you've saved extra pieces from the initial installation, it's simple to replace a piece of your wood laminate flooring. You'll already have the exact style and color on hand, and you won't have to spend any more money. New sets of laminate flooring can be pricey if you only need one piece, so it might be a good idea to buy a few extra pieces upfront for repair cases. Fortunately, laminate flooring is very easy to install. There's no need to hire a professional for such a simple repair. Instead, you can spend a bit of your own time and quickly have a new-looking floor again.

Prevent Scratches in Advance

Though there are several easy ways to remove scratches from your wood laminate flooring, it's best if you can avoid them in the first place. Laminate flooring is easy to maintain and will last for many years with the proper care. To avoid scratches in advance, use mats in entryways and in areas that are likely to get scratched. You might even want to consider having guests slip cloth coverings over their shoes before entering, particularly if they are wearing shoes with high heels or platforms. Finally, you should be extremely careful any time you move furniture around. Put protectors on the legs of chairs, couches and tables before moving them across the room, and never drag furniture from one end of the room to the other.

When scratches do appear, you should take care of them quickly in order to minimize their impact. A scratch that is left alone for too long can become deeper and longer, which makes it more difficult to eliminate in the end. With proper care and maintenance, your wood laminate flooring will continue to look fresh for years to come.