How to Get Scratches Out of Laminate Floors (11 Ways)

Do you happen to have any scratches on your laminate wood flooring? Are you looking for a quick fix or an in-depth guide? First, we’ll show you how you can fix the scratches on your laminate floor, but before that, let’s find out what causes scratches.

While laminate floors are built on durable material but it can allow scuffs marks on its surface.

What Causes Scratches?

A scratch may be caused by an encounter with an abrasive surface. Pets like dogs and cats can also cause scratches. 

It’s essential to know what makes scratches on your laminate flooring to prevent further scratches. The causes can range anywhere from your furniture to your pets. For example, it could have been a dropped item, grazing, furniture ends, moving furniture, etc.

Minor Scratches

Minor scratches are the scratches that aren’t hard to fill; they generally require a quick touch-up to look like usual again. For example, a graze or high heels can cause these. These kinds of scratches can be fixed by walnut rubbing, olive oil rubbing, or a wax/stain pen.

Deep Scratches 

Deep scratches are caused by furniture ends or something dropping on the surface. They can also be caused by heavy machinery. Deeper scratches are those scratches that require some filling and finishing to look normal again. If you’re worried the scratch is too deep, consider using a scratch repair putty to seal it. You can also coat it with acetone for a protective layer. 

Before we show you how to fix the scratches, there’s a prerequisite that’s essential to acquire. 

Matching the Color

Matching the laminate color is very important, be it a wax pencil or some wood filling. Without the matching color, your finish or fix will not look as intended and may come off in a different shade or color altogether. 

The importance of matching color is also beneficial since a good color would look better on your floor with a good touch-up.

If you can’t find the right tools with the color, consider buying two colors, mixing them to get as close to your floor color as possible, or calling your laminate floor supplier, he might have a remedy or a fix. 

How to Repair Laminate Scratches?

We’re ready to get into the specifics now, but remember that these fixing solutions may not work on your laminate if it’s a plastic laminate. If a plastic laminate is scratched, it cannot be fixed.

Wax Pencils and Markers

Are you confident in your drawing skills? No worries if you aren’t. A wax pencil/marker can be used to hide and disguise minor scrapes that need fixing. You can find a wax pencil/ marker at a local home improvement store. 

Pick out the color of your laminate flooring and get to working.

Stroke in the opposite direction of scratched laminate, rub it back and forth, and then wipe with a dry soft cloth to hide the mark of the buff. 

The pencils and markers method should be applied to minor scuffs.

Crayon

Crayon is a low-cost floor scratch repair method for laminate floor scuffs. The process is simple – take crayons and melt them. Conceal the scrape using the melted crayons. You can mix up multiple crayon colors to match the laminate color. Let the crayon dry and scrap excess crayons using a putty knife at 45 degrees, gently.

This is a great alternative to floor repair putty method described below.

Repair Colored Putty

Repair colored putty is used for major/deeper scratches. It is a clay-like structure that can be set in place and to fill in the scratch. Pick out the color that’s closest to your finish. 

• Use a putty knife and take some colored putty.
• Apply it onto the scratched surface to fill in the scratch.
• Wipe away the excess putty so that it doesn’t look odd compared to the rest of the floor.
• Flatten the putty to level
• Let it dry 

Repair Kits With Burn-in Sticks

A laminate floor repair kit is made for the sole purpose of managing your laminate floor scratches in case anything were to happen to it. It contains different colors of Burn-in Sticks, markers, towels, battery-powered melting tools, knives, and cleaning solutions. The contents may vary. 

1. Firstly, cut the wood splinters if present with the help of a knife. Remember, you should place the knife at 45 degrees. Because the knife can further deepen the scratch if applied with little more force.
2. Next, melt the burn-in sticks using a melting tool and combine different melted burn-in sticks’ to match the floor color.
3. Remember, always try to add darker melted burn-in sticks after lighter shade melted burn-in sticks. This creates room for rectification if the melted burn-in sticks’ color does not match the floor color. To make the shade lighter, you’ve to add more white sticks, whereas to create a darker shade, you need a few drops of darker melted sticks.
4. Let the filler dry.
5. Sand the filler with fine-grit sandpaper to level.
6. Wipe area clean with a dry cloth.
7. Finally, If the kit has a varnish or clear lacquer, get proper ventilation and apply it. It will help as a protective layer and provides a shiny finish. 
8. Additionally, you can create lines of darker fillers over the base filler to match the laminate pattern. This process should be done after step 4.

Stain Pen

Stain pens or markers are an easy go-to for fixing scratches. They come in different colors, and it’s effortless to use them. 

1. Rub the stain pen on the scrapes area; if needed, you can apply a layer of varnish after.
2. Let it dry, wipe with a cloth when done. 

Johnson’s Paste Wax

Paste wax is often used to repair scratches or dents on hardwood flooring, but it also works well on laminate flooring. Find the right color and finish you want and apply it to the area. 

• Rub it onto the area
• Flatten it with a putty knife
• Remove excess wax
• Let it dry 
• Use a finisher if needed

Walnut Rubbing

That’s right; walnuts can help coat scratches on laminate floors. Rub the walnut onto the surface back and forth for 3-5 minutes. You will notice that the scratches have turned lighter in color and are not very noticeable.

This method is convenient for a quick fix on new scratches and does not consume a lot of effort.

Olive Oil Rubbing

Like almonds, dampening cotton in some olive oil and rubbing it on the scrape mark can make it less noticeable. Again, it works like a charm. Again, this will work well on light scratches. 

Rubbing With Toothpaste

This method is less commonly used and should be only used for minor scratches. Dab the toothpaste on floor scrape marks and continue doing till the scuff marks disappear from the laminate floor. Then, use water and vinegar solution to remove the toothpaste residue and let it dry.

Replace Planks

If none of the above methods work or the scratches are irreparable, such as plastic laminate, you can replace the plank instead of fixing it. Learning how to replace a laminate plank is essential to you in the future. It helps you take care in the case of a damaged plank.

Remove the Baseboard

The baseboard is at the corner of the wall; it holds the planks in place. The planks may be screwed beneath the baseboard to the underlayment. Those screws need to be removed before we can pull the planks out. 

Remove the Surrounding Planks 

Laminate planks are very easy to install and remove; that’s one of the major benefits of laminate planks. You can easily remove them when they’re damaged and instantly install a new plank in place without having to call a professional. Then, remove the surrounding planks till you get to the desired one.

Replace the Damaged Plank

Remove the damaged plank and put a new one in its place. 

Reinstall the other removed planks and put back the baseboard. 

Congratulations on fixing your damaged plank; there are so many methods to have picked from. Now that we’re done fixing the planks, how can we ensure minimal or close to no damage in the future? What could prevent your laminate floor from future scratching? 

How to prevent scratches?

There are some applications to avoiding scratches/scrapes on your laminate flooring.

Furniture Pads

Furniture pads go beneath the furniture. They help prevent damage to the flooring by acting as a cushion between the floor and furniture. Moving furniture with furniture pads ensures no damage to the flooring whatsoever. 

Consider purchasing one if your furniture ends are small and sharp or if the furniture is moved often. 

Plastic Flooring Pads 

Plastic flooring pads go on your floor if you have an office setting. Also, using a plastic rug can avoid damages from a moving chair or table. 

Consider purchasing this one for office settings or dining room.

Using Rugs

Rugs, in general, are very beneficial to you regardless of which flooring it is on. When used with laminate flooring, it is better as it protects the floor from damage. If you have a high traffic area, place the rug there to reduce damage. 

Limit Excess Moisture

Excessive moisture on laminate flooring can cause laminate planks to swell and expand. To avoid this, try limiting the moisture in the environment. Measure your humidity level regularly; it is recommended to have a humidity level of 35% and 65%. 

Trimming Pet Nails

Pet nails can cause a lot of damage to the laminate floors. This is because they’re playful and ignorant of human concerns. Consider trimming your pet nails if they scratch a lot and are untrained. 

Regular Cleaning and Maintenance 

Regular cleaning and maintenance of the place are essential to having a good environment in general. Remember to sweep and mop at least twice a week, if not every day. This will take the dust and debris away from causing any scratches to the floor.

Heavy Machinery

Moving and using heavy machinery can cause damage to laminate planks. Therefore, it is advisable not to bring heavy machinery inside without any padding to use. 

Buy Anti-Scratch Laminate Pads

Anti-scratch laminate pads are a good purchase if you’re worried about scratches. They’re affordable and work very well. Laminate floors, in general, are pretty scrape-resistant, and adding anti-scratch laminate pads to it makes it immune to further scratches. 

Conclusion

From using a wax pencil to repair scratches to using almonds to hide scratches, we’ve got you covered when it comes to the best tips to deal with scratches. You can use so many applications to fix or prevent scratches and keep your laminate floor clean and tidy. Investing in furniture pads or anti-scratch laminate pads is worth the benefit.  

Remember keeping your floors healthy is not only beneficial to the environment, but to you as well.