Luxury vinyl flooring gives all spaces the beauty and natural look that we all admire. These floors add value to your home and make them significantly more comfortable, as well. Even though vinyl flooring is renowned as a durable flooring type, it can get damaged with intense usage over time. The stains and scratches over this floor look unpleasant to the eyes. These minor or major scratches can drastically diminish the beauty of vinyl floors.
Nevertheless, scratches on the luxury vinyl flooring can be repaired or removed using quality materials. To restore the look of your floors, you can address and remove these stains and scratches using different techniques. In this comprehensive guide by Mats Dubai, we have mentioned different methods that can be used to repair these scratches.
Methods to Repair The Scratches Of Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Scratches on the floors can be of different types because various agents, such as dirt particles or abrasive stuff can be the reason. The furniture in your home, pointed footwear, and heavy or sharp objects can be the reason for these dents and scratches. You can try eliminating these scratches from the floors using the methods mentioned below. But before that, make sure to grab all the required tools.
Tools & Supplies Needed
- A quality sponge
- A soft piece of cloth
- Warm water
- A Bucket
- Mild detergent
- Sandpaper
- Car wax
- Scraper
- Pry bar
- Hammer
1. Clean The Affected Area
Before initiating the repair work, make sure to clean the affected area to determine the extent of damage. The scratches over the floors can be minor or major, and it is important to figure out how severe the damage is. Assessment of the extent of damage will help you choose the best approach to fix the scratch or dents.
To clean the scratch-affected area, take a bucket full of warm water and add a small amount of detergent to it. Dip the sponge in the water, make sure to squeeze the excess water and thoroughly clean the affected area with the sponge. Afterwards, use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe the area dry. Let the affected spot air dry for some time.
2. Smooth & Sand Out The Spot
Scratches from the furniture and sharp objects usually have rough edges. The primary purpose of smoothing the area is to get rid of the edges and polish out the scratches. Sandpapers of different types can be used for the polishing purpose.
Take the sandpaper (P320) and carefully rub it in the direction of the scratches over the floors. The sandpaper will give you smooth and finer edges. Take sandpaper (P500) and rub the scratch or dent while working in a circular motion. Using this sandpaper will remove any existing wax on the surface of the scratch. Besides, it will prepare the surface for waxing the scratch later.
3. Apply The Wax
The next step is to apply the wax that will help you smooth out and bring back the shine of the luxury vinyl flooring. Use good quality wax for the waxing procedure. You can use the car wax for best results. Pour a little wax on the clean piece of microfiber cloth and rub it over the scratched surface.
Rub the cloth in a circular motion to get the desired results. Wait until the surface restores its shine. Remove any residue of wax around the scratches. If you have done the job accurately, the scratches or stains won’t be visible anymore.
4. Use Scratch Concealer
Before using the scratch concealer, clean the debris from the area around the scratch. You can also use a hard floor attachment of the vacuum cleaner for this purpose. Rinse the spot and allow the area to dry completely. Apply the scratch concealer following the manufacturer’s instructions over the scratch. Use the microfiber cloth and gently rub the scratch.
Continue rubbing it in a circular motion and remove the excess afterwards. If the scratch starts to blend in with the rest of the flooring, then you are almost there but if you notice the white spots align with the sides of the scratches, pour some more concealer and rub it until the scratch is gone. Let the area be uncovered until the scratch concealer is cured.
5. Replacing Vinyl Planks
If the extent of scratch or damage is irreparable, you can simply consult the manufacturer to replace that problematic tile or plank. To DIY replace the planks, you must start from the nearest wall that goes parallel to those planks. Take off the baseboard to have access to the plank that you want to take off.
Make sure to attach the new plank into its place and reattach the rest of the baseboards. For the glued vinyl plank that doesn’t interlock, you can use the scraper and pry up the damaged bar carefully. Clean the area while removing the excess dried glue from the floors. Apply the new adhesive and glue down the planks. Don’t place any heavy objects or walk over them until the glue is cured completely.
In The End
Scratches on the luxury vinyl flooring look unappealing as they take away the sleek appearance of the surface. If you come across scratches caused by furniture or any sharp object over your floors, you can get them repaired using different methods. You can paste the wax after cleaning, sanding, and smoothing the damaged area.
To fix the scratches, you can also use the scratch concealer repair pen which is an effective and timeless technique to repair the scratches. Plenty of Buffing and waxing the scratches can work wonders when it comes to fixing the scratch. However, depending on the extent of damage, vinyl planks can also be replaced with new ones.
