Facebook Pixel
Nationwide UK Delivery
Nationwide UK Delivery

Pick your delivery date

Reviews
4.63 Rating on Reviews.co.uk

Based on 9,644 reviews

Room Visualiser

See it in your room

Free Samples
Free Samples

Get your samples for free

Price Promise
Price Promise

We'll never be beaten on price

Originally posted 28th November 2016

Last updated 5th February 2024

How Do I Restore My Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is such a popular home solution because it’s highly durable, replicating real wood...

Paul Hambidge

Managing Director Factory Direct Flooring Ltd

4 min read
Written by Expert

Laminate flooring is such a popular home solution because it’s highly durable, replicating real wood while being resistant to moisture. However, like all flooring, laminate can still suffer from some wear and tear throughout its life. From anything such as minor scratches to the bigger problem of peaking, here’s how to restore your laminate flooring to be good as new.

Related: How Do I Care For My Laminate Floor?

An image showing shiny laminate flooring

Scratches on Laminate Flooring

If your flooring is suffering from minor scratches, the best laminate restorer trick is to fill in the scratches with a wax pencil designed for laminate flooring. Simply rub the wax pencil over a scratch until it has been filled. Then wipe away any excess wax with a soft cloth.

If you have any unfortunately noticeable or deep scratches, the best solution would be to replace the individual laminate board. To access it, start by removing the boards closest to the wall, remembering to replace them afterwards.

If replacing the boards, this might help you: How to Install Laminate Floors

Chipped Corners on Laminate Flooring

For chipped corners in your laminate, a wood filler is the best answer. This consists of a paste that is the same colour as your flooring. Simply spread the filler over the damaged area with a putty knife. Once it’s dry, sand it down so it’s an even surface and then varnish if need be. Again, if the chip is too severe, replace the offending board.

An image showing chipped corners on laminate

Mould or Mildew on Laminate Flooring

If your flooring is suffering from a mould issue, it’s due to excessive moisture in the room. So, your first priority should be to identify the source and eliminate it to prevent future problems occurring.

To fix any surface damage on your floor, sweep your floor and then mop it. Treat individual stains with a cloth that has been soaked in white vinegar, washing away with water afterwards. For particularly stubborn stains that have penetrated the surface, the best laminate floor restorer is to just replace them.

Related: What is the Best Laminate Flooring?

Peaking in Laminate Flooring

Peaking is when your laminate floorboards push against each other, creating a raised surface at the joints. This is often caused by not having enough of an expansion space between the walls and the flooring. To fix this, follow the boards which are peaking to their nearest wall, remove your skirting or beading and trim the board closest to the wall before reinstalling it. This allows further expansion space so your floorboards can all fit snugly together.

Gapping in Laminate Flooring

As an opposite problem to peaking, gapping is when your boards are too far apart, leaving a slight gap at the joints. This is because they tend to pull away from each other when the temperature drops significantly.  For this reason, it’s recommended to acclimatise your new flooring to the room’s temperatures before installation.

To fix any gaps, a simple solution is to use a coloured sealant. This is available in most colours to match your laminate. Simply use the nozzle to fill any gaps and allow it to dry for the recommended time on the product.

An image of laminate sealant

Return Shine to Laminate Flooring

If your flooring’s problem is simply a lack of lustre, this can be easily rectified. Again, white vinegar is the go-to solution for shine. Simply mop the entire floor with 1 cup of white vinegar, mixed with 1 gallon of warm water, and a teaspoon of washing up liquid. Open the windows and doors for extra ventilation to speed up the drying process.

Prevent Future Damage

Last but not least, an additional tip to help you restore your laminate flooring is to prevent any further damage occurring later on. For example, a doormat will work wonders to avoid any unnecessary dirt coming in. Also, to avoid any scratches, it helps to place furniture protectors underneath your chairs and tables, which will create a soft padding and leave your floors unmarked.

AN image of someone installing furniture protectors

We hope this helps make your flooring good as new!

Our Flooring Calculator

If your flooring is beyond repair, Factory Direct Flooring Ltd has a variety of flooring options for you. When you browse any type of flooring at Factory Direct Flooring Ltd, each product has a flooring calculator on the page. Simply enter the surface area in either metres or feet squared and our My Project flooring calculator will tell you how many packs you’ll need and how much it will cost you.

By simply measuring your room and entering your dimensions, we will provide you with an instant price which will show on every type of flooring you browse across our website. You can either input the total coverage or your width and length measurements, in meters or feet. You can even save your measurements room by room to make your shopping experience stress-free.

It also offers to add an extra 10% for wastage. While this may cost a little bit more, we highly recommend adding it just in case there are mishaps during the installation process. Enjoy the My Project flooring calculator below:

Learn more and follow us

About the Author

Paul Hambidge, Managing Director

Paul has 32 years of flooring industry knowledge & experience from both an installation and manufacturing perspective. He started out as installer of very large commercial flooring projects for multiple retailers. As director of Factory Direct Flooring Ltd, he has been involved in all aspects of flooring and has worked with some of the largest producers of wood flooring, vinyl flooring and laminate floors.