No matter what the foot traffic looks like in any area, most owners of the space want to keep their floors looking as good as new. Even so, scratches happen, and when they do, people want a remedy. Can you fix scratches in vinyl plank flooring?
You can fix scratches in vinyl plank flooring depending on how severe the scratch is. For fine scratches, rub a tennis ball over the area to remove marks. For deep scratches, gently sand the area to get rid of any jagged edges inwardly and apply a PU cleaner to the spot.
Vinyl plank flooring offers individuals the choice to have beautiful floors without having to worry about how they are going to wear over time, without having to stretch their budget too far, and without having to hire a professional to get the installation complete. Even as durable as vinyl plank flooring may be, scratches are bound to happen, and when they do, a solution is needed to get those floors back to their former glory. Continue reading to find out the “How To.”
Can You Fix Scratches in Vinyl Plank Flooring?
Vinyl plank flooring is purchased by many due to its ability to withstand use over time, its affordability that fits just about any budget, and how easily this material can be laid by even the least experienced DIYer. However, as equipped as vinyl plank flooring is to withstand even the worst of wear and tear, there will be times when it is damaged, thus, leading to the need for repair. If you have vinyl plank flooring, can you fix scratches on it?
You can fix scratches on vinyl plank flooring, but the way in which you fix the scratches depends on how severe the scratch is. If you have a very light or fine scratch, the repair method will be different than that of a deep scratch. Determine the level of scratch before beginning any repairs.
Vinyl plank flooring is a manufactured material, which can make repairing it rather daunting as different methods are needed to repair this material than that of a natural substance like wood. Although vinyl plank flooring is rather difficult to damage, heavy impacts can cause either light or deep scratches that are quite noticeable. When this happens, those with vinyl plank flooring may feel like any type of repair solution is out of the question.
However, although vinyl plank flooring is made of a manufactured material, there is no reason that you should not be able to repair the scratch with a bit of research and the right materials. By repairing scratches on your vinyl plank flooring, not only are you preserving the integrity of your floors, but you are also maintaining the value of your home or space by keeping the floors in good condition and maintaining them in a way that keeps them looking as good as new.
Does Vinyl Plank Scratch or Dent Easily?
Whether you are installing a new floor in a business area, a public space, or within your home, one of the first things you are going to consider is how well the floor is able to wear over time. Vinyl plank flooring is designed to be a long-wearing material that is able to hold up against even the busiest of foot traffic, drops, spills, breaks, and everything else in between. However, when it comes to scratching and denting, does vinyl plank flooring do it easily?
Vinyl plank flooring does not scratch or dent easily, but will dent or scratch if placed under extreme amounts of weight. For example, you should avoid dragging excessively heavy furniture across the floors, as this material is made of plastic from top to bottom, making heavy weight hard to bear.
Vinyl plank flooring is a manufactured material that is made out of plastic through and through. Although this may sound like it would be a rather flimsy material, through the process of melting down polyvinyl chloride resins and combining them with different stabilizers and fungicides, making it a material that is durable, able to withstand heavy traffic over time, and resistant to minor drops, spills, and general use.
Because of vinyl plank floorings’ ability to withstand general wear and tear, many people find this material to be more desirable than materials such as wood or tile. Many common natural materials, although durable in their own way, cannot withstand heavy weight or prolific use in the same way that vinyl plank can, which makes it a type of flooring that does not easily scratch, does not easily dent, and looks as it does during installation for years to come.
How To Fix Scratches in Vinyl Plank Flooring
If you have vinyl plank flooring, you may not be incredibly conscious of making sure that everyone minds their manners around your floor, being careful to watch spills, avoid anything breaking over them, or carry heavy objects over them. Even if you are careful though, there will likely come a time when your floors see more action than they anticipated and you are left with scratches that make their presence known loud and clear.
To fix scratches on vinyl plank flooring, you first need to assess whether or not the scratch is a fine scratch, or a deeper scratch. Determining the source of the scratch can also be helpful, as it can be easier to move any stains that are embedded in the scratch when you know the source.
If you are dealing with a light scratch, you first need to start by prepping the floor by cleaning it thoroughly of any debris. This can be done by either sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, or using a microfiber cloth. Once you have the area clean, grab a tennis ball and circle over the scratch and apply pressure as you move it back and forth. If this does not do the trick, grab a microfiber rag and soak it in alcohol, then rub it over the area once more.
If you have a scratch that is much worse than a light scratch and qualifies as a deeply damaged area, you will need to proceed with a different repair approach. To repair a deep scratch in your vinyl plank flooring, very lightly sand the area with fine grit sandpaper and smooth the edges from with the scratch. You will then clean the surface with a dry cloth, being sure to remove any particles and spray a PU cleaner from about 30cm from the scratch.
Once you have the entire area covered, wait five minutes to see if the scratch still exists. If you notice after drying that the scratch is still visible, spray the area once more and wait another five minutes. Once this is done, if you still see a scratch on your floor, pray the PU cleaner once more within the affected area and wait about 6 hours before you allow any type of weight or friction to come into contact with the space.
Can You Replace Damaged Vinyl Plank Flooring?
As life goes, there is inevitably going to be a time when your flooring inevitably sustains damages that are simply beyond repair. When the majority of your vinyl flooring is in good condition, it would seem rather excessive to rip up the entire thing in order to repair one patch that is not able to be fixed with fewer surface repair methods. Therefore, if you have a piece of vinyl plank flooring that is damaged, can you replace it?
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on July 20, 2021.
You can replace damaged vinyl plank flooring if you have a floating floor. This means that the floor is not attached to the subfloor beneath it, making it relatively easy to replace any damaged pieces. This not only saves cost, but also allows for individuals to save time with reinstallments.
If you have installed vinyl plank flooring that is floating, replacing a damaged piece can actually be very easy. The beauty of having a floating floor is that the pieces of the floor are easily installed, and thus, easily removed when needed due to the floor not being nailed down or glued down to the subfloor. Therefore, when your vinyl plank floor absorbs any damages, the affected piece can be removed and replaced with another piece that has been acclimated to the room.
If you have a piece of vinyl flooring that has received a significant amount of damage, you may be tempted to believe that the majority of the flooring will need to come up around the affected area to replace the damaged piece. However, no matter how damaged the piece (or pieces) is, you can easily take the affected area and replace it with new planks by quickly pulling up the row in which it lies, pulling the piece out, and inserting an undamaged plank in.
Should You Replace Damaged Vinyl Plank Flooring
When you notice a damaged spot on your vinyl plank floor, it can be easy to overlook the area and simply leave it be. After all, not all scratches are obviously noticeable, which means that they likely aren’t harming the integrity of your floor, but simply interrupting the aesthetic of the area. However, if you have a spot on your vinyl plank floor that is significantly damaged, you may be wondering that although you can replace it, if you, in fact, should.
If there is a part of your vinyl plank floor that only has minor, surface-level damage, there is no need to replace that piece unless you simply would rather replace than remove the scratch. However, if there is significant damage to the piece, it should be replaced to maintain structural integrity.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on July 20, 2021.
With any type of flooring, there should always be a subfloor beneath it which offers support for the flooring that is placed above it. For vinyl plank flooring, this is no different, which may make you wonder why structural integrity is so important when it comes to damaged pieces. However, if you have a damaged piece of flooring, it can cause other planks to damage in sequence as the damage expands, creating a much bigger problem than you started with.
Another aspect to consider when repairing damaged pieces of vinyl plank flooring is the fact that heavily damaged pieces can present a safety hazard for those walking through the area. If there is a large gash or hole within your vinyl plank floor, it can be an easy spot for those to stumble over, giving yet another reason that you should replace any damaged pieces. If you are wondering how to replace those pieces, take a look below to find out the process.
How To Replace Damaged Vinyl Plank Flooring
If you have a piece of vinyl plank flooring that has a minor scratch you don’t necessarily want to repair, has a deep scratch that cannot be repaired, or has a severely damaged plank that needs replacement as quickly as possible, you can easily replace the damaged piece with a plank, making it look as good as new. If you have a place of damaged vinyl plank flooring that needs to be replaced, take a look below to find out how to complete the process.
To replace damaged vinyl plank flooring, using either spare vinyl flooring from installation or new material that has been acclimated to the room, find the row where the damaged plank lies and remove the baseboard from this area. You’ll then pull the floor gently up until reaching the damaged plank.
When removing the baseboard, be sure to remove it slowly enough to where it does not damage the existing flooring beneath it. Once you find the row that the damaged plank is located in, you can then unclick the other planks leading to the damaged piece. Once you have reached the damaged piece, you can remove it from the lineup and replace it with either a spare piece saved during installation or a new piece that matches the material you have down.
It is incredibly important to remember that if you are installing new material to allow time to assimilate to the environment in your room. This process allows the board to expand and contract naturally, which will prevent any type of expansion once the board has been placed permanently in the floor. To do this, simply bring the board into the room and allow it to sit for 48 hours before taking it up and using it to replace a damaged plank.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on July 20, 2021.