Engineered flooring is perfectly suited for rooms where humidity or heat variations do not allow for the installation of solid hardwood flooring. Being thinner, it is not immune to scratches and scuffs. Here are 4 tips to follow for engineered flooring repair.
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Sand gently if the floor has superficial scratches
If you notice superficial scratches on your engineered wood flooring, you can use sandpaper to polish them. But in this case, make sure to choose a very fine sandpaper and not to sand too hard to avoid damaging the floor. However, when engineered flooring is damaged, you will have no choice but to replace the damaged boards if you want to achieve a professional result. It’s important to remember that the majority of this type of flooring is composed of a wood veneer with a thickness of only 1/16 to 1/8 inches.
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Use a pen to conceal scratches
An economical, easy, and risk-free method for engineered wood flooring is to fill in scratches using a pen with a shade as close as possible to that of the floor. For small scratches, simply gently pass the pen over them several times. If the scratch is deeper, hold the pen down and make several passes until the groove is completely filled. However, this method will only partially hide the scratches.
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Prefer a wax-based repair kit
Engineered floors are generally composed of a wood veneer or laminate on a base of plywood or hardwood. As a result, it is not advisable to sand too hard on scratches present on this type of flooring as one could do on a solid wood floor. It should be noted, however, that most engineered floors can be sanded one to three times by a professional. In this case, a method that also has the advantage of being more practical is preferred, which consists of filling the scratches using a wax-based repair kit specially designed for this purpose and prepared with a colorant as close as possible to the floor’s shade. After wiping the area with scratches, apply the wax using a putty knife, taking care to maintain a slightly diagonal angle to completely fill the cracks. Then remove the excess with a straight knife and clean any remaining wax residue.
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Avoid changing a floor when restoration is sufficient
When a floor covering has lost its shine, one is often tempted to replace it. However, when it comes to engineered wood flooring, it is often possible to restore it with a few easy steps to give it a new lease of life at a lower cost. Many homeowners and condo owners are surprised by the results obtained after a restoration.
Depending on the thickness of the wood veneer, it is generally possible to have your engineered flooring sanded to extend its aesthetics and lifespan.
Engineered wood flooring is made of plywood with wood veneer and other materials. Even though this type of flooring is not solid wood, the veneer is real hardwood. Made more robust thanks to the core composed of several layers of interlocking plywood, it is also less easy to restore.
