Laminate and Wood Flooring
© Hedgehog Designs: Manchester.
Repairs
Laminate floors are incredibly tough; however, they can become;
· scratched or gouged,
Scratches and Gouges
Very light scratches may be polished out (this very much depends on the surface of your laminate
as some are embossed) also this could result in patches of different lustre or sheen which can be
seen from across the room.
Small gouges can be and holes can be filled with matching epoxy filler.
The best way to fix a damaged laminate floor panel is to remove the damaged panel and replace it with a new one (if it’s available, if its not then a little rearranging of the panels could hide the damage under your furniture).
If your laminate uses the 
glueless locking system
(All these products use the 
system:- )
then it’s possible to remove and refit a panel from the centre of the room without dismantling the whole floor, or removing skirting/beading.
If your laminate does not use the system, or is glued then it’s still possible to
remove and refit panels.
Bouncy and Creaky Laminate Floors
Laminate floors should not feel bouncy underfoot.
There are a couple of reasons why a floor will feel bouncy;-
If its always bouncy and hasn’t got any worse then its probably a subfloor problem. Laminate must be fitted over flat (not necessarily level) floors and any hollow spots or bumps in your subfloor will be noticeable through your laminate. The requirement for flatness is 2-3mm per metre. The correct choice and use of underlay can help to even out subfloor problems. Fitting laminate over carpet or carpet underlay can also lead to bouncy floors.
The other reason for bouncy floors is where the laminate becomes “locked in” it has expanded by taking on moisture and no longer fits in the room. Because it is too big for the room it lifts off your subfloor and feels springy underfoot. If it is only noticeable at the end of summer/start of autumn then you can probably fix it by running a dehumidifier or your central heating to dry out and make the laminate shrink again. If this doesn’t work then the floor can be trimmed with a specialist saw so that it fits again.
Laminate floors do not like water, and even “water resistant” laminates can become damaged when subjected to excess or prolonged dampness.
Small localised areas of water damage may be removed and replaced with new boards (all affected board are removed back to sound dry boards).
Certain underlays act like sponges and can hold and carry water under the floor.
It is a good idea to get the laminate floor up as quickly as possible so that your subfloor can dry out and to prevent the water spreading by capillary action.
If your going to claim on your insurance ask advice before you remove the damaged flooring as they may want to send an assessor.
Dampness under floors can promote the growth of toxic moulds and spores.
Even if you have AquaSTEP fitted (which is 100% waterproof and won’t be damaged by
the water) it is a good idea to take up the floor and refit it once the subfloor
has dried out to prevent mould growth.