What is not to love about vinyl flooring? Vinyl opens you to endless options on your flooring ideas. The vinyl has everything from wood designs, mimicking stone floors and a modern, stylish look. In addition, you can make your home look expensive without spending a huge sum.
Vinyl flooring is the most affordable material you can use. It is made from high-quality materials that make it durable and long-lasting. It is water-resistant, easy to maintain, and you can install it yourself—no need to spend more on labor fees!
But no matter how durable a product is, at some point, it will be prone to damages. Vinyl is scratch-resistant, but in a room with heavy traffic, the protection layer can wear off after a few years. Luckily for homeowners, vinyl floor repair is easily done and requires inexpensive materials. It’s so easy; you can do the fixing yourself. So, grab a pair of gloves and start repairing your floors for a bright shine and a brand new look.
The Different Types of Vinyl and How to Repair Vinyl Flooring Scratches for Each Type
There are different types of vinyl you can use on your floors. There is the right vinyl material that perfectly fits each living space in your home. We will dive into each type of vinyl and know the different ways to fix vinyl floor scratches and maintain an elegant look for the spaces of your home.
Vinyl Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank flooring is the perfect material if you want a hardwood flooring design. A true hardwood floor plank costs between $8 - $15 per square foot, while vinyl floor planks only cost $1.50 - $6 per square foot. That is a lot of savings, especially when you are on a budget. In addition, vinyl plank flooring mimics hardwood designs. Wooden planks are not water-resistant, but if you want a rustic look for areas of your home like the bathroom, vinyl planks are a great alternative because it is waterproof and easier to maintain.
Fixing a Vinyl Plank Flooring
The common problem you will encounter on a vinyl flooring plank is buckling. There are different factors for your vinyl planks to buckle. Heat and direct sunlight can expand your vinyl planks, causing them to buckle, while cold temperatures make them shrink. Remember to put sufficient gaps when you install your plank.
Moisture can also contribute to buckling. If the subfloor is moist, it can deteriorate the glue of your flooring. To fix your buckling problems, all you need is a proper and strong adhesive. First, carefully remove the loose plank and apply enough adhesive to put it back on. Next, roll a heavy object on the floor to secure the patch you've made.
If the plank is completely damaged, you can replace it with a new one instead. To take care of your flooring, you can add tinted frames to your windows when the weather is hot.
Vinyl Tile Flooring
Vinyl tile flooring designs mimic stone tiles. With different patterns, you can also choose from different textures tiles to feel the full experience of stone tiles without the high tag price. The vinyl tiles are perfect flooring for small spaces because you can easily cut out the pieces to fix the uneven edges.
You can use grout to seal the tile flooring. The grout also gives the overall appearance of the vinyl tiles to look like ceramic tiles.
Fixing a Vinyl Tile Flooring
Scratched vinyl floor tiles can be caused by pets' clawing or dropping sharp objects on the floor. These scuff marks are mostly unnoticeable at first glance. But if you want your flooring in pristine condition, there are DIY solutions for your problems.
Minor scratches are easy to remove. All you need is rubber, and your floor will look brand new. How? First, you have to make sure that your floor is clean to see the damage on your floor. After which, grab a rubber or a tennis ball and rub it on the scratched area. The rubber acts as a buffing agent that fades the scratches made on your flooring.
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
The vinyl sheet flooring is perfect for wide and huge spaces in your home. You can buy vinyl sheets in rolls of 12' wide. You can easily install this flooring by laying it down on your existing floor. You can think of it as large sticker flooring. Its shiny appearance can bring class to home for a long time.
Fixing a Vinyl Sheet Flooring
The vinyl sheet is protection itself for your previous flooring and also adds beautification elements. The vinyl sheets are scratch-resistant, but there are unforeseen accidents that can give your flooring deep gashes. High traffic can also contribute to damages to your floor. No need to worry; there are also repair solutions for fixing scratches in vinyl flooring.
For deep scratches on your flooring, it is important to deep clean your floor before beginning any kind of repair. Every dust particle and small litters should be lifted from your floor. All you need is high-quality wax. Apply a generous amount of wax on the damaged floor until the gaps are filled. You may recolor the scratch if the wax does not match the flooring. There are touch-up furniture pens you can buy to easily match the color on your floor.
Another option is to seal the scratch with a wood filler. Once the wood filler hardens, the scratch marks are gone. You can use sandpaper to refine the patched portion of the floor so it will look like damage was never done.
Final Thoughts
Vinyl is an affordable and strong material for your flooring. It will not disappoint you in its endless design and patterns as well as its easy maintenance. Don't sweat on small scratches because it doesn't take professional help to repair them.
We hope we have given you useful tips on how to fix vinyl floor scratches in your living space!
June 3, 2022
