hen you install vinyl flooring it enhances the look of the interiors of the house manifolds. It comes in so many colors and styles that it suits almost all kinds of interior decorations of the house. In general, vinyl flooring has high durability. However, excessive wear and tear may cause some minor damages like scratches, tears, etc. Sometimes, the seams of the floor comes off and get curled up. All these damages on the floor's surface really looks ugly. However, you can restore the attractive, new look of the flooring with vinyl floor repair.
How to Repair a Vinyl Floor
For repairing a damaged vinyl floor properly, you have to purchase a floor repair kit from flooring manufacturers. It contains all tools and materials that are needed for the repair job. Then you have to prepare the floor surface. Isolate the damaged portion of the floor from the rest of the floor by putting painter's masking tape around it. This is done to avoid any kind of damage to the surrounding areas while repairing vinyl floor. Then clean up all dirt and grime by wiping off the area with a damp piece of cloth after dipping it into soapy solution made of by adding mild liquid detergent in water. Let it dry off properly before your proceed with the repair job. The techniques of repairing different forms of damage are given below.
Scratch Repair
Once you have thoroughly cleaned up the dust and debris trapped in the scratches, you have to sand the surface with the help of sandpapers. Firstly, use a medium grit sandpaper for rubbing out the rough edges of the scratches. Move the sandpaper straight along the lines of the scratches. This will eliminate maximum scratches from the floor. Then take a finer grit sandpaper and rub it in circular motions over the area surrounding the scratches. Finally, sand the entire scratched surface all over again with a 800 grit fine sandpaper in order to smoothen it up. Always sand the flooring with a gentle hand and slow movements so that no further damaged is caused. Clean up all the sanded dust using a clean rag and plain water and let the area dry up. The sanded surface of the vinyl flooring looks very dull. To restore its shine, rub a little floor wax on the area. Take a small amount of wax on a clean piece of cloth and apply it on the sanded surface in circular motion. Continue to rub the surface as long as you do not get back the shine on its surface. Wipe off any wax that has spread to the adjoining area and then rub the repaired part one more time with another piece of cloth.
Seam Repair
Repairing the curled edges of vinyl floor seam is quite simple job. You have to soften the underlying old glue by heat application. You can use a hair dryer or iron for this purpose. If you are using an iron on the vinyl floor, make sure that you put up a parchment paper to ensure protection to vinyl surface from the applied heat. Apply a coat of vinyl floor adhesive on the floor with the help of a paintbrush and press the flooring back in its place. Any excess glue on the surface of the vinyl has to be wiped off with a clean, damp rag. Move a floor roller so that the flooring sets properly and no air bubbles are formed inside it. Put some heavy items on the repaired area while the glue dries up. Once the adhesive is dry, the flooring will look like a new floor without any signs of damage. You must repair the vinyl floor seams as soon as you notice that it is coming off. If you delay the repair job, then that part may get torn beyond repair.
Hole Repair
Holes formed on the vinyl surface have to be repaired with a new vinyl patch which has the same pattern as the existing floor. Cut out uneven edges of the damaged portion of the vinyl floor with a utility knife. Then cut a new vinyl patch whose size is slightly larger than the hole formed on the floor. Scape out residues of old adhesive from the substrate floor. Then apply some vinyl adhesive at the back of the patch and to the hole and then place the patch over the hole. Roll a heavy rolling pin to eliminate any air bubbles and then wipe off any excess of glue that oozes out from the edges. Keep some heavy weight in the area and leave it untouched for the next 24 hours so that the glue adheres well. If you find any uneven surface along the edges of the patch, then sand the area with a fine grit sandpaper and buff with vinyl wax to get back the shiny surface.
As flooring prices are quite high you cannot afford to replace it every now and then because of some minor damages to them. Thus vinyl floor repair saves you a lot of money. However, if the floor's condition has deteriorated badly, then you have no other choice but to replace it with a new one. For the replacement job, you should know how to install vinyl flooring. The task of installing vinyl flooring does not require much extra effort. You have to remove the old flooring and clean up the adhesive from the underlying floor. Then cut the vinyl flooring as per your requirement and install it with adhesive.
