Tarting up laminate floorboards

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RJJ

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Hi

Cabin sole boards are in marine ply with laminate teak/holly effect. There's a few minor but ugly dings. I would like to fill them and then add a clear protective layer.

I was intending to varnish, thinking it was an actual wood veneer...I noticed as I was brining them to the car.

Any suggestions welcome. I wondered if the epoxy floor "paint" used on concrete would work?

Oh, and if anyone wants 2.5l of gloss floor varnish....unwanted and unused...let me know. SW London or Hamble.

Thanks!
 
MartynG said:
Try a moist tea towel and a hot iron ?
How to Fix a Dent in a Laminate Floor
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The question is: is it a wood veneer over a carrier base; in which case your suggestion would probably work. But if it is 'real' laminate, i.e. a plastic film with a photo print over a carrier base (likely MDF), I kind of doubt it. You could try using a colour matched wood filler and paint in the "grain" to match (depending on how "artistic" you are feeling) and seal the treated area with clear epoxy or rub-on polyurethane or the like.
 
It's real laminate. Plastic image on marine ply.

I am interested in an epoxy coat to provide strength against future dents. Kids on board so inevitably someone will drop a harness line, shackle or similar.
 
No flooring known to man is proof against kids. Accept this and use a finish you can touch up when needed.

I know you're talking about painting, but carpet tiles do have advantages - relatively cheap, easy to replace a damaged or stained one - buy a few extra for this - and require next to no prpearation.

It may not be necessary to refinish the whole thing. We used something like this Furniture Repair Crayon - Set of 10: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home when I worked for a furniture shop and minor dings became invisible with a bit of practice.

If it is too far gone, for a laminate finish, latex paint is recommended. Plenty of sites that tell you how to do it, but basically, fill the dings and sand all over to get rid of the gloss, vacuum up the dust, wipe over with tack rags to get up the dust the vacuum missed and paint.
 
RJJ said:
Hi

Cabin sole boards are in marine ply with laminate teak/holly effect. There's a few minor but ugly dings. I would like to fill them and then add a clear protective layer.

I was intending to varnish, thinking it was an actual wood veneer...I noticed as I was brining them to the car.

Any suggestions welcome. I wondered if the epoxy floor "paint" used on concrete would work?

Oh, and if anyone wants 2.5l of gloss floor varnish....unwanted and unused...let me know. SW London or Hamble.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I also have laminate sole boards, now 24 years old. They have been superb, almost no maintenance required.
I suggest that the best way to hide a ding might be to fill it with epoxy like Araldite, then abrade the surface to match the board. The colour and pattern will be preserved and no risk of an overall paint or varnish flaking off.
 
Ok thanks folks! Sounds like no way to protect against dings, but the wax repair kits can help restore them.
 
Buy carpet -it protects for dogs so children should be no problem and can be fixed and clearly warmer underfoot in berth cabin -might be quicker solution to cover any repairs so it doesn’t happen again?
 
+1 for carpets but consider painting the back of the carpet with something to stop the inevitable wet being soaked into the backing. It tends to lengthen the life and also reduces the "wet dog" smell. Air and dry often in sunshine if you can find it!!
 
vyv_cox said:
I looked at this carpet for another boat but the price put me off. More than best Axminster!
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Its certainly not cheap I agree, but the sole area is usually much more modest of course than Axminster is usually is applied on, who do not, as far as I am aware make a teak carpet.
 
Carpet. Find one with a non-absorbent, non-skid backing, such as might be used for mud room runners. Do not install it; you will want to be take it out to dry or shake it off.

Cut to size with a hot knife!! If you don't have one, Google a DIY option for a soldering iron. But cutting with a hot knife makes all the difference.
 
RJJ said:
Yep carpet looks quite spenny. Maybe next year
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+1 on the hot knife. Also highly recommended if cutting sunbrella or similar. I have replaced and recovered saloon interiors and beds also, hot knife beats scissors every time, no fraying etc.
Recommend you have something metal under the cut, I have yard long aluminium ruler which works perfectly as you would expect for accurate measurements but also under the hot knife.
I repeat, whilst I am still considering the teak carpet, buying the 3m width, a max 2m would be more than required but cutoffs great for cockpit seating areas, would in the long run a good investment if it does what it says on the tin.
 
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