Patching Holes in Laminate Flooring

Measure the length and width of the piece of laminate that has the hole in it. Make pencil marks about 1.5 inches from the edges and sides of the damaged laminate piece, and draw a rectangle that encompasses these marks.

Put holes in the corners of the rectangle you drew in Step 1 using a drill, which allows you to see how deep the laminate piece is. Set your circular saw to a depth that corresponds with the thickness of the laminate piece with the hole in it so that you do not damage the underlayment or subfloor underneath the piece.

Trim along the lines of the rectangle you drew 1.5 inches from the perimeter of the board using the circular saw. Remove this loose rectangle board and discard. Pry up the remaining perimeter of the laminate piece using your fingers or a flat bar if necessary, and discard.

Examine the laminate piece that was adjacent to the laminate board you just removed to see how the edge of it looks. Determine whether the exposed edge has a tongue or groove if your flooring uses a tongue and grooved locking mechanism, and make sure the new laminate piece you purchase has the mechanism piece opposite of what is on the floor already. For instance, if the existing adjacent floor piece has a groove, plan to get a new laminate board that has a tongue. Purchase a new laminate piece that matches the old damaged laminate piece’s measurements.

Clean the area beneath where the damaged laminate piece was using a moist sponge, and dry the area thoroughly with a towel. Wipe down your new laminate piece to remove any debris.

Insert the new laminate piece into the empty space on your floor. Place the tongue of the new board into the groove of the adjacent board, allowing the tongue to slide in underneath and lock into the groove. If the board adjacent to the empty space on your floor has an exposed tongue, allow the tongue to lock into the new board’s groove.

Apply weight to your new laminate piece for about a day to make sure the board remains intact. If you use a heavy object such as a large stone on top of the laminate piece, first put it on a thin barrier (such as a thin blanket) to avoid damaging the laminate.