Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

[CityHick]

This is way off topic but I know a bunch of you work on your own houses too...

A few weeks ago I had a bad day. My washing machine stopped working correctly, and while trying to diagnose the problem (with the hopes of fixing it), I dropped the washing machine over backwards and put a huge dent into my pergo flooring. I later put myself in the emergency room with a really deep laceration on my left thumb, which also nicked a tendon. Stitches followed by a few weeks of avoiding stressing my thumb tendon has me all healed up. Home Depot's black friday deals helped ease the pain of replacing my washing machine.

So here I am healed, with the washing machine situation solved, and my attention is shifting to fixing my (really obvious) floor damage.

The dent is in a plank that is in a really obvious spot between my kitchen and dining room. Pergo (like all laminate flooring) clicks together with sort of a modified tongue-and-groove system. I have read a few articles and watched a couple of youtube videos which recommend cutting into the damaged pergo plank with a circular saw, then prying it apart from the surrounding planks with a hammer and chisel. Replacing it involves cutting part of the t&g mating surfaces of the new plank, and setting it down into the surrounding planks, holding it in place with wood glue.

I am curious if anybody out there has actually done this and if so, how well has the repair held up? My flooring is otherwise in pretty good shape, and replacing the whole floor is not exactly in the budget right now. The damage is pretty much dead center in the room, so disassembling the floor starting from an edge is totally impractical. Or... if anybody knows a flooring guy who could do this repair for me, I might be open to that as well.

Any input and advice is greatly appreciated. I am dealing with the damage for now but every time I see it, it annoys me.
Thanks in advance!

[welndmn]

Re: Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

I did it, same way too.
I used the circle saw to slice it in the center, then just beat out the damaged part.
I then used the table saw to rip the bottom half of the tounge and groove away on the new section so it would sit in there flush.
Some of the color matched putty helps.
It was there for a year, then I sold the house.

[PhantomEB]

Re: Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

Hmm I may look into this for moms place as there is some swelled up boards in the kitchen. Fk I hate people who can't immediately mop up any form of moisture!

[CityHick]

Re: Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

Cool, thanks Mark.
I want to fix this damage and have it hold up another few years or so. I don't love Pergo, but what I have looks pretty nice. It has held up extremely well to my dog, me being clumsy when remodeling, etc... for over a decade. The washing machine incident seems to have done it in though... at least in that one spot. Time to order some replacement planks... its not an "in stock" color anywhere.

[69crawler]

Re: Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

I'd use the circular saw as already noted, but then use a multitool to finish it off. Cut the t&g off the new board except the one long side that you should be able to hook back in. Use the glue used for gluing plywood to floor joist. Must be that time a year for stitches. My dog and kid 2 weeks ago and staples in my head now. Good luck.

[CityHick]

Re: Off topic... repairing laminate flooring

I'd use the circular saw as already noted, but then use a multitool to finish it off. Cut the t&g off the new board except the one long side that you should be able to hook back in. Use the glue used for gluing plywood to floor joist. Must be that time a year for stitches. My dog and kid 2 weeks ago and staples in my head now. Good luck.

Thanks. Glad that two have vouched for this.

I've had staples before, put in during surgery and removed after. These stitches were no big deal by comparison, but the injury kind of sucked. You don't realize how much you use a non-dominant thumb until everything you do with it hurts. Glad the tendon was only nicked. Hope your staples aren't bugging you too much.