Laminate floorings do have wooden materials in them and it gives the wooden texture. But you might not know how much it’s safe to burn into ashes if one wants to dispose of it.
Therefore, if you have installed laminate flooring in your home, you must be concerned thinking whether laminate flooring burns or not.
So to put an end to your worrying issues, this article is going to answer all of the common questions regarding laminate flooring and do they burn or not.
Does Laminate Flooring Burn?
Laminate flooring does burn but burning or incinerating is not safe like other wooden products, though it contains 80% wood. Because the upper layer of laminate flooring has an aluminum oxide varnishing. So upon burning the laminate flooring in the air, it can be harmful if the air is breathed in.
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Laminate flooring can not be burnt or incinerated, at least not safely like other wooden products, even though this flooring type is made of 80% wood.
Because the top layer of laminate flooring has an aluminum oxide covering and that emits chemicals upon burning in the air. And it is highly harmful to our health if the air is breathed in.
Therefore, it’s better to avert burning laminate flooring to keep health and the environment protected.
Is Laminate Flooring Fireproof?
Laminate flooring is not fireproof. Because it’s made of joined layers of pressed wood fiber closely and covered up with decorative foil. And then attached together with a melamine resin and varnished with a defensive coating.
These layers have phenol and formaldehyde that generates lethal gases like nitrogen oxide upon coming near to the fire and it makes the laminate flooring flammable. However, laminate flooring is assumed as mildly combustive because it burns slowly and at a lower temperature.
Well, even though laminate flooring is not fire-resistant as the wooden floor but relatively it’s a quite good choice for having moderate protection from fire.
How To Fix Burnt Laminate Floor?
You may burn your laminate floor accidentally and it will leave burnt marks on the floor surface which surely can ruin the entire look of your room. But don’t worry, you can easily fix it. So for your convenience, the fixing steps of both small burns and heavy burns on the laminate floor have been described below.
Fixing Steps For Small Burns:
Sand The Floor
Sand the burnt areas lightly, go with the texture and peel off the upper layer of charred wood.
Apply Mineral Oil
Then with a soft pad rub mineral oil on the burnt areas and scrub with a fine-steel wool but maintain the texture. Without digging in the floor, extract the charred portions as much as possible. Then soak up the oil with a wet cloth and wipe the areas dry.
Scrape With A Utility Knife
Using the tip of a utility knife scrapes the residues of burnt areas and maintains the floor texture like previous. Scrape out all of the thin layers of wood until you scrape deep enough to remove all residues.
Polish The Floor
Lastly, wipe the burnt areas to remove grime or dust. And clean the areas thoroughly. Then rub the floor with tung oil to restore color and to give it a polished and shiny look.
Fixing Step For Heavy Burns:
Measure The Burnt Area
Take measurement of the burnt board/boards that needs to be removed. On the board to be eliminated select two cut points at least 10 inches far from any adjacent board. So that only the burn areas are removed instead of a full board.
Cut The Burnt Wood Board/Boards
Then take a chisel and cut 1/8 inch in wood board/boards at the marks. Then drill relief slots inside the areas that need to be removed against the rip lines. Butt the holes closely to remove most of the burnt areas to the cut lines.
Cut The Board With A Circular Saw
After that cut the center of the boards to be removed with a circular saw. Cut nearly 1/16 inch thicker than the laminate flooring’s thickness. Cut at both cut lines and make holes as per need.
Pry On The Board
Use a pry bar to pry out the burnt boards. Use a pliers or hammer to take out the nails and to hold the damaged boards. And then clean thoroughly leaving no residues or dust.
Select And Match A New Board
Select a new board with a similar pattern, material, and style that matches closely. And cut the new ones according to the measurement of the areas that need to be replaced.
Install The New Board
Install the new board/boards in the slot of the previous board/boards. Push that in place and use a rubber mallet to hit it settle down with the rest of the flooring. And secure the new ones with finishing nails. With wood putty fill the nail holes, set and sand them to make them look smooth.
Stain The Board
Lastly, do many stain tests on the leftover board pieces and match them to the floor. And apply a varnishing to preserve the stain and the wood.
Read more, Can Laminate Floors Be Refinished and Sanded?
How To Remove Burn Marks From Laminate Flooring?
There are 3 effective ways of removing burn marks from the laminate flooring. Blow these are described.
Cover Burnt Marks With Toothpaste
Use toothpaste to coat the burnt marks. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes and then brush energetically with a hard toothbrush. Or use a nylon scrubbing pad or scrubbing brush. When the discoloration will be done, use clear water to clean the areas.
Deeply Patch The Burn Marks
Try to patch the holes in burn areas with epoxy wood filling. Rub the filling flatly with a putty knife and scrub it flatly too. Paint the wooden texture with an artist’s brush to cover the patch. And give two extra covering of bright floor finish on the floor to protect it.
Replace The Burnt Flooring
The very last way is to replace the burnt flooring. Laminate floorings are fastened together, so they can be unfastened and disassembled.
It’s a very practical method of replacing the shafts that are near the horizon of the existing floor. If the shafts are in the middle, they recommended cutting first and replacing them later.
Read more, Do Laminate Floors Fade in The Sun?
Can Laminate Be Recycled Or Burnt?
Laminate flooring can be both recycled and burnt. However, laminate flooring shouldn’t be burnt as it releases toxic elements in the air that are harmful if breathed in.
Laminate flooring can be recycled, even recycling laminate flooring is encouraged than disposing of them in a garbage bin or burning them. 85% of the laminate flooring can be recycled in manufacturing procedures. They can be configured as wood chips or fibers.
But remember that, local recycling companies can’t recycle laminate flooring. You have to check with the manufacturer from where you have bought laminate flooring to come and take your scrap laminate flooring.
Also, laminate flooring is moderately flammable. It burns quicker than wood and slower than carpet. And since it’s coated with aluminum oxide, it’s less combustible and emits toxic chemicals in the air. So, burning laminate flooring should be avoided.
How To Dispose Of Laminate Flooring?
You can adopt 5 ways to dispose of laminate flooring.
Dump In Garbage
You can always dump all the leftover laminate flooring parts after an installation is done. Just dispose of them in your household trash can if you can’t find any recycling company to come and pick the leftovers.
Save Some Leftovers
You can save some leftover laminate flooring parts to use in the future to replace any other damaged planks.
Sell Online
If you have plenty of leftovers, you simply can put them on online buying-selling websites to sell them.
Recycling
Recycling is always encouraged. Contact your manufacturer company from where you bought these laminate flooring. And ask them to pick all leftovers or scrap laminate flooring from your house.
Upcycling
If you are a DIY-er, take ideas from the internet and make any DIY item with these leftover laminate flooring like coasters, coat racks, welcome signs, and more.
Is It Safe To Burn Laminate Flooring?
It’s absolutely not safe to burn laminate flooring. Because the top layer of laminate flooring is coated with an aluminum oxide coating.
So if laminate flooring is burned in the atmosphere, the coating of aluminum oxide will emit toxic chemicals into the air and it’s really harmful if breathed in. Therefore, for the safety of our own health and for the environment, burning laminating flooring should be avoided at any cost.
Can You Burn Laminate Flooring In A Stove?
As long as it’s a sealed stove, laminate flooring can be burned in it. But it shouldn’t be burned in an open stove as the fire is open there in it.
Also, laminate flooring contains toxic chemical elements so upon burning it will create toxic gas inside the home. And that environment or air is harmful to health.
Can You Burn Laminate Flooring On A Bonfire?
Laminate flooring shouldn’t be burned on a bonfire. Because it contains chemical elements and burning on a bonfire will create harmful fume around the house’s yard and then it would be difficult to breathe.
Also, breathing that toxic chemical-filled air can be proved harmful to health as well.
Due to containing 80% wood, laminate flooring does burn. But it’s harmful as well because it contains chemical elements as well. So you better avoid burning laminate flooring for your health and to protect the environment.