So I was gonna clean up my portable parquet floor today, right? Pulled it out from under the couch where it’s been sitting for months. Saw this big nasty gash near the corner – no idea how it got there. Could’ve been when I moved furniture last month, or maybe my dog’s nails did it. Anyway, chunk of the wood layer was peeling up like a hangnail. Total mess.

First Failed Attempt

Grabbed some regular wood glue from my toolbox. Squeezed a fat line into the crack, slapped the loose piece back down. Put heavy books on top like I’ve seen online. Checked after two hours – still wet. Left it overnight. Next morning? Piece popped right off when I touched it. Glue just pooled in the groove without sticking. Waste of time.

The Actual Fix That Worked

Dug through my DIY stuff and found epoxy resin from that jewelry project I never finished. Mixed equal parts resin and hardener on cardboard. Used a toothpick to push this sticky goo deep into the crack. Jammed the broken piece back in, scraping off extra gunk with a razor blade. Taped it down tight with masking tape this time – not books.

Key steps I messed up before but got right now:

• Cleaned the damn thing first – wiped both surfaces with rubbing alcohol
• Used proper pressure – the tape squeezed it way harder than books did
• Left it alone longer – didn’t touch for 24 whole hours

Final Result

Peeled off the tape next day – piece stayed put! Sanded the bumpy residue with 220-grit sandpaper till smooth. Rubbed walnut oil over the spot (weird trick my grandma taught me) to blend the color. Can still see the scar if you squat and stare, but walking on it? Solid. Didn’t cost a dime since I used stuff I already owned.

Kicking myself for trying quick fixes first. Epoxy’s messy and takes patience, but it actually bonds to this cheap laminate crap. Next time I’ll skip the glue experiment and go straight to the good stuff. Floor survived my dance test tonight – no more crunchy sounds!