One of the most common questions associated with acrylic or Perspex is can scratches be removed or repaired? The answer depends on how bad the damage is, but in most cases, they can be removed relatively easily. Follow our guide on how to repair visible damage to your acrylic sheets.
The first thing to check is that the material you’re repairing is acrylic. Acrylic is a widely used material that’s incredibly versatile, being used in fish tanks, picture frames, splashbacks, furniture as acrylic table tops and acrylic mirrors, to name just a few of the applications. If your scratched plastic is clear, then it’s most likely acrylic or polycarbonate which are the most commonly used plastics.
It’s worth noting that scratches can be removed more easily from acrylic than polycarbonate, so you may not have as much success if the damaged material is a polycarbonate sheet. Naturally, lighter scratches can be buffed out more easily than deeper ones.
However, if the scratch is any deeper than 5mm, it’s probably not worth doing as it’s unlikely to buff out. Likewise, if the scratches cover more than 30% to 50% of the area, or if the acrylic is very old, the cost of replacing the item or pane of acrylic probably will outweigh the effort required to fix it.
For light scratches on acrylic
To remove light scratches in your acrylic, you’ll need an acrylic or plastic polish, 800 and 1200 grit sandpaper and water to soak the sandpaper with.
Wet a piece of the 800 grit sandpaper and run it over the marked area in a circular motion, then repeat with a dry piece of the same grit sandpaper – you’ll need to alternative between these wet and dry sheets for around three minutes. Don’t panic if the acrylic begins to look frosty or have more scratches on it, as this is part of the process. Once you’ve done this, move on to the 1200 grit sandpaper and repeat the same process until all of the scratches have disappeared. Lastly, dry the area with a clean cotton cloth and apply the acrylic polish. The result should be a piece of acrylic that looks as good as new, with no visible marks.
For deeper scratches to acrylic
Deeper scratches require a bit more effort to remove, but it’s not always a lost cause. To check the depth of the scratch, run over it with your fingernail – if it catches, you can consider it a deep scratch and the following method may work to remove it.
While the process is similar to the one above, this time you’ll begin with 600 grit sandpaper. As before, wet one piece of 600-grit sandpaper and use circular motions over the scratched area for around three minutes, alternating with a dry piece as well. Next, do the same with the 800 grit paper for a further few minutes and finish with the 1200 paper until the scratches have disappeared. Dry the area with a clean cloth and then restore the shine with the acrylic polish.
You can restore the glossy shine of acrylic by flame-polishing thin sheets of acrylic (anything below 4mm thick) and then sanding or buffing the sheets. A less labour-intensive and quicker option is to choose a good quality acrylic polish which will maintain the clarity of the acrylic and can be used safely at home.
If you need any advice on how to repair acrylic or if you need to replace some plastic sheeting in your home, give our friendly team a call or drop us an email and we’ll be happy to help.
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Your Order #000682056
Placed on 25 Mar 2024, 16:41:30
Amber,
7 hours ago
Verified
Very friendly and efficient service
Very friendly and efficient service. Good product, quick delivery, and no complaints from me!
JT,
15 hours ago
Verified
Everything was perfect
Everything was perfect. Flawless!
customer,
20 hours ago
So pleased I chose to repair instead of replace!
measured my damaged ikea nightstand tops and ordered melamine tops to match. They arrived well packaged, in about 10 days (I was not in a rush so did not mind the wait). I used the old, damaged tops as a template to drill new holes on the underside for the fixings and they look like NEW! So pleased I chose to repair instead of replace. It was so easy and saved me a huge amount of money.
Sheryl,
21 hours ago
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Accurate!
Boards were cut accurately and protected well for shipping. Despite this, one of the boards suffered slight damage.
Mr Sutherland,
1 day ago
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All xut to correct size but order was…
All xut to correct size but order was late
Will use again
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2 days ago
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Arrived as described
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Fabian Chifor,
2 days ago
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Nice ply / packed well but 2 of 4 undersized!
Nice ply / packed well.
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Oliver
Oliver ,
2 days ago
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Very well packaged, easy to use and a really good price. Really changed the room. The measurements on the site telling you exactly how much to measure between columns (when you order) is very helpful. It’s in a picture above the order section.
Anita,
2 days ago
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Accurate cutting and well packaged
Accurate cutting and well packaged. Arrived at time expected. I have used this company before and will do again.
Robert Hall,
2 days ago
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Very impressed with the finished product. Fit perfectly on top of low level bookcase.
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2 days ago
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Excellent service.
The stuff I ordered was as I expected which should not be difficult as the ordering process was not a challenge. The thing that impressed me was that I picked it up myself. They have a few units on the industrial estate so I went to the wrong one. The person I spoke to was extremely helpful as were the other people I dealt with at the correct unit. The members of staff I spoke to are a tribute to their company. A big 5 stars from me
CHRIS PULLEN,
3 days ago
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cut to perfect size as ordered
cut to perfect size as ordered
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3 days ago
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