If you have just installed or intend to use hardwood floors in your home and you are looking for how to keep your furniture from scratching your hardwood floors, here are some great tips for you.
#1. Check the bottom of your furniture legs before use.
In order not to damage your hardwood floors, you should check the bottom of your furniture legs to see whether they have become rough due to age or usage. If they are, you should then sand them so that they become smooth and all the dirt and unevenness due to usage is removed. This alone will not be enough to keep your hardwood floors safe from scratches. This will be preparation for additional protection on your furniture legs for the hardwood floors. The next step will be to use furniture felt pads.
#2. Use furniture pads.
The use of furniture pads, such as felt pads for protecting hardwood floors from furniture scratches is widespread. These felt pads come in different forms, size and quantity. There are the adhesive, screw and nail types. The disadvantage of the adhesive type is that it can come off the leg of the furniture unexpectedly. This pose the danger of leaving your beautiful hardwood floor exposed to the tip of your furniture legs. Also the adhesive will stick to the floor and cause some kind of sticky mark on your wooden floor.
More preferable is the screw or nail felt pads. These can be screwed or nailed to the bottom of the furniture legs. While this is better than the adhesive type of felt pads, care must be taken to periodically check that the felt pads have not worn out to the point that the screw or nail is exposed. This could potentially gorge your hardwood floor.
So check once in a while that these are okay and in place, otherwise replace them. If you are going to do this yourself, find the felt pads that are trim able so that they fit the size of the bottom of your furniture legs. Also you need to create a test hole in the furniture legs before screwing or nailing the felt pad in. this is to prevent the furniture legs from cracking or splitting.
#3. Use area rugs and area rug pad.
Another way to keep furniture from scratching hardwood floors is to use area rug. A good, thick sizable area rug will easily act as a cushion between the hardwood floor and the furniture. But care must be taken to look for area rugs with non-slip bottom. This will effectively keep the furniture, like chairs, from constant movement which could cause the furniture to slip away from the area rug and damage the hardwood floor.
#4. Carry the furniture instead of dragging them.
Another great and obvious tip on how to keep furniture from scratching hardwood floors is to carry the furniture instead of dragging them across the floor. If you are moving light furniture across the room or from one room to another carry them yourself. If it is heavy furniture you could ask somebody, a neighbor, for example to help in the movement.
#5. Use chair socks.
Just like felt pads are used for keeping furniture from scratching hardwood floors, you could use chair socks for hardwood floors or silicone chair leg caps for furniture foot protection.
These furniture chair leg socks are made of elastic polyester fiber and good knitting technology. they fit tightly and are stretchable. They are made double thickening, anti-slip and hold tightly to the furniture legs. You either wash by machine or by hand.
They are different from the normal furniture felt pads. Apart from being more convenient to use, they protect your hardwood, bamboo, laminate, tile and concrete floors.
#6. Use furniture caster cups to keep furniture from scratching hardwood floors.
These furniture caster cups are used to prevent movement or sliding of furniture on most floor types.
They are made of ribbed flexible rubber designed to hold your floor and furniture in place with small rubber ribs! With these specially designed rubber, furniture do not slide around! They are also an excellent support for pianos, outdoor BBQs and outdoor furniture.
Caster cups protect all types of floors! Not only hardwood, linoleum, vinyl, tapestry, ceramic tiles, & cement floors are included. With the use of these rubber furniture cups no more scratches, fillings or markings on the floors from the home and dorm furniture. They come in multiple sizes.
#7. Use Furniture with Wheels to prevent scratches.
Using furniture with wheels can help to protect hardwood floors from scratches. However, the option is not suitable in most cases. It can be used mostly in office chairs and anywhere wheel chairs and hardwood floors are used.
It is encased with soft, smooth polyurethane. The wheels are gentle enough to use on hardwood, carpet, tile, and more without leaving any scratches or marks. No chair mat necessary!
An example is the Office Chair Caster Wheels (Set of 5) – Heavy Duty & Safe for All Floors Including Hardwood.
#8. Repair Imperfections on Furniture Feet.
Protection of your beautiful hardwood floors should be top priority at all times. Therefore you should carefully maintain the wear and tear and other imperfections in your furniture that may arise in the future. These, if not taken care of at the appropriate time could cause damage to your hardwood floors.
#9. Clean regularly to remove dirt/grit under the legs.
Clean your furniture at regular time interval in weeks or months to remove dirt and grit from the bottom of your furniture. Dirt and sand could gather at the bottom of the furniture legs and with constant rubbing against the hardwood floor or what protection you had used, this could damage your floor.
Author: Saleh Ibrahim
