Tips on Keeping Furniture from Scratching Wood Floors

Most damage to wooden floors comes from dragging or pushing furniture across the floor when moving or redecorating. It might be faster than finding someone to help you move your furniture, but it’s not worth the risk of scuffing up your hardwood floors. If at all possible, pick furniture up off the wooden floor to move it. This will probably require you to get some sort of moving buddy, but protecting your wood floor is definitely worth it.

One way to help prevent scratching or gouging is to use an area rug. By keeping all of your furniture on top of a rug, you’ll easily avoid scratches and damage to the wood flooring. In addition to preserving your hardwood floor, you can also add some style to your room or with a colorful rug. For the best size, placement, and material for your rug, check out How to Protect Wood Floors With Area Rugs.

You can add even more protection by using a rug pad under the area rug. Make sure the backing of your pad material is safe to use on your wood floors so it doesn’t cause yellowing or additional scratching. To learn how to prolong the life of your rug and wood floors, see Why You Need a Rug Pad.

If a moving buddy isn’t available, use furniture pads. Furniture and glider pads help cushion the feet or corners of furniture and raise them slightly off the floor. You’ll see them made of felt, cork, and rubber. Felt pads even allow the furniture to be moved around, so it doesn’t have to be lifted or put on wheels. If you have chairs that sit on wood floor, stick felt pads to all their feet; if they shift a bit when people sit down or stand up, the feet won’t scratch the floor. Cut up blankets, quilts, or clothing to create your own pads for the feet of your furniture.

Regularly check old furniture feet and always check new furniture before placing it on your hardwood floor. If the feet have become worn and rough, you may want to do some light sanding with sandpaper sheets or a palm tool to make sure they won’t scuff the flooring.

Picking furniture with wheels, such as cabinets or entertainment units, is an option. The wheels will make it easier to move the furniture from room to room when you want to redecorate. However, the wrong kind of wheels can still leave marks, so try to get non-marking rubber wheels or ball wheels. Be sure to clean the wheels regularly, as dirt or debris that may adhere to them can cause scratches when the wheels are rolled across the floor.