Tips on Keeping Furniture from Scratching Wood Floors

by Stacy Goll
Published April 29, 2010 | Updated December 12, 2014

Your wood floor and your furniture may both beautiful; together, however, they can create some not-so-beautiful scratches. Furniture can be rough on hardwood floors. Fortunately, it's possible to protect your wood floors from your furniture by taking some preventative measures. With these tips you can preserve your hardwood floor for years to come.

Preventing Wood Floor Scratches:

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• Don't push.

  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.

• Use an area rug.

  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. To add even more protection, use a rug pad under the area rug.

• Consider wheels.

  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.

• 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

• Check the legs.

  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 to make sure they won't scuff the flooring.

• Make your own pads.

  Cut up blankets, quilts, or clothing to create your own pads for the feet of your furniture. Some furniture can even have a heavy piece of construction paper placed under each corner.