Whether you’ve decided to rearrange your current floor plan, bought some new furniture or are moving to a new home, moving furniture can easily damage your floors. Regardless of your floor type, hardwood, carpet, or tile can be damaged especially when you just push or drag your furniture. To keep your floors pristine, follow these tips when moving furniture around your home.
Ask for Help
If you’ve looked around the room and suddenly decided you want to rearrange the furniture, don’t try doing it alone. The only way to move furniture alone is to drag it across your poor floors. While small pieces are easy to manage, large sofas or heavy bookshelves need a second pair of hands. Ask for help so you can lift not drag those heavier items.
Break Things Down
It might be tempting to try to move furniture in one big piece. However, things like a bed with a headboard should really be taken apart to make it easier to move. First of all, this helps avoid damage to the furniture itself. When you lift something large it can cause issues with weight distribution so you can cause permanent damage to the furniture. Second, the weight makes it easier to drop on your floors. Third, it makes it easier to move things in smaller, more manageable pieces so you avoid scratching wood, cracking tile, or unravelling or pilling carpeting.
Clear a Path
Nothing is more dangerous than trying to carry heavy furniture in a room without a clear path. Look at the room and move anything out of your way before you begin. This includes toys on the floor, smaller pieces of furniture and dangerous area rugs that can cause slips. A clear path avoids accidents such as dropping heavy furniture that can damage your home floors.
Remove Valuables
You also want to clear away small valuables that can be knocked over in the process. Not only could you lose precious items, but also cause enough impact on your flooring to scratch, crack or break sections of the wood or tile.
Use Blankets or Cardboard
While lifting is the best way to avoid floor damage, you can also use padded blankets or cardboard to help reduce the chance of scratches. Placing something under the furniture protects the furniture, but also provides an easier way to slide heavier, or awkward pieces of furniture without scratching the floor. Just make sure the blanket is thick enough and that cardboard is large enough to protect the floor surface
Use Furniture Sliders
A good rule of thumb is to attach sliders or gliders to the bottom of furniture legs. These little tabs are designed to protect floors and also make it easier to slide furniture such as chairs in and out from under the dining table when you sit down to eat dinner. These are excellent options to not only move furniture but also for everyday protection of your hardwood floors.
Use a Dolly
If it is a major move, consider renting a dolly. This makes it easier to lift heavy items. If you do use a dolly place cardboard on the floors to create a path to avoid marking up the floors.
These tips will keep your home flooring pristine even when moving heavy furniture.
