If you own your home, then a damaged floor not only ruins the appearance of your living space but also depreciates the overall value of your home. (Renters can go ahead and take that value out of their deposit.)
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So what do you do about it?
Luckily for you, floor protectors are a multi-million dollar industry so you've definitely got options when it comes to finding easy, reliable solutions for protecting your floor surface.
In this post, we’ll go over all of the different options that you have to protect your hard floor as well as our personal recommendations.
Put down the polish and walk away from the scuffs. Let's get into it.
Whether it's an unruly chair leg or the sheer weight of your bookcases, furniture can unintentionally damage your floor by causing:
To protect your flooring from another gouge, follow some of the tips outlined here.
While cleaning or rearranging your furniture, it’s easier and faster to drag or push the furniture across the floor than to lift it. It’s also a great way to scratch up your floor.
Not only that, but sliding also causes the furniture to peel off paint and leave chips behind.
While it’s more effort to lift furniture when moving it from one spot to another, doing so will help prevent floor damage.
When furniture stays in one position for a long time, it leaves permanent markings on the floor. Placing an area rug on the floor underneath your furniture can help prevent such damage. But--
An area rug alone can also damage your beautiful floors . W ith cheap materials and poor ventilation, area rugs can stick to the hard surface, causing just as much damage to your wood floor as an unsuspecting furniture leg.
To reduce the potential damage an area rug might cause, it’s important to use a quality rug pad with it. The best part is that there are many benefits of using a rug pad besides floor protection. It'll also prevent your rug for slipping around and provide extra padding to further cushion the area rug, making it feel softer.
Rug pads for floor protection is our favorite solution listed in this article, but to be fair, we'll explore all floor protection options.
We're biased, we get it. If there's ever an option between a cheap stick-on floor protector and a quality rug pad, we'll always choose the rug pad. From non-skid rug pads to memory foam padding, there's a million reasons why these bad boys will protect your flooring and make your home more comfortable.
Various flooring types such as hardwood and marble require different protectors to suit their unique needs.
Furniture pads are fixed to the bottom of furniture legs to prevent scratches and dents. They are most commonly made of foam, plastic, felt or rubber so that your chair glides across your wood floor instead of scratching it. As such, furniture pads are mainly paired with hardwood flooring, though they can be used with laminate floors and tile floors as well.
Besides letting your furniture glide across your floor surface, they're also relatively cheap and easy to install (you literally just remove the backing and stick it to the bottom of your furniture leg).
Though they offer a great solution against scuffs in a pinch, they aren't long-lasting and can potentially leave marks on your floors as the materials start to break down and can leave a sticky residue that stains your floor.
Though many furniture pad manufacturers call these little felt pad stickers "hardwood floor protectors", they're not really good at protecting or lasting . They just let your chair glide across the floor a few dozen times before eventually devolving into a sticky clump of material that collects dirt, stray hairs, and other debris.
0/10 would not recommend.
Tap-on furniture pads are attached to the bottom of furniture legs using a nail or screw and are most suitable for heavy furniture that isn’t moved often.
The problem: If loosely installed or worn out, floor damage can occur as the loose or exposed nail scratches the hardwood floor during movement.
Self-adhesive protectors are attached by sticking onto the bottom of the furniture legs.
The problem: Self-adhesive protectors aren’t long-term as they loosen eventually.
Slip-on floor protectors are pads that are slipped onto furniture legs.
Designed to fit the size and the shape of the furniture legs like socks, they don’t fall off or scratch the floor.
The problem: They don't fit with all furniture types and are typically made of low quality materials, such as synthetic plastic and adhesive coating, which can damage your floors.
Plastic protectors are better suited for vinyl floors since there’s less friction between the plastic furniture feet and the soft vinyl floors.
The problem: Plastic protectors are a bad match for hardwood floors as the hard plastic material scratches the wood.
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For heavy furniture, rubber protector pads are the best. Rubber restricts small movements, keeping the furniture in place.
The problem: Rubber pads used on high-traffic furniture such as chairs may leave scuff marks, especially on a hardwood floor. Therefore, avoid rubber protectors for kitchen chairs.
To protect your vinyl floors from damage, rubber pads should be avoided. Whether natural or synthetic, rubber reacts with vinyl and causes staining.
Felt protector pads are best for chairs that are moved often on hardwood floors. Their soft texture allows furniture to move smoothly and noiselessly.
Moreover, there’s no risk of scratches or discoloration.
For heavy furniture, thick felt padding prevents denting.
The problem: The soft texture on the felt pads is bound to collect grit which, if not cleaned out, may cause wear and tear to the hardwood floors.
We always recommend using rugs with quality rug pads that are designed for vinyl flooring to avoid damage. Made with an EVA backing that won't damage vinyl flooring, our Anchor Grip rug pad is our best rug pad for vinyl floors. Avoid cheap rubber pads on vinyl as they can cause damage to the vinyl surface.
Yes. Hard plastic material increases friction on the wood floors and causes scratching during movement.
You can use furniture pads such as bought or home-made felt pads. Alternatively, you can use decorative rugs with non-slip rug padding to protect your laminate floors.
Use chair pads to protect your tile floor from scratches. Also, you can place a rug with a rug pad on the floor. Finally, regularly clean the chair feet.
Yes. The chair’s hard plastic wheels will scratch hardwood floors. Use a caster to prevent this from happening.
No. Vinyl flooring is more durable than hardwood, so it doesn’t dent easily. That being said, it’s best to be mindful of the kinds of things you’re placing on your vinyl floors. Heavier items that are dropped suddenly can dent any kind of flooring.
No. Heavy furniture doesn’t damage laminate flooring, as long as it’s moved carefully and the right padding is put in place.
Yes. Furniture pads prevent laminate flooring from being ruined by heavy furniture.
Why It is Important to Clean Your Furniture Felt Pads
Furniture felt pads are very important in order to prevent your floors from getting scratched, decrease the level of noise and to keep your furniture in place. But with time, these pads attract dust, dirt and pet hair, which is not good for the pads and may even result in scratching the floor instead of preventing it. It is therefore important that they are well taken good care of so that they can continue to serve the purpose for which they were bought.
Some of the Dangers of Using Dirty or Worn Out Felt Pads
If you do not take time to clean your felt pads, they can actually cause more damage than help. Here are some problems that homeowners are most likely to encounter:
Dust and Debris Accumulation – Small particles are trapped in the felt, which can cause scratches on the floor.
Adhesion failure – Dirt and dust interfere with the stickiness of the adhesive which makes the felt to peel off.
Inhomogeneous wear – The felt is worn in certain areas more than in others, thus offering inadequate protection.
Pet Hair – If you own a pet, then you understand that their fur can stick to felt pads, thus decreasing their capability to cushion.
How to Clean Furniture Felt Pads
It is recommended to clean your felt pads regularly in order to preserve their performance and increase their lifespan. Follow these simple steps:
Preventative Maintenance Tips Preventive measures of your felt pads include routine examination and minor changes as follows:
Monthly examination – Check for signs of wear, soiling or separation.
Rotate pads – If there is a possibility, the felt pads should be rearranged from time to time in order to avoid excessive wearing of certain areas.
Choose high-quality felt – Higher quality felt pads are more resistant to dust and will serve more than cheap ones.
Use castor cups for heavy furniture – Large pieces of furniture are supported by felt-lined castor cups which are more long lasting.
When to Replace Felt Pads
Felt pads, however, need to be changed from time to time despite the proper care. Here are some signs that it’s time for new ones:
The felt is thin or has gaps.
The pads do not adhere to the surface well.
There are marks on the floor which were not there before the pads were used.
The furniture produces noise when it is moved.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of fire resistant felt supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.