How to Protect Hardwood Floors & Avoid Scratches when Moving Heavy Objects in Calabasas, CA
For one reason or another, people move things around several times a year. We have received many repair calls due to damage done to flooring while someone was moving around a fridge or some furniture. Understandable, yet avoidable, scratches done to a hardwood floor can be fixed for the most part. It will prolong the life of the floor and the finish to avoid this process altogether though. Start the new year off right with these helpful tips in protecting your floors against damage during moving!
Always Clean Hardwood Floors Before Moving Furniture
This step seems to get looked over more often that not. Whether you are moving couches around, beds or appliances, one thing remains the same. Tiny pieces of gravel and dust that have built up under and around the furniture can become lodged between the furniture and floor and cause damage to the floor or it’s finish. By doing a thorough vacuuming beforehand, you can ensure you aren’t adding unnecessary scratches to the floor.
Use Caution when Moving Heavy Objects
Dropping a heavy piece of furniture onto a hardwood floor can cause irreversible damage including a dent in the flooring. Always take your time and have a partner work with you to move large or heavy items and take your time moving the items from one place to the next!
Use Appliance Glides for Hardwood Floors
We get it, it’s tempting to get things done on your time, but don’t be tempted to drag that couch across the floor on your own. If it is at all possible, wait for assistance and gently lift then move whichever appliance or piece of furniture to its next destination. This is a common way to scratch and dent hardwood flooring. If for whatever reason you can not lift and move the item, try to place a cushion between the item and hardwood floor before moving it to avoid damaging the floor.
Can I Keep Clothes in Drawers when Moving Over Hardwood Flooring?
When you need to move dressers, bookshelves or other heavy items, start by making them as light as possible. Remove the drawers from the dresser, remove books or other items from the bookshelf, remove food from the fridge etc. before moving the item across your hardwood floor. The lighter an object is the less damage it can cause if it was accidently let down too hard in the moving process.
Flipping Furniture on its Side to Move on Hardwood Floors
When moving couches or other soft sided furniture, consider flipping it onto its side and placing some sort of padding between the furniture and the floor to more evenly distribute the weight of the item across the floor to avoid excess damage to the floor or furniture. Never use cardboard for this step as it can dull the floor’s finish and leave dull spots.
Use Caution with Hardwood Floor Casters
It may be tempting to push a large object across the floor that is equipped with wheels. Wheels seem to give off a false sense of confidence to some. When it comes to hardwood floors, you want to avoid the possibility of the wheels turning sideways and getting stuck. This will cause them to scratch and scrape the flooring. Instead, place a piece of hardboard between the item in question and the floor and gently slide it to its new destination.
Hardwood Floor Repair & More in Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale, San Pedro, Torrance, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills & Greater Los Angeles, California
Sequoia Flooring knows that life happens to hardwood floors. That’s what we’re here for. Hardwood floors add beauty and sophistication to any home, they are a timeless addition and will last you a lifetime if they are properly cared for. Give us a call if you need assistance repairing scratched floors or have further questions, we’d be glad to help!
