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. Mike’s Custom Flooring offers helpful tips to protect your floors against damage during moving!

Clean Hardwood Floors Before Moving Heavy Furniture to Avoid Damage

This step seems to get looked over more often that not. Whether your 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 Appliances etc on Hardwood

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!

Never Drag Heavy Items Across 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.

Make Furniture as Light as Possible Before Moving

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.

Try Flipping Furniture on its Side & Slide Over Wood 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 when Moving Furniture with Wheels

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 the 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 Refinishing & More in Charles Town & Eastern Panhandle of Berkeley & Jefferson Counties in WV | Winchester & Frederick County | Round Hill & Loudoun County | Berryville & Clarke County | Herndon & Fairfax County VA

Mike’s Custom Flooring knows that life happens to hardwood floors. That’s what were 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 floor or have further questions. We’d be glad to help!