How to Protect Wood Floors from Dining Room Chair and Furniture Scratches

So you have redone your dining room and entered into the glorious realm of hardwood floors, what next?

Well, there are a few things to consider like how to keep your floors clean, how to prevent pet damage, and most importantly how to protect your floors from furniture scratches!

You picked the perfect dining room table set, but how do you make sure everything goes altogether without causing damage to your beautiful flooring? Well, we are here to give you all the tips and tricks, because protecting your wood floors is definitely worth it!

Use an Area Rug

One great way to protect your hardwood floors is to use an area rug. You can place all your furniture on top of the area rug to prevent scratches and extend the lifetime value of your flooring. 

Grab some measuring tape, and figure out how large your area rug should be based on the space and your furniture of choice. Then head out, web out, and look out for the perfect color pop or decorative rug to add flair and functionality in your dining room. You may need to grab some extra hands to help you safely move the furniture around and avoid dents and scratches.  

Consider adding a rug pad underneath your rug for extra protection on your new hardwood floors! This will prevent slipping and sliding of furniture and yellowing of floors. 

Furniture Pads

The most popular form of protection for your furniture legs is felt furniture pads. These little things are lifesavers. Usually, one side is adhesive, and the other side is felt. You can stick the adhesive side right on the ends of your furniture to provide a buffer between your floors and any sharp edges. 

Felt pads come in all shapes and sizes and can even be cut out to fit any size. However, if you are feeling more of a DYI project, there are other options you can try! 

• Felt Pads
• Tennis ball
• Old carpet
• Velcro Pads
• Leather scaps 
• Towels 

Tennis Ball DYI

You can cut open a tennis ball and stick it right on the end of your chairs or sofa legs. If you are ever in the mood to rearrange and decorate this makes for easy maneuvering of furniture while protecting your hardwood floors. 

Old Carpet

Do you have an old carpet laying around? Get crafty, cut it up, and fit it perfectly to the ends of your dining room chairs and table. This will help your chairs glide across the floor with ease, and without causing damage. 

Velcro Pads 

If you have any industrial velcro around the house, you can use the soft side as an efficient furniture pad. This will also allow you to move your furniture around with ease without causing any dings, dents, or scratches on the floor. 

Leather Scraps 

Leather is soft and durable, which makes it an excellent option for furniture pads. The material is also stylish and will blend with your furniture a lot better than a bright yellow tennis ball. 

Towels 

If you are waiting for your furniture pads to come in through the mail, feel free to grab some old towels and wrap them around the ends of your chairs. Towels will do the trick in an emergency situation. So if you want to rearrange a room in your house while protecting your hardwood floor surface, grab towels and get moving!

The Furniture Foot Check 

Check out your furniture from time to time. What do the feet look like? Has the velcro or furniture pads worn down or collected dust? If so, it may be time to do a little sanding and update the old towel scraps. This way, you can prevent scuffs and scratches on your beautiful hardwood floors! 

Furniture with Wheels

Buying TV sets or cabinets with wheels is also an option! Furniture with wheels makes it easier to rearrange and redecorate without the worry of scratches and scrapes. It is important to note that not all furniture with wheels is safe, try staying away from metal or steel wheels.  

Furniture Casters

Speaking of wheels, have you heard of furniture casters? There are actually four different types of wheels that you can buy for your furniture, and it is crucial to choose the right option for your hardwood floors. 

Furniture Caster Types:

• Nylon casters
• Urethane casters
• Polyurethane coating
• Neoprene rubber

If you have hardwood floors, make sure you have the right wheels on your furniture so that your floors are not damaged. The type of wheel you chose for your furniture depends on the weight and size of the piece you are using.

Neoprene rubber wheels are probably the best choice for hardwood floors; this is because the synthetic rubber maintains its flexibility for a long time, and works well with any type of flooring. 

Protect your Floors

When you invest in hardwood floors, you invest in the long-term value of your home. New flooring can provide a beautiful aesthetic in your home and make you want to redecorate and move around furniture.

It’s important to be careful when moving things around so that you don’t scratch or dent your floors. We hope these tips help prepare you for keeping your new hardwood floors scratch-free! 

For some tips on how to clean your hardwood floors, check out our Step by Step Hardwood Floor Cleaning Guide. And if you are in the Washington DC area come on into District Floor Depot and speak with a hardwood floor specialist today!