How to Protect Hardwood Floors from Furniture

So, you made the plunge and installed hardwood floors throughout your house.

Now comes the time when you have to add furniture back to the room. But what’s the best way to do that?

After all, you don’t want your furniture scratching up the wood floors. 

If you want to safeguard your investment, here’s how to protect hardwood floors from furniture. Apply felt pads to all furniture legs. This will help furniture slide easier and prevent it from scratching when it does slip around your floor. For heavy pieces, you can place large felt pads underneath or layer the furniture on top of an area rug.

Protect Hardwood Floors: Top Three Ways

Use Felt Furniture Pads and Chair Glides

Felt pads are great at preventing scratches on hardwoods. They’re also super easy to apply since most are self-adhesive or nail on.

A couple of the most popular felt furniture pads are:

X-Factor Furniture Pads – These come in several different sizes and colors. They even have nail-on chair glides and larger sheets of felt pads for furniture with thick legs.

3M Furniture Pads – This company doesn’t have as many options as X-Factor but does have a decent selection of self-adhesive felt pads for chair and table legs.

You’ll want to avoid rubber chair gliders or furniture pads. While these can help keep furniture in place, they can cause skid marks on your floor. 

You’ll also want to avoid any product made of latex, foam, or PVC. These can cause chemical reactions with your hardwoods that may leave your floor discolored.

Layer a Rug Under Furniture

If you’re worried about heavy furniture, you can layer a rug underneath for protection. You can do this with large area rugs or small felt rugs that you place under the legs of the furniture.

This is also a good idea for furniture on wheels, like your office chair.

(If you don’t use a rug pad, your rug can act like sandpaper when repeatedly walked over, eventually wearing down the top layer of your hardwoods.)

Place Tennis Balls on Chair Legs

Have you ever been to a house and noticed tennis balls on the legs of chairs? Well, it turns out, there was actually a good reason for that.

Tennis balls that are slit open and placed on the bottom chair’s legs help the chair scoot easier and prevent it from scratching the floor.

So, if you’re looking for a DIY solution for your favorite kitchen chair, you can give tennis balls a try.

How Often Should You Replace Felt Furniture Pads?

While felt furniture pads are excellent at protecting your floors, they don’t last forever. So you’ll want to check all pads at least once per year to ensure they are still in good shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best protector for chair legs so they don’t scratch up hardwood floors?

The best protector for chair legs so they don’t scratch up hardwood floors is felt furniture pads. These pads can be nailed or glued on and will protect your floor if the chair slides around.

How can you protect wood floors from furniture with wheels?

The best way to protect wood floors from furniture with wheels is to place an area rug or large felt rug underneath the chair. This way, the wheels are constantly scooting across the wood. However, if you use an area rug, it’s best to place a felt rug pad underneath.

How do you protect hardwood floors from heavy furniture?

Heavy furniture does not automatically mean hardwood floor damage. The primary way heavy furniture causes harm is by sliding around.

You can prevent your furniture from sliding by using furniture grips or placing heavy pieces on a rug.

Conclusion

Your best bet to protect your hardwood flooring is using felt pads on the bottom of all furniture legs. These pads protect your floors from scratches in the event furniture gets pushed around.

For furniture on wheels, like an office chair, you can place a rug underneath to prevent scuffing of the floor.