Interior design is much more than furniture or the use of colours. It also has to do with the types of materials that are used within these rooms. Consider the flooring that you have installed in your home. Some materials are better visually than others; hardwood is no different. A good hardwood floor draws in eyes, especially if it has been cleaned recently.
If you have hardwood flooring, you should try to take care of these surfaces with thought and care. Certain pieces of furniture, such as your typical chair, can inadvertently damage the floor. Scratches can impede the look of the floor, making them quite annoying to manage.
Use these tips to prevent scratches on your beautiful wood flooring:
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Cleaning The Floors
Scratches, especially from furniture pieces such as chairs, can happen when your floors are dirty. Although easier to clean than other surfaces, hardwood flooring is still vulnerable to prolonged exposure to grime.
Grab your mop and some warm water and give the floor a clean sweep. Then, once dry, use a sweeping apparatus to clean up remaining traces of dust. The more you keep your floors clean, the less of a chance they become exposed to external damage.
Chair Type
For dining purposes or simply hanging out, you probably won’t give too much thought to your purchased chairs. That is because they are made for one purpose, right? When it comes to protecting the flooring beneath, the type of chair you have matters. If you are installing new flooring, avoid getting chairs with rollers.
Rollers that are attached to chairs will eventually attract excessive amounts of dirt. These traces of grime can cause the rollers to become uneven. Once this happens, the rollers, when put in motion, can cause scratches of various magnitudes. Try to avoid placing these chairs in rooms with hardwood flooring or move them to another room if need be.
Felt Pads
Felt pads are one of the best ways to prevent your chairs from scratching your hardwood flooring completely. Felt pads are an inexpensive means to stop your chairs from causing damage to your floor. These circular-shaped pads are made out of soft felt, with one side having an adhesive attached.
Place the adhesive side to the bottom of each chair’s leg. The felt on the opposite side of the pad will move smoothly across the floor when you push or pull the chair. If the adhesive looks like it will come off, switch it out for a newer pad. You can never have too many felt pads at the end of the day!
Plastic Covering
If felt pads aren’t an option at the moment, plastic coverings may be your next best bet. These square-shaped coverings can attach to the bottom of each chair’s leg. Once secured firmly, your chair’s ability to scratch the floor will be rendered inert. Unlike felt pads, these plastic coverings are great for longevity.
One thing to note about this type of protective covering is that you’ll still want to be careful. Don’t try to push or pull on your chair forcefully when moving it. If you are not cautious, you can potentially scratch the floor beneath accidentally. However, these coverings are still a great option, especially if you constantly want to replace your felt pads.
Rugs
For the most sure-fire way of preventing scratches outright, place your chair on a rug! Depending on where your chairs are situated, they may be able to be placed on a carpet. This won’t stick out too much visually, especially if they are in a room that isn’t used much.
When chairs are placed on a rug, they are completely prevented from making scratches. You’ll have to pull the chair out in most situations instead of moving them on the surface beneath. Don’t also forget to pick a rug or carpet that matches the décor of the room. Keep the size of the carpet in mind, in addition to the colour.
Post-Scratching
When the inevitable does happen, and your chair makes a scratch on the hardwood, fear not. The post-scratch process isn’t hard to fix. You’ll just need a few materials. One of the most convenient tools to use for the repair is a wood stain marker. These markers can fix minor scratches in almost no time at all.
To minimize the potential of an accident, you’ll want to be diligent with how you move your chairs. Always be careful when pushing or pulling the chair out. That way, with the added protective measures in place, your flooring will be scratch-free all the time!
