How to Protect The Floor from Scratches During a Move?

Why is It Important to Protect Floors When Moving?

Whether you are moving out or moving into a new house, no matter what type of flooring is there, you wouldn’t want any damage done to your floors. It is important to take preventative measures and protect floors when moving, otherwise, you’ll end up spending the extra money to fix the floors or to get your carpets cleaned.

Let us help you with the best ways to avoid floor damage when moving. Check out the helpful tips by the SOS Moving team for a more efficient and damage-free moving process.

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The Most Common Types of Flooring Materials

• Hardwood
• Hardwood flooring is an elegant option that works well for any kind of decorating looks and lasts decades (if properly maintained, of course). It is usually used in spaces like living rooms, and it’s typically made from oak, walnut, pine, birch, cherry, or other materials. There are also wood laminate and engineered wood options that look exactly like hardwood floors.
• Vinyl or Linoleum
• Vinyl and linoleum are durable, long-lasting, and cost-effective options that are best suited for areas like the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom in your house. They have water- and scratch-resistant qualities that make both materials good, especially for areas with exposure to moisture.
• Tile
• Tile is used in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and dining areas, where spills often occur, as well as in hallways and entryways. It’s a durable stain- and water-resistant flooring material, a very popular option nowadays.
• Carpet
• A common flooring material that adds warmth and comfort to your house. Carpets are mostly used in bedrooms and living rooms.

Here’s How to Protect Floors During a Move

1. Wrap Furniture Legs and Edges with Protective Blankets

This measure is necessary to protect your floors if a piece of furniture drops, as well as your walls if an accidental bump happens. Use moving blankets, as they are the most durable and protective.

2. Measure Everything Beforehand

Measure your doorways, large furniture pieces, and appliances before you try moving them. If you measure everything beforehand, you can plan how to pick up your big items, turn around and move them safely without any floor damage. It’s also good to measure the rooms and doorways in your new home before moving in, just to make sure whether a large and heavy piece of furniture (a sofa, a pool table, or other big items) fits the new place or not.

3. Remove Area Rugs and Runners Out of the Way

If you have area rugs, runners, or carpets in your home, get them out of the way to protect them from damage and dirt. Consider rolling them up, packing, and putting them in a clean and safe place.

4. Place Doormats at Entry Points

Wet spots on the floor are bad so that you and your helpers may slip and fall when you’re carrying heavy items or boxes. In bad weather, when it’s raining or snowing, you should place a heavy-duty doormat before the entrance and another one after the main door. Ask your helpers or movers to wipe their shoes every time before they walk in to carry items.

Place doormats even if it’s sunny, good weather on your moving day. Do this, if you don’t want to bring unwanted dirt, pebbles, or sand inside your house that are abrasive and can damage your flooring.

5. Cover Your Floor

Floor covering materials help keep your floors and carpets from dirt and spills. The materials you purchase are reusable, so your investment won’t go to waste. Anyway, it’s cheaper than fixing all the floors at your home, and you won’t waste your time fixing it after you move. You can find the necessary protection materials at your nearest hardware or furniture stores, or you can use the ones you already have at your home.

How to Protect Hardwood, Vinyl, and Tile Floors?

• Use a Ram Board
• Ram Board is a heavy-duty temporary floor protection material. It works on most floor types, such as hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl, linoleum, concrete, marble, etc. floors. It’s not hard to find the material at most local stores. The benefits of a ram board are that it can be reused, and it’s easy to apply on floor surfaces.
• Use Floor Runners
• Floor runners are the ideal floor protection material that helps keep floors safe from damage and debris during the move. That’s the self-adhesive floor covering made of neoprene, that can be cut to fit if necessary. Floor runners protect hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl, linoleum, etc. flooring and create a non-slip surface that won’t slide when it’s used.
• Use Old Blankets and Rugs
• I bet you have old blankets and rugs in your home or shed that have served you several years. Now it’s the best time to use them for the last time before you replace and trash them. And you won’t have to spend money on buying special materials to protect the flooring during the move. Make sure to place them on the floor and fix them with fixators so the blankets and rugs won’t move or slide when moving heavy items.
• Use Cardboard
• That’s another best and cheapest way to protect your floors when moving. You can get some large boxes and just place large sheets of cardboard on walkways during the move-out and move-in days.
• Use Plywood Sheets
• Plywood is the ultimate protector for different types of flooring. It’s an effective and durable temporary cover option used for creating a second floor over flooring materials such as hardwood, vinyl, tile, marble, etc., as well as carpets in your house.
• Plywood sheets are flexible and can bend into curves without cracking and protect your floors from any damage: scratches, scrapes, and dents. Plywood sheets are expensive, but we recommend investing in this covering option if keeping the beautiful floors in your home is your top priority.

Protect Carpet with Carpet Protection Film

The best way to protect carpets in your home is to remove them, roll them into a cylindrical shape, and pack them up. But if the carpets on your floor are non-removable, consider covering them up with self-adhesive carpet protection film. Just unwind the material and apply it on your carpeted floor. It protects your carpet against dirt and spills and makes a non-slip surface that prevents accidental slips. It’s also easy to remove the carpet protection film after use.

6. Wear Shoe Booties

Disposable shoe booties help minimize the dirt in your house when you are moving. They are cheap and keep the soles of boots from making contact with the flooring in your house. Get a big pack and ask your family and friends (or your movers, if you’re hiring them) to wear shoe booties when they walk into your house.

7. Try Carrying as Many Items as Possible

Carry as many items as possible with your hands rather than sliding them across the floor all the way to a moving truck. Carry your lighter belongings, such as your clothes, pillows, blankets, children’s toys, etc. packed up in moving boxes, or smaller not-so-heavy furniture, for example. Avoid floor contact whenever possible.

8. Don’t Drag Furniture

Even if you use materials to protect your floor during a move, do not drag your furniture or any other large bulky items across the floor, no matter what type of flooring you have. It can cause scratches or dents in your hardwood or vinyl flooring, break your tiles, and damage the delicate surfaces of your floor. Be careful when moving large appliances, furniture, pool tables, and pianos.

9. Use Dollies with Rubber Wheels

That’s a good way to move heavy furniture, boxes, and bigger items that you can’t carry. If you purchase dollies from your local store, borrow from a friend, or rent them from a local mover, make sure the dollies have rubber wheels, not metal ones. Metal wheels can scratch your floors, whilst the rubber wheels will not cause any damage. Clean the tires of your dollies if necessary. When you load your heavy items onto your dollies, make sure you secure them using ropes or straps, because your items can fall and damage the floors during the move.

10. Use Furniture Sliders

Furniture sliders are also good to slide and move heavy items safely such as furniture and appliances in your home. Furniture sliders come in different sizes and shapes, and you can purchase them from your local furniture or hardware stores. They go on the legs of your cabinets, dining tables, or refrigerators. It’s easier to push the large items when using furniture sliders, rather than pulling them.

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Consider floor protection, and if you are going to purchase the special materials mentioned above, include the expenses in your moving budget when planning a move. Don’t risk damaging the beautiful floors in your home. Take all the necessary precautionary measures to keep the floors in a good condition and make your moving process as stress-free as possible. When you are moving into a new place, make sure to request your movers a COI beforehand, if the building management requires it.

To sum up, to protect the floors in your house you should follow these simple steps below:

1. Protect and wrap furniture legs and edges;
2. Measure beforehand your doorways, rooms, large furniture pieces, and appliances;
3. Remove area rugs and runners out of the way;
4. Place doormats at entry points;
5. Cover your floors and carpets;
6. Wear shoe booties when entering the house;
7. Carry as many items as possible rather than sliding them;
8. Don’t drag your furniture;
9. Use dollies with rubber wheels;
10. Use furniture sliders.

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