How do I protect a floor from furniture marks?

Furniture damage to floors is almost entirely preventable and almost entirely permanent once done. It costs a few pounds to prevent and a refinish to repair.

Safety

Step by step

1. Fit felt pads to anything static.Sofas, tables, chairs, cabinets. Self-adhesive on a clean dry foot, or the nail-in type which stays put far longer on wooden legs.
2. Clean the feet before sticking anything on.Dust and old adhesive stop pads bonding, and a pad that falls off within a week is worse than none because nobody notices.
3. Check pads regularly.They wear through and collect grit, which then acts as sandpaper. Every six months, and immediately if something starts to scrape.
4. Avoid rubber and PVC on vinyl and varnish.They contain plasticisers that migrate into the floor and leave a yellow or dark mark that does not come out. Non-staining pads exist and are labelled as such.
5. Use hard glides for things that move.Dining chairs, anything slid in and out daily. Felt wears through quickly under repeated movement — PTFE or hard plastic glides last far longer.
6. Treat castors as the main risk.They put the whole weight on a tiny contact patch and roll grit into the floor. Soft-wheel castors rated for hard floors, or a mat, and replace hard plastic ones on wood.
7. Use a chair mat at a desk.An office chair on a wooden floor causes visible wear within months. A polycarbonate mat is inexpensive and prevents all of it.
8. Lift rather than drag.Almost every deep scratch comes from something being dragged. Two people, or furniture sliders under the feet, and never drag anything with a metal foot.
9. Spread the load on heavy items.A piano, a full bookcase, a large appliance. Load spreaders or a board underneath prevent the permanent dents that point loads leave in wood and vinyl.
10. Expect dents in soft floors and plan for them.Pine, some engineered woods and vinyl dent under weight and the mark is permanent. Wide feet and load spreaders are the only prevention.
11. Mind the sunlight as well.A rug or a large piece of furniture in one place for years leaves a shade difference when moved. Move rugs occasionally if the floor is exposed to strong sun.
12. Deal with existing marks properly.Scuffs often come off with a felt pad or the right cleaner. Dents in wood can sometimes be steamed out. Scratches through a finish need touching up or refinishing.

Tips

• Felt for static furniture, hard glides for anything that moves. Using felt on dining chairs means replacing it every few months.
• Nail-in felt pads last far longer than self-adhesive ones on wooden legs, and they do not fall off unnoticed.
• Check pads twice a year. A worn pad with grit in it does more damage than no pad at all.

Common mistakes

• Using rubber or PVC feet on vinyl — Plasticisers migrate into the floor and leave a permanent stain. Use pads specifically labelled non-staining.
• Dragging furniture instead of lifting it — It causes most deep floor scratches, and a single drag can mark a floor across its whole width. Use sliders or a second person.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask