Moving can be stressful, but protecting your hardwood floors shouldn’t be. Whether you are moving out of a house or an apartment building, you want to leave it in the best condition possible. One significant consideration when moving is getting your items safely out without leaving lots of scratches as an unwelcome gift for the new owners or tenants. Below are some tips to be sure you leave your old place in excellent condition.
1. Lift and move rather than push
Although it can be tempting to just push everything out the front door or into the hallway, you should resist the urge. As much as possible, lift boxes and smaller pieces of furniture rather than shoving them down the hall. Even lightweight pieces can cause significant scratches.
2. Put down protective covering for the floors
For high-traffic areas (like a hallway, stairwell, easiest exit), you may want to invest in a protective covering for your floor. There are several types of floor coverings on the market, such as hard surface protection tape (with light, minimal adhesive), a plastic film that offers protection for your floors on moving day. Your local home supply store may also have some fantastic products like RamBoard, advertised as the “#1 choice of contractors for floor protection” with technology that also adds temporary protection against mud, water, and paint.
3. For items with legs, use individual furniture sliders or socks
In the same way that your feet slide across the floor in socks, furniture socks slip onto table legs, bed frames, and more for smooth sliding. Reusable furniture sliders work well on wood floors or carpet to help with those bulky items and can also help when moving furniture into your next home. You can even slip them under a heavy buffet or secretary one at a time and make moving the item through the house a one-person job!
4. For larger items, use large moving pads, blankets or rugs to cushion and slide
Anything can help here! Most NY moving companies or truck rental companies have moving blankets available for rent. You will probably need a couple! In a pinch, use a rug or old blankets to slide that dresser down the hallway. It helps to have a couple of athletic individuals who can move heavy appliances with the help of a dolly.
5. Use the furniture’s wheels if applicable
If a piece of furniture has built-in non-marking wheels or ball wheels, these shouldn’t leave any marks. If the wheels are not this type, dirt and sand can get ground into the floors, leaving behind scuff marks. Depending on the type of wheel and the weight of the item, you may still want to consider furniture socks, sliders, or pads.
6. Double-check protective pads on everything once you move
If you’re concerned with protecting your floors at your new place, you may want to double-check all the adhesive felt pads you have on your chair legs, table legs, etc. when you get there. Those little guys can get lost in transition, and you don’t want your new place to get scratches either.
These are super ideas for protecting your wood floors during your move. Of course, if you hire our moving professionals, we’ll bring all the proper equipment (dollies, moving blankets, straps, and more) to relocate your heavy furniture without leaving scratches behind. With the NYC local movers Imperial crew, you won’t have to lift a finger!
