How to Protect Your Floors on Moving Day

Moving to a new home is like starting a thrilling adventure, but the journey itself, especially moving day, can be a bit of a rocky road. One important part of this journey is floor protection during moving. You might be thinking, “How can I make sure my floors stay safe on moving day?” 

The simple answer is that you can protect your floors on a moving day by doing a few things. These include using floor runners to cover your floors, using furniture dollies for moving heavy stuff, and asking everyone to wear booties to keep your floors safe from scratches, dents, and dirt.

So, no matter if your home has hardwood, carpets, or tile floors, you can do a few simple things to prevent damage from heavy furniture, dollies, and dirty shoes. 

Now, let’s explore this topic in more detail.

Why Should You Protect Floors When Moving?

If you’re thinking, “Why should I bother protecting my floors during a move?” Well, here’s the simple answer: It’s really important. If you don’t, you can face some problems like:

• Scratching your floors when moving furniture, especially in tight spaces. This can damage carpets, create scratches on hardwood floors, and lead to other issues.

• Accidentally dropping furniture while moving it, causing dents, holes, and scratches. It might even crack tile floors.

• Walking around with heavy boots and shoes inside the house can leave marks on hardwood floors and stains on carpets.

Not only does this damage not look good, but it can also lower the value of your home. So, protecting your floors is definitely worth it!

Are you wondering, “How to move House in London?” Read our comprehensive guide to learn all about this topic. 

Floor Protection During Moving: How to Protect Your Floors on Moving Day

Let’s start by checking out some simple ways to make sure your floors stay safe when you’re moving.

Taking Inventory

The big and heavy things like furniture and appliances are the ones that can really cause damage to your floors during a move. So, it’s a good idea to plan ahead for moving day.

First, measure and write down the sizes of these large items and the openings in your home. This will help you figure out how to get them out to the moving truck. If a door seems too small, take it off the frame to reduce the risk of damage.

Also, if you can decide where your furniture will go in your new home before you move, you won’t have to move heavy things around on the floor multiple times.

Measuring and Cleaning Your Floors

First, measure the parts of your floor that you want to keep safe. This helps you know how much protection stuff to buy. It’s a good idea to get a little extra, just in case. You’ll want enough to cover all the paths you’ll use on a moving day.

Before you put any protection on your floors, make sure they’re super clean. If there’s any dirt or stuff under the protection, it can damage your floors. So, give your floors a good cleaning before you start covering them.

Choosing the Right Floor Protection

Now, let’s talk about getting the right stuff to protect your floors. This is crucial, as different floors need different protection. Sometimes, you might need a mix of products, especially for places where lots of people walk. 

Here are your options:

• Red Rosin Paper and Cardboard: This is like thick paper that shields your floors from light damage, like small scratches. You can get it in rolls and stick it down with painter’s tape. In busy areas, you can use both paper and cardboard. It’s a good choice for hardwood floors, carpet, and linoleum or vinyl floors.

• Floor Protection Film: This is a tough, sticky plastic film that you roll out on your floor. It’s strong and doesn’t tear easily. After your move, you can peel it off without hurting the floor, and it stays put for about 45 days. It’s good for carpet, linoleum, or vinyl floors and hardwood floor protection. 

• Ram Board or X-Board: These are rolls of strong, reusable floor protection. They work well for tile, linoleum, and vinyl floors. Some of these products also guard against spills.

• Plywood Sheets: If you want super protection in busy spots or have delicate tiles, consider using plywood sheets. They can absorb the impact of things dropping on them. It’s like having a second floor. Putting red rosin paper between your floor and the plywood prevents any surface scratches.

Hiring Professionals

We’ve talked about how to protect your floors on your own, but what if you decide to hire a professional moving company nearby to handle most of the work? Well, here’s what you need to know.

If you hire professional movers, they should bring their own floor protection stuff to use during the move. So you won’t have to worry about getting these materials yourself. Movers usually wear special booties over their shoes to keep the floors safe.

No matter if it’s for an office or home move, there’s no denying that hiring a professional mover and packers can greatly simplify your moving journey.

Tips for Keeping Floors Safe During a Move

No matter which floor protection products you choose, these tips will help you keep your floors in good shape during a busy move.

Get Shoe Booties

Get some disposable booties to cover your shoes on moving day. Everyone should wear them. Leave extra booties out, so if they rip or get dirty, people can easily grab fresh ones.

Secure Floor Coverings with Tape

If you’re using sheets or paper to protect the floor and they tend to slide, use painter’s tape or similar tape to stick down the edges. But if you’re using protection films, you don’t need to do this because they usually stick on their own.

Carry Things When Possible

Try to pick up and carry furniture and boxes instead of dragging or wheeling them across the floor. The less you drag, the less wear and tear on your floors.

Use a Dolly for Heavy Furniture

When you have really heavy stuff like big furniture or appliances, it’s a good idea to rent or borrow a dolly with rubber wheels. It makes moving heavy items easier, especially when dealing with tight doorways. Before bringing the dolly into your house, make sure to clean its wheels in case they’ve picked up dirt or grit.

Use Floor Runners 

Floor runners are a fantastic choice to keep your floors safe from scratches and dents. They’re usually made of strong materials like cardboard or plastic, and you can find them in different sizes. Just place these runners on the floor in places where lots of people walk, like hallways and entryways.

Protect Furniture Legs with Padding

The legs of your furniture can harm your floors, so it’s a good idea to shield them with padding. You can use bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or even towels. Just wrap these materials around the furniture legs before you start moving.

Take Away Area Rugs

Area rugs can slip and slide when you’re moving furniture, so it’s a good practice to remove them before you begin. If you want to keep them in place, use painter’s tape to secure them and prevent any movement.

Clean Up Spills Right Away

Spills can cause damage to your floors, so it’s important to clean them up immediately. Get a clean cloth to soak up the spill, and then follow the instructions from the floor manufacturer for cleaning your specific type of flooring.

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Wrapping Up

To sum it up, floor protection during moving is important. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it alone or getting help from experts; protecting your floors from scratches and harm can save you from stress and extra costs in the future. With a bit of work and the right tools, you can have a smooth and stress-free moving day and keep your floors looking great. 

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