Don’t Declare War on your Floor

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you know how I stress taking precautions when it comes to packing your possessions.  Whether you need to pack breakables, heirlooms, furniture, or appliances, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.  Get it right and there’s a high probability your belongings will survive the move unharmed.  Get it wrong and chances are you will wind up damaging or destroying something you cherish.  That being said, there is one thing in your home that, while it won’t be moved, needs to be taken care of it isn’t going to get damaged.  I’m talking about your floors. 

Whether we’re talking about the floors in the home you’re moving out of, or the ones in the home you’re moving into, if you don’t want to scuff, scratch, or otherwise mar them, you need to understand how to protect them.  Even if you hire a moving company, unless you pay them to pack your possessions, you’ll still be loading and moving boxes, which means toting items that if dropped or dragged could cause damage to your floors.  Below are some tips to keep you from declaring war on your floor.

   

Image courtesy of wikipedia

  1.      Terracotta and Tile – While terracotta and tile floors can take everything from a thundering herd of children, to a pack of dogs without showing any wear and tear, even they’re not invulnerable to damage.  If you’ve ever dropped something heavy on tile only to have it chip or crack, you realize how one little slip can ruin an otherwise flawless ceramic floor.  Even storing or rolling something heavy over ceramic tiles can cause them to crack or loosen.  Water intrusion is another way to loosen tiles, which can then become an obstacle, since loose tiles can cause anybody to slip and fall.   

Therefore, when it comes to avoiding damage to ceramic tiles, make sure you don’t stack, roll or drag heavy items across tile floors.  Pay particular attention when loading a box atop a tile floor that you don’t drop anything heavy.  If you have to move anything really heavy across a ceramic floor, like a piano or floor safe, consider laying down a carpet runner or sheet of plywood to help spread the load so you won’t crack the tile.

      2.      Hardwood – Speaking of wood, while hardwood flooring isn’t likely to crack under strain, it can all too easily wind up getting scuffed or scratched.  For one thing, this means you should never drag anything across a hardwood floor.  If you drag furniture or even a heavy cardboard box across hardwood, there’s a good chance it will leave marks.  Better to break out a dolly to roll that box full of books or invest in plastic furniture sliders to eliminate friction when you need to move that bulky entertainment center away from the wall, so you can pack up your sound system without leaving scratches.

Another thing you never want to do is leave a water puddle or other liquid on hardwood.  Just as you always make sure to use a coaster to prevent watermarks on your wooden coffee table, when it comes to hardwood floors, unless treated with water seal, they are also vulnerable to liquid. What this means is when you pack your kitchen and bathroom gear, as well as any cleaning solvents, store the boxes in your garage instead of inside your home on your hardwood floor.

Image courtesy of flickr

      3.      Carpet – When it comes to carpet, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that carpets are less prone to scratching, scuffing and water damage.  The bad news is if you do manage to cut or stain one, you could wind up having to repair or replace it.  When it comes to carpets, keep solvents, paint, dyes and other liquids off them.  Also consider laying down drop cloths, plastic film or cardboard over high traffic areas to protect wall-to-wall carpets while you pack and move.  Roll up any area rugs as opposed to folding, unless you want them to wind up with creases. Another use for old carpeting and carpet runners is to employ them to protect hardwood and/or ceramic tile floors from being damaged come moving day.

      4.      Stairs – When it comes to staircases, you have to protect them from damage while at the same time avoiding the damage they can do to you or your belongings should something take a tumble down them.  Never slide something heavy down the stairs.  If you need to move a heavy box downstairs, buy or rent a dolly.  Even with a dolly, you need to exercise caution, since anything with wheels can get away from you if you aren’t careful.  My advice for stairs is that you let your movers do all the heavy lifting.  That’s why you pay them in the first place.

     

Image courtesy Max Pixel

5.      Decks – Wooden decks, like hardwood floors can be all too easily scratched.  That means you need to carry as opposed to drag something heavy across them.  Speaking of heavy items, before you or your movers shift anything massive across a wooden deck, you need to inspect it.  Being outside means decking can rot and fittings can rust.  The last thing you want is to have a mover or family member fall through a piece of rotten decking or take a tumble when they lean on a railing that’s ready to give way. 

      6.      Other protective measures – One of the things professional movers do to minimize the impact of a move on flooring is to pad sharp edges, wear shoe covers, and lay down runners to eliminate scuffs and scratches while keeping dirt out of your home.  If you heed my advice, you can prevent doing anything that will cause you to repair or replace flooring when you make your next move.

With over 5,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.