It’s a little strange to think about, but your flooring is a valuable and delicate home asset. It should be protected as such–especially during a move. Luckily, just by looking this up you’ve taken the most important step toward keeping your flooring safe during a move: thinking about it. As for the rest, we can help. Here’s everything you should know about how to keep your flooring safe when moving into or out of a home.
How should I cover up my floors during a move?
The single best way to protect your flooring during your next move is to cover it. There are a number of different ways you can do this, but the best options include:
- Linens you already have like towels, sheets, or blankets.
- Broken down cardboard boxes.
- Commercial floor coverings that were designed to serve this exact purchase. You can find them at most local hardware stores.
Whatever you use, make sure you secure it as snugly and tightly as possible. You don’t want your floor covering to become a hindrance or even a danger instead of a benefit. Secure your covering with tape and make sure you know where it is at all times. If it ever comes unstuck and threatens to trip someone up, stop everything to correct it immediately.
How do I best handle furniture to avoid causing damage?
Protecting your floors is about more than just covering them up. You also need to be able to move things over and across it as easily as possible. There are a couple of ways to make this easier:
- Never drag furniture. If you drag or slide things, they’re going to scratch. We’re not just talking about tables or heavy furniture, either; we’re talking about everything. Even the lightest items scratch, mark up, dent, or otherwise damage your flooring if they’re dusty or otherwise compromised. You’re going to need special felt pads to move anything heavy over delicate flooring, which a professional moving company can provide for you.
- Get a rubber-wheeled dolly. A dolly will save you a lot of heartache. It can carry numerous things at once, including large or heavy items. It is efficient, affordable and accessible. If you rent a dolly, make sure it has rubber wheels. Wheels made out of harder materials could leave behind dents, scratches, or cumbersome scuffs.
How can I prepare before the move?
There are a few things you can start preparing even before you need to start putting together your supplies and actually covering your floors. Here are a couple of things to start keeping in mind well before the move happens.
- Measure things beforehand. This will help you avoid unfortunate situations where you end up stuck while you’re trying to move things. The faster, easier and more consistently you can move your stuff into your new home, the safer your floors will be. Measure hallways, door frames, corners, stairways, room size and anything else you’re afraid might be a little tight.
- Pay attention to the weather. Moving in during bad weather is a totally different (and more challenging) proposition for every aspect of your move. Unfortunately, this is especially true of your flooring. Unless you take extra, special precautions, moving in during rain or snow could make your flooring wet. Obviously, wet flooring is slippery, which means you’ll be much more likely to slip or drop something. Ideally, you shouldn’t move during bad weather at all. If you have to, prepare well in advance. Cover your flooring, wear proper safety gear and plan to take your time.
Keeping your floors safe doesn’t have to be a challenge. Putting down coverings and using proper furniture moving practices will go a long way. The best way to ensure your floor (and your own) safety during a move is to utilize the help of professional movers. The team at Bekins is always ready to take your call and help you make your next move as easy and efficient as possible.
