Hardwood floors can give an elegant look and complement your office design. You can move your office chair easily on these hardwood floors, which is beneficial.
But are you wondering if rolling office chairs damage wood floors, then we have the perfect answer for you.
Unfortunately, the continuous movement of rolling chair wheels can scratch your beautiful hardwood floors. It occurs mainly when dirt or grime is there on the wheels. Again, the chair weight and consistently rolling on the hardwood floors can cause scuff marks or pressure points, which may cause dents on the hardwood floors.
Having scuff marks or dents doesn’t look visually appealing on the hardwood floors. Fortunately, there are different ways by which you can protect your hardwood floors, like by buying floor mats or by changing the caster wheels with neoprene or rubber options.
Why Do Rolling Chairs Damage Your Hardwood Floors?
Hardwood floors look great and complement your office design in your house. Most of us use rolling chairs while working in the office at home. But its continuous movement causes scratches and dents.
Well, the issue is not with the chair but with the wheels. The wheels of the rolling chair are made from plastic or hard nylon, which cannot provide a good grip during movement. They slide on the hardwood floors instead of smoothly moving.
When the plastic wheels continuously slide on the hardwood floors for many months, it causes scuff marks, dents, or scratches and ultimately damages your hardwood floors.
So, can you avoid it? Yes, you can prevent this problem by changing or upgrading the wheels of your office chair.
Difference Between The Standard Chair Casters & Roller Blade Chair Casters
1. Standard Chair Casters
Most of the office rolling chairs are usually equipped with standard chair casters. They have twin or dual-wheel design and consists of plastic or hard nylon material. It is the primary reason for dents and scratches on your beautiful hardwood floors.
2. Roller Blade Chair Casters
Roller blade-style chair casters are the best options for hardwood surfaces. These wheels are encased in a polyurethane material, which is a rubber kind of material.
It is incredibly soft, and durable, and provides a good grip on hardwood surfaces during rolling. It thus reduces friction between the wheels and the floor and ultimately decreases the chances of scratches and dents.
Another great thing is that these rollerblade chair caster wheels protect other flooring like vinyl, laminate, tile, or bamboo. So, in short, you can use a rollerblade caster chair on any type of flooring without the fear of scratch marks, dents, or scuffs.
How To Protect Hardwood Floors From Rolling Chairs?
You can protect the hardwood floors from rolling chairs in the following ways.
1. Change The Wheels Of Your Office Chair
Have you set up your office at home? If yes, then you must be using an office chair. But remember, if your office chair wheels are made from plastic or hard nylon material, it will damage your wood floors.
Well, you can replace it with rollerblade chair casters. The replacement is relatively easy. You just have to pop up the wheels from the rolling chair and push the new wheels.
Here are the best roller blade chair casters from Amazon.
2. Purchase A Office Chair With Roller Blade Style Casters
If you just start your office at home, you will need a good ergonomic chair. We recommend you purchase an office chair with roller blade style casters so that it will not damage your wooden floor.
3. Consider A High Pile Chair Mat
If scuff marks have already damaged your hardwood floor, it is frustrating. Placing a high-pile chair mat under the office chair is one of the most effective ways to protect your hardwood floors.
Remember, high-pile chair mats are usually soft and have a cushioning effect. They can absorb the impact when you roll the chair on the floor.
They have other advantages, too, as it is a barrier against dust and debris. The roller chairs usually pick up dust and debris. These dust particles can scratch your hardwood floor during rolling.
But when you lay a high pile chair mat and place your office chair, the rug acts as a barrier and prevents your rolling office chairs from damaging the hardwood floors.
High-pile chair mats even enhance the look of your workspace. The best thing is that they come in various colors and designs. So you can purchase according to the decor of the room.
High-pile chair mats provide additional protection, but you must be cautious while rolling your office chair on these rugs.
Do Office Chairs Damage Tile Floors? 7 Ways to Save Your Tile Floor
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4. Work On The Hardwood Floor
You can apply a polyurethane wood finish on the hardwood floors. It serves as an extra layer of protection and will prevent the office rolling chairs from scratching.
Always clean your floor thoroughly and apply the polyurethane finish for effective results.
Why You Should Not Use Chair Mats For Wooden Floors?
Chair mats may seem like a good option for protecting your hardwood floors. Most of them are advertised that they are safe for wooden floors. But in reality, they harm your expensive and elegant wooden floors more.
When you roll your office chair, these mats may slide or glide on the wooden floor. If there is any dirt or debris between the floor and the chair mat, it may scratch the wood floor.
There are other limitations, too, like it restricts the movement area of your office chair. It even covers your wood floors. Additionally, these chair mats need more care and maintenance.
The glass chair mats should strictly be avoided for all hardwood floors.
Conclusion
Hardwood floors can create an elegant look for your workspace. But rolling down your office chair can produce scratches or scuff marks that look bad. It deteriorates your expensive hardwood floors.
Well, you can prevent it by changing the wheels of your office chair or by placing a high pile rug below the office chair.
