Want to protect your floors and carpets when moving? One of the most often overlooked areas on the to-do list when preparing to move is ensuring that your floors and carpets are protected during move-out and move-in. Preventing floors and carpets from damage during the moving process can help you avoid costly repairs. Happily, there are simple ways to protect your floors during your move.

What to Do and What Not to Do

The first type of protection focuses on preventing heavy items from being dragged along the floor or being dropped on the hardwood, tiled, or carpeted floors.

No Dragging

Never drag furniture along the floor. You can easily damage flooring surfaces and create dents, scratches, or broken tiles as a result. Be sure to carry the lighter furniture pieces and use furniture sliders and rubber-wheeled dollies.

Use Furniture Blankets

Thick blankets should be used to cover the edges of furniture pieces, kitchen appliances, or any other heavy items. The extra padding will soften the impact if a heavyweight item is accidentally dropped.

Only Sturdy Boxes

Strong cardboard boxes can hold the weight of heavy items.  Be sure not to pack any box too heavy – no more than 50 pounds to ensure that the boxes will stand up to the weight. Tape securely with high-quality shipping tape to reinforce the bottoms of all cardboard cartons.

Furniture Sliders

The best furniture sliders are made of strong plastic and hard rubber. Their purpose is to minimize or eliminate the friction between the furniture and the floor. (They also are great for preventing back injuries!)

Dollies

A rubber-wheeled dolly enables you to wheel out the heavy items without any damage to the flooring.

Doormats

Placed in front of and behind the main door can prevent, as much as possible, dust, mud, water, snow, or debris to be brought into your home on the shoes of the moving crew.

Shoe Booties

Ideally, all moving crew should use shoe booties that are placed on the shoes at the moment of entering the home and taken off when exiting the house. The best way to ensure that debris is not brought into the home is to have two crews – one outside the home to unload from the moving van and another to meet the unloader at the door and carry the items into the home.

Protective Materials for Carpets and Floors

Covering your floors and carpets with some kind of protective material can be very helpful in preventing damage. Here are some options:

Protect your Floors with Old Rugs

Use old rugs or blankets for temporary floor protection on moving day. Place them along the entrance paths to keep water or dirt off the floors and to provide a cushioning barrier against dents and scratches.

Protect your Floors Floor Runners

Made of neoprene with an anti-slip surface, floor runners, although costly, are an excellent protective material for floors and stairs.

Protect your Floors with Plastic Film

Self-adhesive carpet films serve as good insulation from dirty shoes and the weather. Some carpet films also have an anti-slip property to prevent slips and falls. These too add an expense to your budget, so cardboard and plywood may be a more affordable option.

Protect your Floors with Cardboard

Flatten extra cardboard boxes and arrange the sheets directly on the floors as added protection. Cardboard will not scratch hardwood floors but be sure to remove any carton staples before using.

Protect your Floors with Plywood

If you have heavy furniture to move, such as appliances or a piano, you can create a temporary floor over the existing one using plywood sheets.

Protect your Floors with Area Rug Removal

If you have expensive area rugs, roll them up and remove them before the movers arrive. Then you can select one of the options above to protect the floor under the area rugs.

A professional moving company will take care to protect your carpets and floors during the move. Usually the task of protecting floors in preparation for moving is up to the homeowner, However, when you call a mover for an estimate, be sure to discuss what the company does to ensure that your carpets and floors are protected and what suggestions they may have for what you can do on your end.

These tips will help to ensure that your floors and carpets are safe and during your move-out and move-in. If you have questions about an upcoming move, call Ayer Moving and Storage at 800-233-6683 or 978-772-2558 and be sure to download our Ayer Moving and Storage Moving Checklist.