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We hear it
often... "my new hardwood floor
has a big scratch in it from
moving the couch across the
room. I could just kill my
husband!" Another huge avoidable
complaint is kitchen appliances,
specifically the refrigerator.
"We moved the fridge back in and
now there are two big scratches
on the floor."
Often after
the hardwood has been installed
many of us treat hardwood floors
like a new luxury car. You
don't want that shiny priceless
love of your life scratched and
dinged up in the grocery store
parking lot, so you park away
from the crowds for a few weeks
until the newness wanes. The
best form of protection I've
found while moving furniture if
you cannot actually lift, is the
use of carpet scraps that may
have been removed before the
installation.
In order for
this to work effectively you
must shake out any grit that may
have collected over the years,
then cut into manageable
sections for placement under
furniture legs. Place the fuzzy
side down against the hardwood
floor and you have the answer.
Keep in mind, cheaper carpets
may still damage the floor. A
plush type that has enough
cushion is best.
For kitchen
appliances, 1/8 inch thick
masonite board is the answer in
our opinion. You can easily
obtain 4 x 4 foot sheets
available in the lumber aisle at
any big home improvement
store...down at the end, in the
bins where precut plywood can be
found. Sorry no pics of this
procedure. Cut the sheet into 12
inch by 48" strips, place in
front of the area a few inches
inside of where the front legs
of the fridge will finally rest.
After being pushed in place,
lift the front of the fridge and
remove.
How about
dollies to move appliances and
furniture? Well, we don't call
them dollys...more like hand
trucks. They're effective in
moving appliances when placed
away from the work area or other
rooms of the house when
work is
being done, but it's important
to know what types work best.
Much older hard rubber wheel
types may actually damage your
floors. Best to use balloon type
tire hand trucks, making sure
the bottom metal lift part is
protected. Any burrs in the
metal itself can scratch your
new floor. Tires should be
inspected for small rocks and
the like.
Other
Notes: Masonite board
also works great for laying hand
tools on during the work. You
may also want to buy a one or
two 4' x 8' sheets (cost about $
6.50 each), playing it safe when
trying to maneuver appliances if
you have installed wood floors
in the kitchen. Finally, any
protective measures are
meaningless if the floor isn't
clean of debris. Watch out for
those electricians and cabinet
installers! Loose screws and
wire clippings can often get
hung up under all sorts of
stuff. |
