Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on how to protect a wooden floor from scratches
and marks caused by furniture wheels.
I've just sanded my living room floor for the second time in 10 years, this
time because of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the brass
wheels from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on how to
prevent this problem happening again?

I was thinking of replacing the sofa's nylon wheels with softer rubber
wheels, but will they just mark the floor instead? My local hardware shop
has both black and gray wheels, I don't know if the gray wheels would also
mark the floor.

For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

I searched this group using Google Group search, but didn't find anything.

Many thanks,
Paul

On Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200, Paul Moore wrote:

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on how to protect a wooden floor from scratches
and marks caused by furniture wheels.
I've just sanded my living room floor for the second time in 10 years, this
time because of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the brass
wheels from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on how to
prevent this problem happening again?

I was thinking of replacing the sofa's nylon wheels with softer rubber
wheels, but will they just mark the floor instead? My local hardware shop
has both black and gray wheels, I don't know if the gray wheels would also
mark the floor.

We have hardwood floors and nothing has wheels - just legs. I put hard
felt pads on the bottom of them all, and they're almost* perfect - they
don't slide in everyday use, but if you do want to move a sofa or table
(e.g.) for cleaning, the item can just be pushed out of the way without
damaging the floor.

I imagine your stuff can be fitted with legs, and the pads are available
(at least this side of the Pond) at any DIY shop, fabric shop,
cheap-as-chips fly-by-night box-shifter, supermarket etc. (I got a 'kit'
which came with a variety of round pad sizes plus a couple of sheets which
could be cut as needed)

* we have pets, and they're a magnet for pet hair!

OTOH I have seen protective slip-on rubber covers (online) for furniture
wheels to be used with hardwood floors, but buggered if I can remember
where I saw them. On something as heavy as a piano I bet they squash and
shred easily if it were rolled anywhere, though, and I'd be worried about
clearance around some types of furniture wheel.

cheers

Jules

"Paul Moore" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on how to protect a wooden floor from
scratches and marks caused by furniture wheels.
I've just sanded my living room floor for the second time in 10 years,
this time because of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the
brass wheels from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on
how to prevent this problem happening again?

You can buy "cups" for them. Often available in your local pound store.

tim

In article , tim.....
wrote:

"Paul Moore" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on how to protect a wooden floor from
scratches and marks caused by furniture wheels. I've just sanded my
living room floor for the second time in 10 years, this time because
of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the brass wheels
from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on how to
prevent this problem happening again?

You can buy "cups" for them. Often available in your local pound store.

As Tim says those cups that look like small ash trays spread the pressure
over a larger area. Any softer (eg rubber) casters are likely to flatten
out over time. 'Feet' with felt pads also spread the weight over alarger
area

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Tidy desk tiny mind!

On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200
"Paul Moore" wrote:

For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?


Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads. What you have to do is to change
these loads to spread-loads over, say, 100 sq cms (10x10 cms pad) each.
I'd suggest steel plates of that size with 5mm felt stuck to the
underside. How you get the piano to stay on them, I'm not sure - have
a thick washer with a big hole brazed on maybe. This must be a problem
that piano dealers understand, talk to one of them.

R.

On Aug 6, 9:13*am, TheOldFellow wrote:
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200

"Paul Moore" wrote:
For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads.

That's if its a grand piano! An upright would be lighter and have 4
points. maybe a sheet of plywood underneath with four dents for the
wheels?

Another hazard: As a child, I remember my father being worried about
stilletto heats on the wooden floors. He had little plastic covers
(made for the purpose and available from shops then) that he was going
to ask people to put over their heels when they visited.

Robert

On Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:59:43 -0700 (PDT)
RobertL wrote:

On Aug 6, 9:13Â*am, TheOldFellow wrote:
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200

"Paul Moore" wrote:
For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads.

That's if its a grand piano!

OK said it is.
R.

On Aug 6, 11:41*am, TheOldFellow wrote:
On Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:59:43 -0700 (PDT)

RobertL wrote:
On Aug 6, 9:13*am, TheOldFellow wrote:
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200

"Paul Moore" wrote:
For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads.

That's if its a grand piano!

OK said it is.


Sorry, yes he did indeed say it was a grand.

Robert

On Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:59:43 -0700 (PDT), RobertL wrote:

He had little plastic covers (made for the purpose and available from
shops then) that he was going to ask people to put over their heels when
they visited.

Maybe not in the shops anymore, at least not common ones, but still
available, one supplier:

http://www.mannering-rubber.co.uk/

Not sure they do small quantities mind.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thu, 6 Aug 2009 09:13:41 +0100, TheOldFellow
had this to say:

On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200
"Paul Moore" wrote:

For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?


Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads. What you have to do is to change
these loads to spread-loads over, say, 100 sq cms (10x10 cms pad) each.
I'd suggest steel plates of that size with 5mm felt stuck to the
underside. How you get the piano to stay on them, I'm not sure - have
a thick washer with a big hole brazed on maybe. This must be a problem
that piano dealers understand, talk to one of them.

My grandmother used to have an upright piano which had glass castor
cups.

--
Frank Erskine

In message , TheOldFellow
writes
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:42:09 +0200
"Paul Moore" wrote:

For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?


Whilst there are plenty of things about to put under chairs and tables
to spread the load a bit, a piano is a problem of a different order.
We are talking of a load of about a tonne applied through the brass
wheels - three almost-point-loads. What you have to do is to change
these loads to spread-loads over, say, 100 sq cms (10x10 cms pad) each.
I'd suggest steel plates of that size with 5mm felt stuck to the
underside. How you get the piano to stay on them, I'm not sure - have
a thick washer with a big hole brazed on maybe. This must be a problem
that piano dealers understand, talk to one of them.

Or just use cups for the piano castors:

http://www.pianoaccessoryshop.co.uk/castor-cups-368-0.html
--
Chris French

On 5 Aug, 19:42, "Paul Moore" wrote:

I'm looking for some advice on how to protect a wooden floor from scratches
and marks caused by furniture wheels.

Use the right floor varnish. The two-part acid-cure ones that stink
during application are far harder than polyurethanes.

I was thinking of replacing the sofa's nylon wheels with softer rubber
wheels, but will they just mark the floor instead?

Use non-marking synthetic rubber wheels. Most are grey, some are even
black, this is a common problem with a well-established solution now
and decent wheels shouldn't either indent or leave rubber smears.

"Paul Moore" wrote:
I've just sanded my living room floor for the second time in 10 years, this
time because of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the brass
wheels from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on how to
prevent this problem happening again?
[...]
For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

You could try castor cups but probably the only thing that'll work is
replacing the tiny brass castors with a proper A-frame support with
decent sized rubberised wheels. This is more the kind of thing you'd see
at a concert hall or school, of course. Reduces the strain on the
spindly legs when you push it around, as well.

Downside: it doesn't look as good and the piano will end up somewhat
higher.

Ask at a piano shop, or look at this page:
http://www.igotmusic.co.uk/results.asp?cat=PFOTH

To all,

Many thanks for the tips and web-site links.

To sumarise,
- for sofas, use non-marking gray rubber castors (the sofas have to be
mobile, to be able to vacuum-clean behind them)
- for the grand piano, use castor cups, it doesn't have to be so mobile

Regards,
Paul


"Jim" wrote in message
news
"Paul Moore" wrote:
I've just sanded my living room floor for the second time in 10 years,
this
time because of the tracks caused by hard nylon sofa wheels and the brass
wheels from a heavy grand piano. Can anyone offer any advice here on how
to
prevent this problem happening again?
[...]
For the piano, I don't know what to do, any ideas?

You could try castor cups but probably the only thing that'll work is
replacing the tiny brass castors with a proper A-frame support with
decent sized rubberised wheels. This is more the kind of thing you'd see
at a concert hall or school, of course. Reduces the strain on the
spindly legs when you push it around, as well.

Downside: it doesn't look as good and the piano will end up somewhat
higher.

Ask at a piano shop, or look at this page:
http://www.igotmusic.co.uk/results.asp?cat=PFOTH