Good Questions: Wood Floor Protectors?

Parker sent us a good question: "I need some help. I put nice hardwood floors in my place this past year but the wooden chairs i have in my dining room are not meant to be on hardwood so i placed those sticky fuzzy bottom things on the bottom of the legs.

Problem is that those things really suck. If people move around a little, they fall off and then leave the sticky gunk all over the floor. Is there a better alternative to these things?"

We know what Parker is talking about - we use those felt things on our desk chair and they are a bit of a pain and just don't stay sticky. We end up replacing them fairly often.

We've heard that these "Slipsick" floor protectors work well. The packaging says that they are "perfect for wood floors" and "guaranteed to never fall off or wear out for five years". There are also nail-on "glides" in various shapes and sizes. The possible downside to all of these is that are pretty permanently attached, which may or may not be a problem, depending on how you feel about nailing something to the bottom of your chair legs...

Anyone else have any tips for Parker?

(Image: Bernhardt Design's Ellington Chair via designawareness.org)

Comments (6)

The nail on glides work pretty well, and they are far from permanent. They will stay on, but can easily be removed. I would suggest that a pilot hole smaller than the diameter of the nail be drilled into the chair leg first to prevent possible spliting of the wood at a later time.

posted by Devyn on 2007-03-02 08:59:20

Nail-on glides are the way to go. I have them on all my dining chairs since those are the ones that get moved around the most. When you hit the hardware store, look for the generically-branded variety that are priced around $1.70 for a set of 4 in the 3/4" size.

posted by Enrique on 2007-03-02 09:04:32

Thanks for the tips...I'm gonna head over to the hardware store after work! I cannot wait to get rid of those felt things!

posted by Parker on 2007-03-02 13:03:47

Man, I hate it when my guests fall off their chairs and leave sticky gunk on the floor ... I have some of those nail-in glides, they work fine for me.

posted by Meg on 2007-03-04 21:36:03

The nail on felt pads are what we recommend for wooden furniture. Alternatively the felt saucers seem popular for larger items of furniture. Available at -
http://www.mckayflooring.co.uk

posted by richard mckay on September 5th 2008 at 6:51am
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This gave me an idea.

posted by Hardwood Maniac on March 30th 2009 at 11:18am
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