The regular casters that are pre-installed on most of the office chairs aren’t too easy on the hardwood floor. They leave unsightly marks over time and you’ll ultimately have to restore or replace the hardwood flooring.
Save yourself the trouble and the extra dollars by changing the existing casters with new casters for hardwood floors. Read on and you’ll learn how to choose these and which types of casters you need to avoid if you wish to save your hardwood flooring.
Why Should Hardwood Flooring be Protected?
Most offices and even homes are installed with hardwood flooring. The main reasons for choosing this type of flooring are the aesthetics and the fact that it’s easy to clean. Unlike carpets, they do not trap dust and allergens that could deplete the air quality in your surroundings. Other than that, hardwood floors are durable if taken care of.
With all the advantages they offer, the investment isn’t a small one. Once the flooring has been installed in place, you would want to use it with care so that it lasts long and in full bloom. Wrong casters at the base of the office chairs and other furniture pose risk to the hardwood floor.
The damage they can cause will ask for a lot of money for restoration or replacement. Of course, the time consumed to fix the damage is another drawback since the office will be unfunctional for at least a day.
For all the above reasons, the best option is to replace the casters now, before it’s too late and the damage is already made. What you need are good office chair casters for hardwood floors.
Casters to be avoided
As you’ve already figured out, not every variety of caster is good for your hardwood floor. So which are the varieties that need to be avoided?
Metallic casters
Metallic casters are a big no-no when it comes to hardwood floors. Whether they are forged with cast iron or steel, they can leave marks on your wooden floor and damage it very quickly. Thankfully, most of the office chair models available nowadays, do not include metallic casters. If, however, you are using one of the older models, you need to replace these as soon as possible.
Dual-wheel nylon casters
These are the casters that are installed on almost every model of office chair that you may have. Unfortunately, these varieties of casters aren’t too good with the hardwood floor either. True, they are better than metallic casters, but will nonetheless cause damage over time. It’s highly recommended that you replace these with chair casters for hardwood floors.
Casters that are suitable for hardwood floor
Casters that are most suited for office chairs and other office furniture are made from either thermoplastic rubber or polyurethane. Both these materials are suitable choices but polyurethane is more in demand. Here’s an overview of the two varieties to help you make your selection:
Thermoplastic rubber
Thermoplastic rubber is a combination of plastic and rubber and offers the following advantages:
- It offers the same strength and performance as plastic.
- It offers better shock-absorption as compared to regular casters.
- The operation is quiet.
- The quality and performance aren’t affected by cleaning chemicals.
- It does not damage the hardwood floor.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is a popular pick for office furniture, especially those with hardwood floors. Here are some of the reasons for the popularity of polyurethane chair rollers for hardwood floors:
- They are quiet.
- They offer good traction on the floor so that the chair does not move unnecessarily.
- It’s resistant to chemicals and water and is durable.
- It will not leave any marks on the floor.
How to repair the damage to hardwood floor?
If you have been using the standard nylon casters or metallic casters for a long time and the damage has already been done, there’s no other option but to repair or replace the floor. It’s better to repair the floor in time before the situation worsens and you have to replace it.
Here are the options that you can try, to fix your hardwood floor:
Renewing the floor polish
Polishing the floor will not make the marks and the discoloration disappear but will make it less visible and will also prevent further damage to the wood. It’s also the cheapest fix among the two that are listed here, which makes it ideal if the damage isn’t too deep. Here are the steps to follow when polishing the wooden floor:
- Take out all the furniture from the area.
- Sweep and vacuum the floor to get rid of any dust on the surface.
- Use wood polish to coat the floor, moving from one side of a wall to the opposite wall in straight lines. A flat surface mop will be required for the purpose.
- Apply another coat, if required.
- Leave the polish to dry for a day before replacing the furniture.
Replacing the floor
If the damage is too deep to be hidden over a few layers of wood polish, you will need to replace the floor entirely. Since this is the costlier option, choose to replace the hardwood only if there’s serious damage to your floor.
You can also choose to replace just the few wood planks that are a part of the damaged area. If the rest of the floor is in good shape, it can be left in place. This will save much of your money and time. Just make sure that you get the exact same variety of hardwood for replacement as installed in the surrounding area.
Conclusion
Repairing the hardwood floor, or replacing it, isn’t easy once the damage is done. It’s better not to put yourself in that situation and replace the existing casters with chair casters for hardwood floors while there’s still time.
Once you have the right casters installed to your office chair, the hardwood floor that you hold dear will be protected for years to come.
