Commercial movers and tradesmen are obligated to protect the homeowner's hardwood floors and carpeting and hard surfaces. They may utilize floor runners to create a main travel path, but this will still leave large portions of carpeting and flooring unprotected. And consider the stress during interior home renovations, when tradesmen must traverse back and forth, removing demolished material and hauling in new components and equipment to get the job done on schedule and without incident. Your professional flooring materials and carpeted areas are at risk of major damage if not protected.

Property owners put a lot of consideration into their carpeting selections to create an ideal interior. And with a small investment in time and effort, your carpeted and hard surface floors can easily be protected against damage from movers and other workers.

Avoid Costly Damage to Carpet and Flooring

When steel-toe booted workers enter a property, they know that the flooring products are considered an investment. A high-quality flooring installation is meant to add value to the property. Often, residential property owners expect to recoup the cost of professional flooring such as wool cut-pile carpet with luxury, underlay padding when the home is sold. Once this type of carpet is badly damaged or soiled, either a large portion must be repaired - or the entire carpeted area must be replaced when the same color and style are no longer available.

According to HomeAdvisor.com, 2019 carpet prices can range from $1 per square foot for builder-grade olefin and polyester materials to $20 per square foot for high-end wool. The cost to replace your original carpeting will also depend on the type of fiber and weave, with denser and softer styles such as Saxony Plush or a Cable pile costing much more to replace. If your carpeting is constructed of natural fibers like cotton, sisal, or wool, these materials stain more easily and are harder to clean. 

To avoid disastrous and costly flooring problems when moving interior furnishing or when workers are inside your property, implement multiple measures to protect your flooring investment. These tips are not just for the professionals. Even with do-it-yourself moves or remodeling projects, your carpet and hard surfaces may suffer from an abundance of dirt, grime, paint, and chemical stains. And for both professionals and DIYers, accidental events that involve spills, punctures, tools, and hard-soled shoes are very common.

Here are some tips to keep carpet and other flooring materials protected when moving or during interior remodeling projects.

Common Causes of Flooring Damage

Accidents during a move can occur even with professional van line movers. These companies instruct workers to protect the customer's floors from scratches, tears, stains, and dirt. Often, traditional products to protect floors and carpet will have a tendency to move or cause slips and accidents. And, the wearable products such as shoe covers are only helpful if the worker never goes outside the interior of the building.

The last thing you want to be concerned about on moving day, is whether your expensive carpeting will be soiled. The best solution is to be proactive and apply a carpet protection film that adheres extremely well and does not cause problems with slippage. Choose a film to cover carpeting that leaves no residue and can stay fast in place for weeks - allowing plenty of time to complete your move or construction project, clear away materials, clean the area, then remove the carpet protection.

Consider how carpets typically suffer damage during a move or home improvement project, then examine what measures you can put in place to prevent costly repairs or replacements of professional carpeting installations.

How Carpets and Rugs are Ruined

  • Spilled paint or chemicals
  • Water or snow standing on carpet
  • Vehicle oil and gasoline stains
  • Embedded grease and grime
  • Food and drink spills that set into fibers
  • Lanes of traffic dirt paths
  • Pet or insect damage
  • High humidity leading to mildew

Causes of Hard Flooring Damage

  • Furniture dragged across floors
  • Water damage due to open doors
  • Scuffs from hard leather soles
  • Scratches from high-heeled shoes
  • Dirt, sand, and other fine materials

6 Tips to Keep Carpets and Floors Protected When Moving

  1. Shoe Booties - All workers should wear plastic coverings on their feet to protect carpeting and prevent black marks that can be left behind from leather-soled boots and shoes. This is an economical solution to reduce the dirt tracked in from outdoors. But keep in mind, workers that do step in water and dirt before entering the property will leave a muddy trail on your carpet.
  2. Apply Carpet Protection Film - Choose a durable Carpet Guard product that can remain in place for weeks and is easy to apply to all types and areas of carpeted floors. When you protect large areas of carpet with self-adhesive carpet films, workers are more productive and feel less stress about leaving damaging stains on the customer's property.If you're serious about protecting your carpeted floors from dirty shoes and spills, use carpet protection film in hallways, stairways, entrances and exits. The product acts as a shield against liquids and grime and it is very durable to protect your carpet from snags. Select a quality film that is water, impact, and slip resistant - and does not leave an adhesive residue.
  3. Use Furniture Sliders - For moving larger cumbersome items, moving sliders may be placed underneath heavy objects and are especially useful for moving appliances on hard floors. While sliders will reduce the work required to move heavy objects, they are not very helpful on carpeted surfaces. On hardwood floors, vinyl coverings, ceramics and other tiled floors, furniture should never be moved without lifting items completely off the floor or providing protective furniture sliders or polymer leg caps.
  4. Lay Floor Runners - These neoprene strips can be used to establish traffic paths for movers or construction crews to utilize on both carpeted and hard floor surfaces. They are an expensive option that is available in different widths and lengths. Remember that neoprene floor runners only protect a limited path of travel and not a wider carpeted area which many homeowners prefer.
  5. Dollies with Clean Rubber Wheels - Dropped boxes, dragged furniture, and heavy appliances are a major source of carpet and floor damage by moving teams. No matter how large or small the job, professional movers should use rubber-wheeled dollies to transport heavy items of proportional shape across floors and to a waiting truck. The right moving equipment for heavy items is a part of protecting floors and adds to everyone's safety. Dollies should always remain on covered paths of travel - especially on carpeted surfaces.
  6. Plywood for the Heaviest Moves - Office and business moves may require the laying down of plywood sheets due to the heavy furnishings and equipment and the harsh duty of commercial moving projects. In places where plywood cannot be used such as carpeted surfaces, protection can be provided by carpet masking those areas with a protective film.

When moving from one location to another, peace of mind is priceless. When your floors are protected with the right products and your movers are using the right tools to avoid accidental drops, you have less stress and you can avoid many costly repairs to your professional flooring. Visit International Enviroguard online  to learn more about Carpet Guard protective film for carpeted surfaces in your home or commercial property.