Carpet looks and feels nice as a flooring option. However, the problem with carpet is moving items over it. Furniture pieces are more likely to get stuck on them which could cause accidents. So, you might be wondering, what material slides best on carpet? If you'd like to know, we've researched the issue for you!
The best materials that slide best on carpet are metal or plastic. Metal casters—that you can use with chairs—move well with high pile carpets. If you're looking to move furniture with little effort, you can use plastic sliders.
Now that you know what materials to use, there are still more things to consider. Ideally, you could install sliders on furniture legs without a worry. But there are minor details that could make moving furniture that much easier. If you'd like to find out more, keep reading ahead.
Why Moving Furniture On Carpet Can Be Difficult
Typically, if you want to move furniture around in an area with carpeting, there will be a lot of frustration. The legs may get stuck. In the worst case, you'd have an accident that hurts you and/or damages the furniture and the carpet.
The go-to solution would be to have someone help you carry it to another spot. But we can't always have someone to help us move large items. And if the furniture piece is heavy, lifting it would be an iffy solution.
It begs the question—why does carpet make moving furniture a difficult task? As carpet technicians suggest, most furniture pieces will have sharp edges, and as you move them across the carpet, they will snag carpet fibers.
In this situation, you're going to be pulling fibers alongside the furniture. Consequently, it's going to pull through other carpet fibers. As a result, you'll get snags that weren't there before.
In other words, there's going to be a lot of loose fibers that could ruin the overall look of your carpet.
Materials That Move Best On Carpet
With the many difficulties furniture legs present on carpeting, there has to be a solution to move it more freely, right? Fortunately, there is! Some refer to them as sliders or gliders.
Click here to see these sliders on Amazon.
Sliders—or gliders—are small pieces of hard and durable plastic. They will usually have two sides—one will secure the furniture leg to the slider, and the other will face the flooring.
If you look online, they will come in various shapes and sizes—square, circular, rectangular, and hexagonal, to name a few. They will usually have small and large sizes. Although it might not seem too essential, the size does matter for the furniture you plan to move (more on that later).
You might also see metal sliders. As far as the best material for gliding across carpet goes, some recommend using stainless steel, PTFE, or hard PVC. If you're wondering whether one material is better than the other, it would depend on the sensitivity and type of carpet.
Would it be the end of the world if you didn't necessarily choose the best material for your carpet? Not necessarily. In general, plastic or metal sliders should work the best on any carpeting.
How Do You Make Something Slide on Carpet?
If plastic/metal sliders are the best for sliding across carpeting, what do you have to do to use one? Most sliders are heavy-duty plastic disks roughly the size of a coaster. Installing them can be a relatively easy task.
Generally, you'll have to lift the leg of a furniture item gently. Then, place it on the foam side of the disk. You'll have to repeat this for all the other legs.
Once you have a slider under each foot, you can move the furniture piece with relative ease. If that sounds too simple of a task, we'll go over a step-by-step guide to install sliders on a furniture piece.
- Depending on the weight of the furniture piece, you might need a few helpers to set the sliders. They will also need to stick around when you're moving it.
- It will be an easier job if you empty the furniture piece. This way, handling will be simple because you won't have to worry about shifting weight.
- The next area you need to consider is the top of the furniture. Whether it's decorative items or electronic devices, it will most likely fall when you're trying to place the sliders. Remove them for the time being.
- Get your sliders ready. Not all sliders are the same. So, follow the instructions of your specific slider.
- Get a person to lift or tilt the furniture piece.
- Now that the furniture piece is at an angle, position the slider under the foot. Repeat this process as much as necessary.
- Once there's a slider under each foot, you can begin pushing the furniture item to the spot you desire. If you have a helper, make sure they're keeping it balanced. This way, the furniture piece won't tip over.
- After moving it to a new spot, you can remove the sliders. Of course, you'll need to remove them one by one. You can do so by tilting the furniture piece.
- Finally, store the sliders for future use if you'd like.
Here's a YouTube video on the process:
Choosing the Best Sliders
Before you rush and buy sliders for your furniture, it's essential to consider what it will take for a smooth transition. As some suggest, you'll need to consider the size of the slider first.
You'll want to measure the legs of the furniture you're going to move. In general, the slider should be larger than the legs. This way, the furniture will distribute its weight evenly.
The shape will also matter. Circular sliders will work best on items with narrow square legs. Other furniture items might have wide oval legs. In this situation, long rectangular sliders might perform better.
What Can I Use To Move Heavy Furniture on Carpet?
Of course, some furniture items will be too heavy for a single-person job. Or, in some cases, you need to move the pieces right away which means going online to purchase sliders isn't an option. What can you do?
Fortunately, there are some ways to make your sliders at home. If you don't have some of these materials on hand, you can also use some everyday items to do the job.
Containers or Plastic Lids
The first items you can find around the household are containers or plastic lids. Flip the lid upside down to ensure the smooth side faces the carpet. Attempt to move it; if it moves relatively easily, you can continue using the lids or containers as your makeshift sliders.
Some have had success using large yogurt containers to move furniture items.
Aluminum Foil
If there are no containers or lids in the household, some recommend using aluminum foil as a last resort. To do this, all you'll need to do is tear a piece of aluminum foil.
Of course, you'll have to think about securing the aluminum foil on the furniture's leg. So, you'll have to mold the foil. This way, the leg won't slide off the foil.
Once it's in place, you should be able to move the furniture piece freely. Otherwise, we'll have to look at ways to move furniture without sliders.
How Do You Move Heavy Furniture on Carpet Without Sliders?
In the worst-case scenario, you can't move heavy furniture with sliders. Maybe the sliders aren't built for the task, or perhaps it's too heavy to slide even with the sliders. In a situation like this, you'll need to look for other solutions.
Disassemble the Item
Some furniture items require you to build them at home. If this applies to your situation, you can consider disassembling it to move it. Using this method ensures you don't have to do the grueling work of dragging it all at once.
Additionally, it will save you from damaging the sliders or the carpet.
Use A Dolly
A tool to consider using is a dolly. You can either rent or purchase one. It makes moving furniture easy because its wheels will make contact with the carpet, preventing damage to the flooring from the edges of a furniture piece.
Lifting
If you can't use any of the options above, you might have to consider getting helpers. As a last resort, you can always lift the furniture item. There are some products out there that can assist with this method.
Some furniture items won't allow you to get a firm hold. If this is the case, you can consider using a shoulder dolly. It's a two-person moving strap to ease the burden of heavy lifting. However, it's always worth noting to be careful with these products.
Click here to see this product on Amazon.
Final Takeaway
Moving heavy items is always a hassle. Some may not have the strength or ability to do so. When this is the case, you can always rely on plastic or metal sliders to help you with your problem. We hope you found the information above helpful!
Before you go, do you have other carpet concerns? If you're moving furniture for carpet cleaning, you might be interested to find out how long it takes to put furniture back after cleaning. If you'd like to learn more, check out this post:
How Long After Carpet Cleaning Can You Put Furniture Back?
Is your carpet hardening? For tips on how to soften it, check out this post: