With all the rain we’ve been having here in Plano, Texas, sometimes it feels like we’re moving people through a swamp. With everything else involved in the moving process, your floors can easily become an afterthought. You don’t want to have to pay to have your floors cleaned right after all the expenses moving entails. Make sure all that water and mud stays where it belongs – outside!
Make sure you put doormats outside of each room. A cheap way to accomplish this is to go to your local carpet warehouse and purchase remnants. These leftover pieces of carpet are sold at a deep discount, and will catch the bulk of the mud, gravel, and debris on people’s feet. You may want two for the main entrance; one on the outside, and one directly inside the door.
For hardwood floors you can tape down heavy duty paper in the path people will be using to bring in boxes. You could also use drop cloths, or something similar, but make sure it is made of cloth, not plastic, and secured. Plastic tarps and drop cloths can create a slippery surface, even after being pulled taught and taped down. It is dangerous, and no one wants to try to move when they feel like they’re on an ice rink!
With carpet, you can lay down a self adhesive carpet mat. Even though the rolls of material are made of plastic, they are not slippery because they are made exactly for this purpose. Be sure to lay it down in a wide enough path for people to go both ways at once.
If you are moving into an apartment, you likely don’t need to worry about large appliances. However, if you are moving from house to house and need more heavy-duty floor coverings, lay plywood down where you need more protection. This is the best option if you are moving a lot of large electronics or appliances, such as a refrigerator or washer and dryer.
Other ways you can protect hardwood floors include using socks on furniture legs, to prevent dings and scratches, and using some furniture sliders for bulky items.
Utilizing some or all of these tips will help you keep your new home spic and span during and after the moving process. Don’t forget to contact us so your friendly local movers at Wildcat Movers can do the heavy lifting for you! Check out our blog for more great moving tips and tricks!