The Beauty of Hardwood Floors, Made by High-Quality Casters
Who doesn't love a pristine hardwood floor? Whether hickory, oak or maple, a beautiful hardwood floor helps to create a bright, luxurious space in any residence or commercial property. According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 54% of buyers are willing to pay more for a home that has hardwood floors. And the National Wood Flooring association survey concluded that 99% of real estate agents believe homes with hardwood sell faster than their carpeted competitors.
According to the American Hardwood Information Center, the top five hardwoods ranked from hardest to softest are:
- Hickory
- Hard Maple
- White Oak
- Beech
- Red Oak
Hardwood Floors – A Sustainable Option for a Better Tomorrow
There are so many reasons to have hardwood in your home. Hardwood floors create a clean, modern aesthetic while ensuring your home stays warm and inviting. Ideal for a home with pets or children, hardwood is easy to clean. Hardwood floors maintain a bright, natural appearance for many years – no matter how many little footsteps tread on them. Of course, all hardwood must be protected from scratches and a great way to do so is with casters for hardwood floors. In addition to all the other benefits, hardwood does not cause or exacerbate allergies and increases the value of your property, and is an ideal choice for anybody who suffers from asthma or other breathing difficulties. It is important to note that hardwood is sustainable and environmentally friendly. According to the US Forest Service, the annual net growth of hardwood trees is greater the annual removal rate. This means more hardwood trees are being planted each year than are removed to create hardwood flooring.
In the Americas, more than 20 species of hardwood are considered abundant and sustainable. Some popular hardwood types include the birch and cherry trees, the hard maple, the walnut, the white oak – and many more. When choosing your hardwood floors, you have the opportunity to pick from a wide variety of grains, colors, and styles. For instance, the relatively uncommon Hickory/Pecan wood is the heaviest of the American hardwoods, known for their shock resistance and strength. On the other hand, the Pacific Coast Maple is medium density and exhibits a pale pinkish color with a fine grain. And, according to the National Wood Flooring Association, the reasonably priced and attractive white oak is the most popular type of hardwood floor in the United States. Yes, the options for hardwood flooring are truly endless. But whichever type of hardwood floor you decide to install, protect your investment with high-quality casters designed for hardwood floors.
Popular Hardwood Flooring Brands
If you are researching hardwood floors, you have no doubt come across several well-trusted hardwood floor brands.
1. Carlisle Wide Plank Floors —are manufactured in the United States to high precision standards. This New Hampshire based company specializes in producing the fashionable wide plank hardwood floors. This attractive option is more than twice with the width of the traditional hardwood floorboard. It is designed to give the feel of the kind of wood you might find in an old barn – if the barn wood was flawlessly manufactured to exacting specifications and colors. The wide plank floor tends to be more expensive than the narrow plank hardwood flooring. Due to its higher price, it is especially important that the wide plank hardwood is protected with high-quality casters. Carlisle uses a variety of American hardwood, pine and even reclaimed wood – all to spectacular results. A favorite of high-end designers and architects, the Carlisle brand is known for a stylish appearance and long-lasting quality.
1. Bruce Hardwood Flooring——Another prominent brand you may have come across in your research is Bruce Hardwood Flooring. Known for its accessibility Bruce is sold in major home improvement stores such as Home Depot. Available in many styles and ready for quick installation, Bruce is the go-to for remodelers on a budget. If you have ever toured a new construction home in a middle-class community, chances are you have walked on Bruce Hardwood Flooring. An American company with a hundred-year history, most of Bruce hardwoods are grown in the United States Appalachian region. If you are looking for reliable, inexpensive value in hardwood, Bruce is a great choice. Your Bruce hardwood floors will be well protected if you chose to place office chairs and other portable furniture on high-quality casters.
The key to maintaining beautiful hardwood floors is to keep them scratch free. To ensure your hardwood floors stay as bright as the day they were put in, consider purchasing high-quality caster wheels. Caster wheels are attached to the bottom of furniture and allow heavy objects to be moved effortlessly across smooth surfaces such as wooden floors.
The Benefits of Caster Wheels
We have already mentioned one important benefit of caster wheels – they can protect your hardwood floor investment. However, there are many other benefits of installing high-quality casters.
1. The installation of the right kind of caster wheel creates more mobility and flexibility in space. Of course, the most common example of furniture with wheels is the office chair. Moving around any smooth surface is easy if your office chair has quality caster wheels.
2. Casters are also helpful on other furniture and equipment in a varity of places:
large shelves and dressers can be easily moved with caster wheels. helping to reduce workplace injuries and turnover, the humble caster wheel has many benefits.
the casters are helpful in industrial and hospital settings as well – for instance, all hospital beds have high-quality casters for easy moving. Caster wheels help decrease the physical (and even emotional) stress on personnel in medical and industrial settings.
a child's bed often is often a good place to install caster wheels too – high-quality casters make it easier to move the bed repeatedly to pick up toys and other objects and alter the room as the child grows and their needs change.
caster wheels are helpful in spaces both large and small. For instance, many people chose to install caster wheels on a portable kitchen island.
3. Another important benefit of high-quality caster wheel is that they help streamline processes and decrease the time between tasks. While moving a storage closet would normally take half an hour and 2 or 3 people, with the help of the caster wheel the same job can be done within minutes by only one person.
What are the Best Caster Wheels for Hardwood Floors?
Although caster wheels come in many varieties, three common varieties used on hardwood floors are the soft rubber wheel, the nylon caster wheel, and the polyurethane caster wheel.
Firstly, a soft rubber wheel is cushioned and flexible and keeps the hardwood floor well protected and is the choice for light and medium capacity loads. These high-quality casters are manufactured with a special type of resilient rubber. Standard rubber casters are created using a material called Carbon Black Filter, which will mark floors and so should be avoided in spaces with hardwood flooring. Fortunately, with new processes rubber can also be manufactured in a non-marking material. The big advantage of rubber casters is that they absorb a lot of impacts, which makes them smooth and quiet. This type of caster is well suited for offices, hospitals, and other commercial and light industrial spaces. Soft rubber casters should be avoided in environments with very heavy loads, or high temperatures.
Secondly, the Nylon caster wheels provide very high load capacity and are long-lasting. On the other hand, it is designed especially for heavy industrial usage. Relatively inexpensive, the Nylon is very strong and can accommodate high load capacities. The Nylon caster can withstand high temperatures and hard impacts because it does not absorb impact well it can be loud or uncomfortable when placed on office furniture. The nylon caster wheel is an ideal choice for industrial environments. However, it is often also placed on office chairs and other furniture because it is inexpensive and unlikely to mark floors.
Thirdly, the polyurethane caster wheels – higher load capacity than rubber are easier on the floors than the nylon caster wheel. The polyurethane caster wheel offers the best of both worlds. The material is higher capacity than rubber but offers more absorption than nylon. The wheel is designed to provide a smooth ride over uneven surfaces, so it is comfortable when placed on furniture or beds. Although polyurethane caster wheel comes in a wide variety of pricing, it tends to be more expensive than the other options. Most polyurethane caster wheel will not mark floors.
Shopping for the Right Caster Wheel with Hardwood Floors in Mind
Before you decide on the right type of caster wheel for your hardwood floors, bear a few things in mind.
- Consider the heaviness of the objects you will need to move. Furniture will require a higher capacity caster wheel than people. Before you purchase, be sure to consider the load rating of the caster wheels.
- Think about how hard your floor is. Earlier we discussed the many different types of hardwood flooring you can choose to install in your home. If you recall, more than 20 species of hardwood are common in the United States, and they all have a different level of resistance. Softer wood will call for softer caster wheel – and harder wood can withstand more pressure.
- Consider your budget. Some buyers are focused on saving the most money, while others are more concerned about the design and comfort aspects. You can purchase caster wheels in almost any price range – everything depends on your priority and preferences.
- Decide how you will install the casters, and ensure you pick the right size. Will your furniture be too tall or too short after you add the casters? Caster wheels come in many height options; you can find the ideal size for your home.
- Consider the longevity and the noise. Some caster wheels are almost silent while others can be quite loud. Rubber casters are a great choice if noise is a concern, for instance, if you live in an apartment building. On the other hand, if longevity is a priority you may choose to go with the polyurethane caster wheel which also provides a smooth ride and many years of service.
How to Protect the Hardwood in Your Home from Caster Wheels
Some caster wheels that may come factory installed in your furniture are less than ideal for wooden floors. Depending on the kind of wood you have in your home or office, some type of factory installed caster wheels can create markings, especially when an object remains in one place for a long period of time.
If you already have hardwood and caster wheels in your space, the first thing you can do is to check and make sure it's the right kind of wheel. If the wheel is very hard or very narrow or if it is metal, chances are it can cause some damage. In general, the softer the wheel the less likely they are to mark up a floor.
If you find that the caster wheel in your home may cause some damage, you can utilize a rug, an area mat or a chair mat as a short-term solution. Place an attractive design element or the see-through plastic chair mat under the area where the caster wheel is used. This will prevent any further caster wheel damage to your hardwood floors.
Another short-term solution is to place furniture pads or cardboard pads under your casters. Even if you can't place an area rug under the casters, a discrete furniture pad can quickly help protect your floors.
At times, old casters that may have worked well in the past can wear out or break. It is imperative to check your caster wheels for any damage and stability problems. Catching a broken caster wheel early is very important because it can prevent workplace injuries or accidents in your home.
The best and most permanent solution to subpar casters is to replace them with high-quality casters designed for your floor and lifestyle. There is no need to settle for low-quality casters when there are so many great options. Replacing the factory installed caster on your furniture ensures that you preserve your floors. Additionally, a caster designed for shock absorption can increase comfort. And of course, an attractive floor caster can completely transform the look and feel of the furniture.
Incorporating High-Quality Casters in Your Home Helps to Preserve Hardwood Floors
Casters designed for hardwood floors may be a small detail to most people, but they can make a big difference. When placed on the furniture, high-quality caster wheels can transform a piece from one that is rarely used to one that is used every day. A good caster can help prevent allergens from accumulating in the home by making it easier to clean behind furniture. Caster wheels can add height or style to a piece. A great caster wheel creates a safer workplace by helping to eliminate workplace accidents. When properly installed high-quality casters can take much of the labor out of moving people or objects. And very importantly, a great caster for hardwood floors can protect your investment in your home, increase your home value and ensure a better life for generations to come.