Not all floors are made equal! That is especially true when you’re considering purchasing a rolling chair. After all, you wouldn’t want your precious flooring to get all scratched up and dented by your favorite office chair.
Whether you’re working at home or at the office, the type of flooring you have plays a vital role in making sure that you can roll around comfortably on your chair without causing damage.
For instance, rolling office chairs don’t mix well with thickly carpeted floors. Now the question arises, what’s the best flooring for rolling office chairs.
Generally speaking, hardwood, ceramic tiles, vinyl, and linoleum floors are widely considered to be ideal for rolling office chairs. These types of floors interact well with office furniture such as office chairs with wheels. But for getting the best experience the flooring has to be clean.
And that’s not all! You need to have a firm grasp of the pros and cons of these different floorings to make the right choice. That’s why in this article, I’ll discuss everything you need to know about the compatibility of these different types of floors and rolling office chairs.
Different Types of Flooring for Rolling Office Chairs
Now it’s time for us to get down to business and discuss the various types of floorings and how compatible they are with office chairs with wheels. We’ll discuss the necessary details, advantages as well as disadvantages of each of these floorings so that you have everything you need to make an informed choice.
Hardwood Floors:
As the name suggests hardwood flooring is made out of wood that is “hard” and durable. This type of wood is harvested from trees that grow slowly and become much denser than regular wood in the process.
That’s why hardwood floors last longer with a minimal amount of maintenance. Not to mention the fact that hardwood floors have classic and timeless designs. And they have been popular across various different cultures throughout centuries.
Typically, hardwood floors are made out of oak or walnut. This type of wood is extremely durable and it certainly takes a beating. That’s why one of the biggest advantages of hardwood floors aside from the aesthetics is that they can easily support rolling office chairs.
The best part is that your hardwood floor is almost guaranteed to outlast your office chair’s wheels.
Pros:
- Hardwood floors have unique designs in the sense that no two floors will look the same. Every plank is a piece of art and it enhances your decor.
- Cleaning hardwood floors is quite easy and they don’t require that much maintenance. Clean floors prevent damage caused by rolling wheels.
- Hardwood floors are remarkably durable and they don’t get dented or scratched that easily.
- Hardwood floors are long-lasting and their color doesn’t fade over time.
Cons:
- Hardwood flooring will get damaged if debris like sand or small rocks get stuck between the chair’s casters and the floor.
- It’s vulnerable to moisture and humidity.
- The installation process is relatively more difficult when compared to other types of floors.
Carpeted Floors
Carpet refers to a type of flooring that’s made out of woven fiber. But, that’s more of a general definition. Carpets come in a variety of colors, styles, and patterns. They provide a cushioned surface that’s warm, non-slip, and can absorb sound.
Carpeting is one of the most affordable types of flooring in existence. And the best part is that most carpets are treated for static and stains. Furthermore, they are also treated for soil resistance. This is why they are super easy to clean and maintain.
The question is do office chairs work on carpets? Well, it’s true that there are some office chairs that do work on carpets. But the quality of the chair’s wheels is what determines whether that chair is compatible with carpeted floors.
Pros:
- Carpets are pretty stylish and they provide a remarkably soft and beautiful surface for your floors.
- Your office chair can roll smoothly over the carpets provided that they have high-quality rollerblade caster wheels.
- Since they come with such a vast array of designs and colors, you’ll get a lot of interesting choices while purchasing.
Cons:
- Carpeted floors can get easily damaged by the caster wheels of office chairs if the chair’s wheels are not of top-notch quality.
- Carpeting is not ideal for all living spaces.
- It needs to be replaced from time to time.
- The wear and tear caused by casters are easily visible.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl or Polyvinyl chloride is the world’s 3rd most produced synthetic plastic polymer. Vinyl flooring on the other hand is made by sandwiching several different kinds of materials together.
There are basically three types of vinyl flooring and they are vinyl sheet flooring, vinyl roll flooring, and luxury vinyl tiles or LVT.
Rolling office chairs can cause dents and scratches on vinyl floors over time due to the friction generated by the casters and the floor. However, this issue can be easily addressed by investing in a chair mat.
Pros:
- The installation process is pretty straightforward.
- It’s completely impermeable to water.
- Requires very little maintenance.
- It’s anti-static smooth.
- Vinyl comes in a wide range of decor options.
Cons:
- It can get dented or punctured if a sharp object like rolling casters go over it.
- Can get dented because of the weight of the chair.
- It’s not biodegradable.
Ceramic Tiles Floors
Tile flooring is typically used in kitchens and bathrooms. But, a lot of people do opt to get tiled flooring all throughout their house. Typically, tile floors are made out of porcelain and ceramic.
Although ceramic is not as durable as porcelain, it’s much more affordable and more flexible.
Since ceramic tile floors are quite smooth and durable, they can easily withstand the chair’s caster wheels.
Pros:
- Ceramic tiles are really smooth and they have extremely thin grout lines, making them ideal for rolling wheels.
- They are easy to maintain and clean up.
- They are pretty affordable and each tile can cost you from $1-$9.
Cons:
- Installing ceramic tiles on floors is a tedious task.
- It’s not a good choice for those who live in colder regions.
- The rolling chair will not be able to move smoothly if the grout lines are not small.
Floors to Avoid
As we have mentioned before, not all floor types are ideal for rolling office chairs. You may need to take some steps before you can use a rolling chair on a few specific floor types. And then there are some floorings that you must avoid entirely if you plan on using rolling office chairs.
For instance, you should avoid using carpets if you like using office chairs with wheels. Although there are ways to make it work, it’s ideal to avoid using carpets altogether in this case.
The casters of the rolling office chairs can easily mess up your carpet and that will lead to a very unpleasant sight to behold. If you have no other choice, you can still make it work. To know exactly how I suggest you read this article: Do you Need a Chair Mat on the Carpet?
You should also avoid vinyl flooring if you have a rolling office chair. If you already have vinyl flooring then we suggest you place a chair mat over the floor.
Which Office Chair Should You Choose for Your Flooring?
There isn’t a straightforward answer to that question. The office chair that’s ideal for your flooring depends entirely on the type of flooring that you have.
For instance, the Herman Miller Aeron is the best office chair that’s designed for hardwood floors. On the other hand, the Staples Hyken is the best option for you if you have carpeted floors.
We recommend you do some research on the office chair option available to you based on their compatibility with your floor type.
Related Questions
Will a Rolling Chair Damage Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl floors have a protective layer that protects them from scuffs, stains, and scratches. Despite that, vinyl is not 100% immune to damage. A rolling chair with a bad quality vinyl chair can cause scratches and damages on vinyl flooring.
Because of that, it is suggested to use rollerblade wheels or a good chair mat.
And rolling chairs can definitely leave scuffs marks, scratches, and dents on your precious vinyl floors.
In order to protect your vinyl floor from the devastating damage caused by rolling chairs, you need to use a chair mat.
Can You Use a Rolling Chair on Laminate Floors?
You should not use a rolling chair on laminate floors directly as they are not designed to handle rolling office chairs. The biggest concern with that is the weight of the chair can cause the laminate planks to get pinned to the subfloor.
The wheels of the office chair can cause damage to laminate floors. In order to avoid such a fate, you need to replace the office chair wheels with specially made chair casters.
Recommended Article: Do Office Chairs Ruin Laminate floors? Everything You Need To Know
Final Thoughts
And that’s all we had to share with you today. Hopefully, now you have a clear idea about which flooring would be the best option for you for using rolling office chairs.
Investing in the right type of flooring will not only enhance the beauty of your home/office decor, it will also save you the trouble of dealing with scuffs, stains, and scratches.
We know that choosing the type of flooring for your house/office is pretty tough. We hope that our article has helped you out in that regard. Thanks for sticking with us till the very end. Till next time!
