Laminate flooring is very common these days in every workspace and house as well. Laminate is a very durable material to use. But it is not scratch-proof.
That’s why most people are concerned about using rolling chairs on laminate floors. They want to know if the rolling office chair ruins laminate floors by leaving marks on the floor. I did some research on laminate flooring and rolling office chairs, and it has proven to be quite a topic.
Do Office Chairs Ruin Laminate floors? The short answer is yes. Office chairs can ruin laminate floors by scratching the surface of the flooring with their caster wheels. The marks and scratches left by rolling office chairs on laminate can be costly to repair. However, getting an office chair without wheels is not the perfect solution to this problem as there are other better and more efficient ways.
Now I don’t have to tell you how bad it would be using a rolling office chair on laminate flooring. I will tell you some thoughts of mine and the things I have learned from my research on this topic. I will also discuss what can be done to get rid of the problem in detail. Keep reading so that you can save your laminate floor safely from your office chair.
What can Damage Laminate Flooring?
The most common enemy of laminate flooring is office chair caster wheels. Caster wheels of office chairs can damage laminate flooring by leaving marks and scratches when the casters rolled over the floor over and over again.
Dirt and improper cleaning of laminate floors can also damage laminate floors. However, let’s stick to the office chairs here as our today’s topic is on office chairs and laminate floors.
We can discuss the effects of dirt and improper cleaning on laminate flooring and cleaning of laminate floor a little bit at the end of this article. For now, let’s keep that in mind they can also damage your laminate floors.
Do you need a Chair Mat on Laminate Floors?
Yes. If you want to protect your laminate flooring from the rolling office chairs, you might need a chair mat. A chair mat actually works as a protective layer for laminate floors.
It disperses the force of the caster wheels exerted on the floor evenly, and thus if you use a mat, you can save the floor from marks and scratches.
I don’t pretend like there are no other ways. Of course, there are different ways. But it is the simplest way to protect your laminate floors from scratches and marks.
Let’s check out all the things that you can do to protect your laminate from the grasp of the office chair caster wheels.
How do you Protect Laminate Floors from Office Chairs?
There are several ways by following which you can protect laminate flooring from office chairs.
Let’s discuss each of them in detail, and after knowing about all of them, it will be easier for you to decide which way sounds easy for you to implement and protect your laminate flooring for the wheels of your office chair.
Place a Chair Mat Under your Chair:
The easiest way out there to save your laminate floor from office chairs is to get a chair mat underneath your chair.
The chair mat does not allow the caster wheels to scratch the floor. Thus your floor remains safe and scratch-free.
There are different types and shapes of chair mats out there in the market. To know which one will best suit you, check out my recommended chair mats by clicking here.Â
There are also many other solutions for protecting your laminate floor from office chairs. I personally think this is the most reliable and easy solution for most people.
Upgrade your Office Chair’s Caster Wheels:
Most of the office chairs come with low-quality casters or hard ones that are not made for laminate floors. If your laminate floors get scratched, blame the wheels, not your office chair.
So, the thing you can do is upgrade the caster wheels of your office chair with soft rubber-made ones. You can check out my recommended caster wheels by clicking here.
Upgrading casters is the second-best way but the long-lasting ones. Also, if you do not want any chair mats and you want to show off the beauty of your laminate floors, you can upgrade the wheels.
The only drawback of this solution is that your built-in casters will remain unused, and it can be troublesome for some people who don’t know how to replace wheels on an office chair. That’s why I always recommend going with chair mats if you are okay with it.
Get an Office Chair without Wheels:
I think this is the poorest decision that you can take to protect your laminate floor. But this option is not bad at all if you are okay with an office chair without wheels.
I personally prefer office chairs with wheels. That’s why I don’t think that it is a feasible option for me. Office chairs with caster wheels are amazing.
Wheels make mobility very smooth, and it lets you pick up nearby things without getting up from your chair every time you need something.
That’s why I don’t think I would ever go for this option to save my laminate floor. I am okay with either of the two ways that I have mentioned before.
Also, if you already have office chairs with wheels, it is not realistic to buy new chairs as this will cost you so much. You can get a mat or good quality caster wheels with one-tenth of the price of a hair.
For all these reasons, I personally do not prefer this option, but still, I agree that getting an office chair without wheels will protect your laminate floor from getting scratched.
Best Flooring for Rolling Office Chairs:
Concrete and tiles-made floors are the most suitable flooring for rolling office chairs as they are hard and the most durable types of flooring.
Also, the vinyl floor is also durable to some extent and can withstand the wheels of an office chair for a long time.
The problem happens when your flooring is made of laminate and hardwood. They can not withstand the scratches of the caster wheels for a long time. So, I think concrete and tiles floor is the best flooring for rolling office chairs.
I have written a complete guide on best flooring for office chairs, explaining the pros and cons of each type of flooring. To learn more read this article: Best Flooring for Rolling Office Chairs
Related Questions:
Can you put heavy furniture on laminate flooring?
Heavy furniture can cause damage to laminate flooring if the furniture is not handled well. But if you place them well with care, it will not damage the floor, or at least I have not seen any instances of placing heavy furniture damaged laminate flooring.
But you have to be careful while moving or placing any heavy furniture. Other than that, laminate floors can handle heavy furniture.
What is the Best Cleaner for Laminate Floors?
Any cleaner that provides a streak-free clean every time can be considered a good cleaner for any floor.
If you want something more specific for laminate flooring, check if the cleaner is made of hypoallergenic formula. Also, it has to be a water-based cleaner like the black diamond laminate floor cleaner.
I have found this one on Amazon. It has pretty good reviews, and total reviews were above 7000 when I checked last time. You can check it out by clicking here.
Use a mop and this cleaner. You will be able to remove stains and dirt very easily.
Will office chair scratch laminate floor?
Office chairs with caster wheels leave scratch marks on laminate flooring. If the issue is not taken care of, then office chair casters can permanently damage any laminate floors.
Final Thoughts:
There you go! Office chairs can ruin your beloved laminate floor. Blame the caster wheels of your office chair for this if you see scratches and marks after using a rolling chair on it.
I have mentioned three different ways to protect your laminate floors from scratches. My favorite one is getting a chair mat.
However, all three ways work just fine. Follow the one that seems the most convenient for you. I hope the article was helpful. That’s all for today, thanks for reading!!
