Nail-on Felt Glides Protect Floors
I wanted to protect our hardwood floors when I finally finished installing, so I attached felt glides to the underside of some of the furniture. These glides create a cushioned surface for things like chairs so they can be used without causing damage. I highly recommend adding them to protect wood, ceramic and linoleum flooring. However, they are not all the same. Read on for my recommendation and a quick install guide.
Nail-on Glides are Better than Stick-on
You’re probably thinking it’s a no-brainer, and you’re right. We started with the stick-on glides. They worked well for a while. But over time they lost their stickiness and began coming off. Eventually, the sticky side got pretty dirty as crumbs or hair would adhere to it.
Pick up the nail-on variety. Despite its name, that doesn’t mean there’s a nail on the end. Some manufacturers use a nail while others use a tiny cylinder. Both require you to hammer the felt glide into place.
Felt Gard Pads
I purchased 1″, Felt Gard nail-on glides from Big Orange. They are available in several different diameters. They feature a tiny cylinder affixed to plastic that holds a felt pad in place. I just installed them but already feel like they will be more durable. After all, they withstood my banging them in place with no problem.
Installing Nail-on Felt Glides
This quick guide uses a wooden chair as an example.
Step 1: Setup your chair upside-down on a sturdy surface. Clean up the chair feet as needed.
Step 2: Place the nail-on glide on the bottom of the chair feet.
Step 3: Use a hammer to drive them in place. You may need to give them a strong, solid first hit the get them started.
What do you think? Do you use felt glides?
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6 Responses to Nail-on Felt Glides Protect Floors
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July 6th, 2009 8:22 am
We put down laminate floors a year ago and put felt glides on all the chairs and other wood furniture. I love how the chairs slide without making a bunch of noise. We used the stick on kind but the nail on kind look nicer. We’ll have to replace ours eventually and I think I’ll get the nail on ones.
July 6th, 2009 10:29 am
We actually use the stick on kind. I do this because they have to be changed every few months. If you don’t change them then small pieces of debris get stuck in them and eventually it ends up scratching the floor. I’ve found that the type we use stay on very well.
July 6th, 2009 10:45 am
@Todd, that interesting because we had the same stick-ons for about 9 months. They work well for a time but not the long haul. However, they didn’t really have any debris embedded in them, just dirt on the sticky side (making them ineffective). What stick-ons do you use?
July 7th, 2009 2:56 am
We used the stick on kind when we first got our new floors but they would go askew and the glue was coming off and leaving nasty glue smears on the floors. We were told about the the nail on ones and loved them ever since. But that is an interesting suggestion of Todd’s about the debris. We’ll have to watch for that.
July 8th, 2009 1:46 pm
Thanks for mentioning this simple fix. We hate the stickies and sometimes they can make a mess.
April 20th, 2010 5:06 pm
I really like the felt tipped nail on glide you used and purchased from Big Orange, but cannot find this website anywhere. Can you help?