Damage is definitely a consequence of moving. Floors and walls get scraped and dinged, and even your possessions go through a lot of movement, creating the possibility that something valuable gets crushed or broken.

There are many reasons why you need to protect your walls and floors from damage during a move, from your new residence to the place you are leaving behind. Often, getting back your security deposit is dependant on ensuring that no damage happens during your move. In fact, so much harm to your walls or floors can occur that you end up having to pay extra because your deposit does not cover all of the damage.

Furthermore, you do not want to spend time repairing your new place because of accidental blemishes and breakages to your walls and floors, because there is already so much to do after moving. Therefore, it is well worth the extra effort to take precautions to protect your floors and walls before the actual moving begins. We will give you some tips to ensure that your tile, hardwood, walls, and rails stay safe during your move.

Protecting Your Hardwood Floors and Tile Floors During a Move

Heavy furniture and sharp corners create havoc on hardwood and tile floors. Dropping furniture can crack tiles and puncture floors, which can create permanent indentions, while dragging furniture can lead to scratches across the hardwood.

The first step to protecting floors and walls is to pad the furniture you plan to move. Therefore, wrap your furniture in moving blankets because they are designed to prevent damage to the furniture itself and the walls and floors they bump and scrape against during a move. You can also get felt pads for the legs of your furniture to ensure that they do not damage the floor when they are moved around into the right place after your move is complete.

Some sofas come with the furniture covers, and sometimes, people buy them to protect their couches after they make a purchase. If you have sofa covers, then they are the obvious solution to protecting your furniture, floors, and walls. However, sofa covers are more expensive then using moving blankets, which can be rented from a moving truck rental place like U-Haul. These types of rental places also lease moving equipment that makes moving your furniture and appliances easier and helps reduce damage to your possessions and home when moving.

It is also important to disassemble furniture to its furthest point to make it easier to manage when moving, which reduces the likelihood that it will scrape against doorframes and walls. Make sure you keep the furniture pieces together, along with the hardware that connects them, and understand how to reassemble it later. It can be tricky if you no longer have assembly instructions.

Next, there is a product called Kraft Shield floor protection, as well as other types of heavy-duty, paper floor safeguards. These floor guards are made with construction-grade material and protect your floor against foot traffic and spills without risk of staining the floor surface below it. A 35 inch by 144 feet roll of floor protection paper can be purchases for $15 or less. If you do not have the extra funds to buy floor protection or rent moving blankets, you can use large pieces of cardboard, or sheets and blankets from around the house, but they obviously will not be as effective as items made specifically for the job.

Protecting Your Walls During a Move

Some people do not consider the damage that a move can do to walls, but they are the most susceptible to harm because a minor bump can create a whole lot of damage that probably would not hurt tile, wood, or carpet. Tight space through doorways and through hallways creates issues, especially around sharp corners.

You can protect the corners of your walls with padding. Drop clothes work great to prevent holes in walls and scratches along them. Another option is to tape cardboard to the walls with painter’s tape, which will not peel the paint off the wall when you remove it. Certain corners will receive the most damage, so protect them with corner guards.

Often, doorframes are too small to accommodate some of your furniture, so frames can be damaged easily, along with your furniture and fingers if you are not careful. Measure the frames of the doors and the furniture to ensure a proper fit. Sometimes, doors must be removed to make room for the piece of furniture to fit through, or you can disassemble some of your larger pieces. In addition, you might have to use a different route to get large furniture into the house without damage. Consider your patio entry or garage, which has wider access.

Finally, do not forget about railings and banisters. Wrap banisters and rails with moving blankets, cardboard, or bubble wrap to protect it from damage.

Protecting Your Carpet from Damage During a Move

You might not think that your carpet is susceptible to harm, but damage is very common, and it is hard to repair. Moreover, carpet gets dirty, especially on days when it is raining or snowing. Tracking dirt and mud through the house can stain your carpet and require expensive cleaning if you are not careful. In addition, applying some adhesive tapes to secure floor covers can lead to damage itself. It is very important that you choose your tape wisely when it comes to carpet because some glues are not made for easy and effective removal from fibers.

For foolproof protection of your carpet use self-adhesive film. A great product is Carpet Shield, which is a clear, self-adhering protective film that is made exclusively for carpet. In fact, this is not to be used on wood or tile. This product and others like it have polyethylene blend that creates a non-slip surface that is very resistant to punctures and tears. It comes in a roll, and in a variety of sizes, so you can use it to create a wide path across high-traffic areas, or you can cover an entire room. This item is available online, or at your local hardware and home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes. A 24-inch by 200 feet roll costs $35-$40.

Protect Yourself from Damage during a move by Hiring a Professional Mover

If you hire a professional moving company like Royal Moving, you have nothing to worry about because pro moving companies are equipped to keep your possessions safe and secure, as well as your walls and floors, and they provide their customers with moving insurance. In other words, Royal protects you against any damage that might occur during the transport of your belongings.

Royal also has the proper equipment, big trucks, experienced moving crews, and packing supplies, which all come with one simple flat rate. If you are in one of Royal Moving’s service areas, which are up and down the West Coast from Washington state to San Diego, California, they can help with loading and unloading your belongings, as well as packing and moving. Whatever your moving needs, Royal will supply them.

Protect Your Home and Possessions from Damage during a Move by Buying Moving Insurance

Professionals moving companies are insured with a basic insurance package, and Royal Moving is no exception. If you hire Royal for the task of moving your belongings, you can rest easy knowing that your belongings are covered in the case of damage or loss.

The assumption is made by many people, who are in the process of moving, that their moving company covers all breaks and losses of your possessions during transit, but that is not always the case. In addition, many people believe that they are covered by homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, but this type of insurance is very limited.

It is crucial that you understand all aspects of the insurance game, so that you are not surprised at the end of your move. Even the most efficient and experienced movers cannot assure perfection. There are a lot of variables involved with moving all of your items across neighborhoods, cities, and states, and the expectation that nothing will break or go missing is not practical. Therefore, when something does go wrong, make sure you are covered.

Unfortunately, damage to walls and floors is typically not covered in a moving company’s insurance policy, but reputable moving professionals will work with you to resolve the issue. They will either repair it themselves, reduced the moving cost fees, or pay for the repair. Therefore, as soon as you notice the damage, tell the moving crew about it, and file a claim immediately.

Fixing Damage to Walls and Floors Caused After Your Move

It is simple to fix damage to walls. It requires spackle and sandpaper, a putty knife, and a paint that matches your current wall. If you do not have these items or a matching paint available, the cost to fix your wall could get expensive.

If you have the wherewithal to fix damage to your walls yourself, take the following steps:

Apply the spackle to the holes with a putty knife, and wait for it to dry.
Sand down the spackle until the surface is smooth.
Repaint the area or the whole wall if it needs it.

For larger holes in your wall, you will fill out the area with a plaster patch or a mesh repair patch. Since large holes are more complicated, you might need to hire someone to make sure it is done correctly.

Fixing Damage to Hardwood Floors

Fixing scratches on hardwood floors is simple as well, but gouges become difficult to repair. Follow these steps to repair hardwood floor scratches:

Gently rub extra-fine steel wool along the scratch, ensuring that you go with the grain in order to avoid more damage.
Apply pre-mixed wood filler to the scratch and wait for it to dry completely.
Gently sand the excess filler until it is flush with the floor, ensuring you do not do further damage to the floor.
Apply a varnish to the repaired area that matches the color of the wood.

Fixing Damage to Ceramic Tile Floors

Fixing deep scratches and dents in ceramic tile is not possible. The only way to fix damaged tiles is to replace them. You can fix small scratches, though, with one of several simple household items. Follow these steps to repair tiny scratches in ceramic tile:

Clean the damaged tile thoroughly with mild soap, and make sure the area is dry before you begin the next step.
Apply toothpaste or a thick paste of baking soda to the damaged area with a soft cloth, rotating it in a circular pattern.
Leave the paste on for 15 minutes.
Wash off the residue and let the floor dry.

Fixing Damage to Carpet

Removing spot stains from carpet is best done with baking soda, diluted ammonia, rubbing alcohol, or acetone, but a safer and more effective way to remove carpet stains is the give the entire surface a good cleaning with a heavy-duty, carpet-cleaning machine that can be rented at many big grocery stores for around $20 a day. If you decide a chemical like ammonia, test an inconspicuous spot to ensure it does not discolor the carpet.

For damaged carpet, it gets a bit more tricky. You will have to cut out the injured area and replace it with a patch, or plug. While it looks better than a torn carpet, it is not the greatest look, and it is hard to find a piece of matching carpet just laying around. Hiring a professional might help in this situation.

The Final Word on Protecting Your Floors and Walls During a Move

You might think that hiring a professional mover, buying moving insurance, or buying supplies to protect your home from damage is not worth the cost. However, fixing walls and floors, or even replacing, tiles, wood flooring, or carpet is expensive itself. Being proactive and preventing damage is always better than repairing after the fact. By preparing for the worst, your anxiety levels decrease, which is well worth the added effort.

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