Chairs on carpet or hard flooring: choosing the right glides
Chairs are pushed back and pulled in many times every day. What sits beneath the chair legs determines scratches in the parquet, noise in the dining room and the effort needed to move the chair. In practice, glides are often only noticed once the floor already shows marks. Yet a few considerations in advance are enough to clarify which glide suits which floor covering and how it should be attached to the chair leg. This saves later repairs to floor and furniture.
Hard flooring: soft against hard
On parquet, laminate, tiles and natural stone the basic rule is that the glide should be softer than the floor. Felt is the usual choice here because it slides quietly and is gentle on the surface. However, it picks up sand and dirt and then acts like sandpaper if it is not cleaned or replaced regularly. On tiles with wide joints felt wears more quickly. In rooms that are mopped with water, you should make sure the felt does not stay permanently wet, as it will otherwise come loose or harden.
Carpet: smooth against soft
On fitted carpet and rugs the principle is reversed. Felt acts as a brake here; the chair can only be moved with effort and tilts when pushed back. Smooth, hard glides made of plastic or metal are suitable, with a contact surface that is as large and rounded as possible so that the leg does not sink into the pile. On deep-pile carpets moving remains stiff all the same; a short, dense pile is far more practical in a restaurant. If a chair stands partly on carpet and partly on hard flooring, height differences arise at the edge, which strain the glued joints of the frame in the long run. A rug beneath a dining table should therefore be generously sized.
Attachment to the chair leg
Glides are glued, nailed, screwed or inserted. Self-adhesive felt pads are quick to apply but usually do not last long in commercial use. Screwed or nailed glides hold more firmly, yet they require a sufficiently sturdy leg. Many Chairs in the classic style have curved legs that taper towards the bottom; here the contact surface is small and the glide has to fit exactly. For legs set at an angle, swivel glides that lie flat on the floor are a sensible choice. Check whether the glides are fitted at the factory and whether they can be replaced later.
Maintenance and planning in operation
Glides are wearing parts. In restaurants and conference rooms a fixed visual check is advisable, for example as part of deep cleaning. If a glide is missing on just one leg, the chair wobbles and the bare wood or metal leaves marks. Keep a sufficient number of matching spare glides in stock. Anyone ordering Baroque furniture for a contract project should state the floor covering in the enquiry so that the appropriate version can be taken into account. If the covering changes later, for example from carpet to parquet, the glides on all chairs have to be adapted. Allow time and material for this.
Related categories: Dining tables, Benches, Armchairs. The full range: Baroque furniture.
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