Carpet Protector for Furniture Feet

Save your carpet a pile of problems! You sometimes only realise the weight you are placing on your carpet when you try to move furniture, and there for all to see are deep depressions in the pile. Well, here’s a solution!

Wall-to-wall carpets are found in many homes, if not most, as they are a very popular floor covering. The only drawback are the depressions that furniture feet leave in the carpet pile.

To give you an idea… four feet in the form of four round ferrules each with a diameter of 3cm, if supporting a recliner of, say 30kg, and an adult of, say 100kg, will see a weight of more than 33kg on each foot… that’s 33kg pressing into the carpet in a circle of just 3cm… a lot of pressure!

The solution is to increase the ‘footprint’ of the piece of furniture without actually making any changes to it, spread the 130kg over a far greater area than originally.

Here’s how to do it – and save your carpets at the same time. (Note: The other issue is when you move the recliner, the foot is pulled out of its depression and over time, with repeated shifting, that can put strain on the carpet weave, start wearing it and eventually you end up with a ripped carpet.)

First: how much weight is on the feet? The feet on the recliners pictured here are 3cm in diameter, which means each one has an area of just over 7cm². The weight of the recliner is 38kg – so round it off to 40kg. With an occupant weighing, let us say 70kg, you have a total weight of 110kg on a total area of 28cm² (4×7). That works out to 4kg/cm², in round figures.

Now for the feet made here… Each is 60x15cm, which equals an area of 900cm², for a total then of 1800cm². That drops the pressure on the carpet from 4kg/cm² to about 60g/cm² – which is much easier for the carpet to handle. Not only that, because there are no sharp depressions, the seat can be moved more easily over the carpet without damaging the pile.

The bonus is: these feet are so easy to make.

Always use MDF – medium-density fibreboard – it can be very easily routed, and as it comprises highly compressed tiny particles, there are no splinters to catch your carpet’s fibres.

Project Guide:

Time: 1 day
Cost: R50
Skill: 1
Assistant: No

Tools required:

• Jigsaw
• Drill
• Sander
• Router

Materials:

• One 9mm sheet MDF – 600×600
• Wood Glue
• Finish of your choice

**All materials are available at Selected Mica Stores. To find your nearest Mica and to enquire about availability, please go to www.mica.co.za, to use our store locator. If your local Mica does not stock exactly what you need they will be able to order or suggest an alternative product or a reputable source.

Method:

1. The depression – more of a crater – in the carpet pile is not that evident, but you will know from your own wall-to-wall (or any carpet for that matter) that the pile is crushed under the feet of furniture, sofas, tables and what-have-you.



2. The underside of the recliner, with the feet clearly visible.



3. Measure the distances between the feet, centre to centre, and make sure you measure all four… you might have the rear feet spaced differently to the front feet.



4. The sheet of MDF has to be cut into four equal strips of 150cm wide.



5. Cut on then line so that each strip is the same width (they will work out slightly less than 150mm wide as the width of the blade has to be taken into account.)



6. The four strips. If you wish, you can clamp all four together and trim them up so that each is identical in width.



7. Inscribe an arc at each end of a pair of the strips.



8. You will be using two bits to shape the feet… to cut the arc, use the straight bit, resting between the fence and the yellow rounding off bit.



9. Use a drill with a 30mm hole cutter to cut the single hole at the front of the foot for the recliner’s front foot. We cut two holes, slightly staggered for the back feet. This was to ensure that the feet would sit in the cutouts even if we ended up slightly out on my measurements. If you are sure of your measurements, cut just one.



10. A view of the four feet – upper surfaces far left and far right; the lower surfaces in the centre.



11. Apply glue…



12. And clamp the pieces together to create two feet, each 18mm thick.



13. Now complete the rounding off of the front and rear ends of the feet using the straight-cut bit on the router.



14. Almost there… fit the rounding off bit to the router and seat it so that it rounds off the edges in a complete arc of 90º.



15. Then route the lower edges of the feet – here you can see the upper surface on the left and the rounded off lower edge on the right. This will allow the feet to slide easily over the carpet. Apply the finish of your choice.



16. Tilt the recliner back until the rear feet are clear and push your new feet into position so that the recliners rear feet will rest in the cutout.



17. Then bring the recliner down to its normal position, lodging the front feet in their cutouts.



18. The completed job. Unobtrusive, and much gentler on your carpet than the four little feet.