If you’re wondering what are the ways to stop a bed from sliding on a wood floor, the good news is there are several different stylish and low cost ways to achieve this. These include, putting a rug under the bed, using velcro pads, using rubber grippers, removing the wheels, and using caster cups, to name just a few methods. Read on to discover all 13 different methods and how easily you can implement them.
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Why Do Beds Slide On A Wooden Floor?
Two smooth surfaces coming into contact together will result in the surfaces sliding against each other. This is because there is a lack of friction between the surfaces, in other words, neither of the surfaces has an abrasive finish.
In the case of a bed, there is no abrasive surface on the underside of its feet, in other words it’s a smooth surface. As a result, the smooth surface of the bed’s feet meeting the smooth surface of a hardwood floor, will result in the bed sliding.
And of course, the reason that bed slides, is because the bed is a movable object, whereas the floor is fixed in place.
Practically speaking, the bed could be on any smooth surface and it will slide, not just on hardwood. This means you could have a bed on a laminate floor, or a tiled floor, and you’ll experience the bed sliding on those surfaces as well.
Why Is A Bed That Slides On A Wood Floor So Irritating?
A sliding bed can be annoying for a few different reasons. Firstly, a sliding bed can lead to scratches or unsightly markings on the floor. This spoils the quality and aesthetic of the wood floor.
Secondly, a sliding bed can lead to chipped paint or rough and worn out areas of wallpaper, if the headboard is in contact with a wall.
Additionally, if the bed slides when you turn over and change position in bed, this can reduce the quality of your sleep. This would be especially frustrating if you have a TempurPedic mattress for its long lifespan and promise of high quality sleep. Poor quality of sleep can result in reduced concentration levels, irritability and other issues.
Is It Only Lightweight Beds That Slide On A Wood Floor?
It’s true that bedframes made from steel and other metals are often the types of bed that are more likely to slide on wooden floors. That’s because metal bedframes tend to be quite lightweight, so they can slide around without much force or pressure applied to them.
However, even heavier beds made from metal can slide on a wood floor. On top of that, they can potentially do more damage to floors due to how much they weigh.
Fortunately, you won’t need to go to the trouble or expense of changing your bedframe to solve this problem. Read on to discover the many stylish and low cost ways in which you can prevent your bed from sliding around your bedroom.
How To Stop A Bed From Sliding On Wood Floor – 13 Different Methods
Now you should understand why a bed slides on a wooden floor. You should also understand why a bed that keeps moving around on a wood floor is annoying. Lastly, you should understand the types of bed that slid on a wooden floor.
Now let’s look at the 13 different ways to stop a bed from sliding on a wood floor.
1. Put a rug underneath the bed (or a carpet)
This method is the most stylish way to prevent a bed from sliding on a wooden floor.
Sure, your hardwood floors are sleek and give the bedroom a great look. Placing a rug between the bed and floor won’t actually detract from that. In fact, you may find that the rug actually enhances the look and feel of your bedroom even more.
To make sure that this method is worthwhile and effective, choose a rug that matches the room’s existing style. More importantly, make sure the rug itself has a non slip underside. You could choose a cowhide rug as they last a long time and are easy to clean. Other great options are rugs with a thick pile, or shaggy rug.
2. Rubber Caster Cups
Rubber caster cups are a way to prevent your bed from sliding around, without using any adhesives. They act as a type of cup like container for the wheels of the bed. They have a soft grip underside so that they don’t slide on wooden floors. This means when placing the wheeled legs of your bed in the cups, the bed will no longer slide.
Caster cups typically come in packs of 4 and have long durability.
3. Attach Self Adhesive Rubber Grippers
Self adhesive rubber grippers can solve the issue of a sliding bed.
Self adhesive rubber grippers have one side that is adhesive, and the other side that is non slip rubber grip.
To use the self adhesive rubber grips you’d attach the sticky side to the bottom of the furniture legs. This means that the side that is in contact with the floor is the non slip rubber.
Many households like the extra assurance these self adhesive rubber grippers offer compared to non-adhesive rubber grippers. The extra assurance being that they do not detach themselves from the furniture legs, due to being adhesive.
4. Attach Rubber Grippers (NON adhesive)
As the name suggests, these types of rubber grippers don’t have an adhesive side. You simply place them under the wheels or the legs of the bed. The highly effective anti-slip rubber material means the gripper stays in place between the bed and the floor. This prevents the bed from moving and sliding around.
5. Install Velcro Pads
Another way to stop your bed from sliding on a wood floor is by attaching Velcro pads the bed’s feet. The great thing about Velcro pads is they’re very thin and would be hard to notice or detect. This means it wouldn’t affect the aesthetic of the room, or the bed.
Connect two Velcro pads together by the hook and loop sides. This means the top and bottom of the pad would be the adhesive side of the Velcro pads. Then simply attach one side of the pad to the beds’ legs, and being that the other side is also adhesive, it will stick to the floor.
The only potential downside with this method is that the Velcro is now stuck to the floor. This means it could cause stains, or markings on the floor whenever you attempt to remove it in the future.
6. Relocate Your Bed To The Corner Of The Room
A simple solution to the problem of a sliding bed is often to move the bed to a corner of a room.
If your bed is only against one wall, or possibly no walls at all, then it doesn’t have any extra support to prevent movement. By moving the bed to a corner of the room, you give it support on two of its four sides. This means you reduce its ability to move by half. Or in other words, you double its ability to stay still.
Though a simple solution, you may be hesitant to do it, due to the fact it may require the rearranging and redesign of your bedroom. Not only that, if two people sleep in the bed, then one of the bed’s users would have to literally climb into the bed from the bottom. And that could be awkward.
For the reasons above, moving the bed to a corner may not be feasible solution for many households. But it’s always worth considering, especially if you don’t mind refreshing the look of your bedroom.
7. Install Rubber Feet On The Bed
Rubber feet can be used to stop your bed from sliding around on wood floor.
Rubber feet are made from very thick, durable, non slip rubber. If you choose the rubber feet that come with screws then they would be more of a permanent solution compared to others. This is because they require that you drill into the underside of the bed’s legs using the screws.
However, you can also find rubber feet that use adhesive, rather then screws to attach themselves to the bed’s legs.
This solution can give the impression that the rubber feet are a natural part of the bed’s legs. A great additional benefit.
8. Wrap The Bottom Of The Frames With Bicycle Tyres
This solution is possibly the least stylish, however, it could be a good solution to stop a bed from sliding on a wood floor.
Typically, you’d use this solution with a bed that has U-shaped legs. You need old bicycle tyres and a cutting tool effective enough to cut through them.
Cut the tyres to the length needed – according to the length of the U-shaped legs. Then wrap the tyres around the legs in way that ensures that the inner side of the tyre is contact with the bed legs, and the outer side of the tyre that has the grip is in contact with the floor.
If you’re quire creative you could make this solution look quite modern and sleek, or retro and vintage – depending on how you look at it!
9. Change The Legs Of The Bed
Not many people realize this, but on many beds you can easily switch out the legs for a different set. This could help to stop the bed from sliding on a wooden floor.
There are several different types or rubberized and ant-slip bed legs on the market, so you’re bound to find a set that suit you.
Be aware that changing the legs of the bed would involve some lifting work and manual work. This is because you’d need to manoeuvre and handle the bed as you remove its existing legs and attach the new legs.
For this reason, it’s best to only try this method if you can get someone to help you.
10. Use Bed Risers
Bed risers can be considered similar to using rubber feet. However, bed risers were not designed to prevent beds from sliding on hardwood floors. Instead, bed risers were designed to elevate beds in order to create storage space under a bed.
However, being that many bed risers are actually made from non slip rubber, it turns out that many people use them to create extra storage space and to prevent their bed from sliding. This gives bed risers an advantage over using simple rubber feet to stop your bed sliding.
Depending on which bed risers you buy, they can elevate your bed from between 3 inches and 24 inches. Bed risers come in different shapes, though typically they are either cone or pyramid shaped.
Even though bed risers give the dual benefit of creating under bed storage, and preventing your bed from sliding, they may not be suitable for everyone. For example, some people may not like the fact that their bed is now several inches higher off the floor.
11. Attach The Bed Frame To The Wall
This is a permanent solution to the problem of a bed sliding on a wood floor. In order to follow this solution, you first need to make sure you have a solid wall that is structurally sound enough to withstand being drilled into and having furniture attached to it.
Once you have established you have a suitable wall in your bedroom, you would need to mount your headboard onto it. After that, you would then need to attach your bedframe to the headboard. You would do this by using interlocking wall fasteners, screws, and a screwdriver or hand held drill.
One potential issue with the solution is that it does require some intermediate DIY skills, so may be too advanced for many people. With that said, you could hire someone to carry out this job for you, but then you would need to pay labor costs.
Further, if you do like to refresh the décor of your bedroom periodically, then having a bed permanently attached to a wall could make re-configuring the room more difficult.
12. Remove The Wheels Of The Bed
This solution is as straight forward as it sounds. If your bed has wheels attached to its legs, then go ahead and remove the wheels from the legs. Simply use a screw driver to unscrew the wheels from the legs. This will stop the bed from sliding on a wood floor.
Now you might have wheels that are locked, but the fact the wheels are circular and a smooth surface, means they could be part of the problem. Removing the wheels will alleviate the sliding bed issue.
If you do choose to remove the wheels from the legs, then you’d want to make sure that the now exposed bottom of the legs will not leave scratch marks on the floor. If you believe the legs have the potential to do that, then purchase some leg protectors or rubber feet.
However, if you don’t wish to remove the wheels from the bed’s legs, then there are plenty of other options in this article that you can try.
13. Use Bed Leg Protectors
Bed leg protectors are often thought of as furniture socks. And these socks are indeed a great way to stop your bed from sliding on wooden flooring.
Most bed leg protectors are made from heavy duty cotton and spandex to ensure there is cushioning between the bed legs and the floor. The best bed leg protectors will contain rubberized grips on the inside of the sock.
In fact, these protectors are a very popular choice, not only for beds but for all types of furniture. And it doesn’t only work on wood floors, it works with any type of smooth flooring, such as tiles, ceramic and laminate.
Final Thoughts On How To Stop A Bed From Sliding On Wood Floor
There are plenty of different answers to the question of how to stop your bed from sliding on a hardwood floor. And if you find that you need to purchase some wooden flooring to replace parts of your floor damaged by your sliding bed, then remember that Home Depot cuts wood for you and Lowe’s has a wood cutting service also.
If you’ve read this article in full then you’ll see there are some great low cost and even no cost solutions to this problem. There are solutions that allow you to solve the issue in a stylish way, and others that may require you to do some DIY.
Take your time in deciding which is the right method for you, and make sure it suits your lifestyle and DIY skills.