If you have hardwood flooring in your home, then it is understandable that you will want to look after it. Hardwood flooring is by no means cheap, so you will want to keep it in perfect condition for as long as you possibly can.
One of the best ways to look after your hardwood flooring is to be careful what types of footwear that you wear on it. This is one of the main reasons why some people employ ‘no shoe’ rules inside their homes.
But, some types of footwear can cause a lot more damage than others. Flat shoes are generally okay to wear on hardwood flooring, but shoes with any type of heel or wedge can be a lot more dangerous.
In this handy guide we’ll be taking a look at whether, or not, high heels ruin hardwood floors, and how to protect your flooring from this damage. So, let’s step right in.
Do High Heels ruin Hardwood Floors?
To say that high heels ruin hardwood floors might be a touch dramatic, but they definitely do have the potential to ruin hardwood floors. High heels completely transform the way in which weight is distributed across the foot, and this is the main reason why they could put your hardwood flooring at risk of damage.
There is no rule in the installation of hardwood floors that says you cannot wear high heels on it, but there is no denying that high heels have the potential to ruin hardwood floors.
All it takes is for a single guest to wear high heels inside your home, and you could find that your hardwood floors are scattered with holes and dents. This is why a lot of people with hardwood flooring ask their visitors to leave their heels at the door.
Some types of heels will be more likely to damage your hardwood flooring than others. In particular, stiletto heels are a real threat for your floors.
With high heels such as wedges and chunky heels, the weight of the person is better distributed across the whole foot. But, with stiletto heels, a lot of the weight is distributed in the single point of the heel, and this greatly increases the risk of damaging your floor.
High heels that do not have rubber pads at the bottom of them are also more likely to damage your hardwood flooring. This is because they effectively work like chisels on the flooring, scratching it and creating dents with every footstep on the floor.
If you have recently had hardwood flooring installed in your home, then the last thing you want to find after asking friends around is damage to your flooring. This is why it is best to implement a no shoe policy.
Even though high heels have the largest potential for damaging hardwood flooring, there is a risk of damaging your flooring when you wear any type of shoes on it. For this reason, some people choose to simply wear slippers inside their home, and leave all shoes at the front door. If you want to keep your flooring protected, it is best to implement these rules from the very beginning.
But if you haven’t had hardwood flooring before, then you might not have been aware of the potential danger of high heels. In which case, you might find that your flooring has sustained some minor damage.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to protect your hardwood flooring from heels, and how to fix minor damage.
How do I Protect my Hardwood Flooring from heels?
If you have installed hardwood flooring in your home, or have bought a house that already has it, you might be wondering how to protect your hardwood flooring from heels. So, let’s take a look.
Like we have said, the best way to protect your hardwood flooring from heels is to avoid wearing high heels on this type of flooring. In fact, to best protect your hardwood flooring, you should avoid wearing any type of shoes on this flooring, apart from slippers.
All shoes have the potential to damage your hardwood flooring because of their firm and hard soles, but slippers do not because they usually have soft bottoms.
When you install new hardwood flooring, it is best to implement a ‘no shoe’ policy from the very beginning. This is something that a lot of people implement when their home is full of carpet, so it is not a strange concept. If you start off as you mean to go on, then this will not seem like a strange thing in your home.
But, we understand that it can often be difficult to ask guests to remove their shoes when they enter your home. Especially if said guest is an elderly family member, or someone visiting your home to do work inside it.
If you do not want to ask people to take off their shoes at the front door, then there are some other ways to protect your hardwood flooring from high heels. Let’s take a look at what they are.
One of the most popular ways to protect your hardwood floors from high heels is to add a rug to your living space. A rug will protect a large portion of your flooring, and also add to your home decor. So, it allows you to protect your flooring without damaging the aesthetic of it.
Alternatively, you could opt for pads that your guests can stick on the end of their high heels. But, there’s no denying that implementing a strict ‘no shoe’ policy is the best way to protect your flooring.
Summary
In short, yes, high heels do have the potential to ruin hardwood flooring. They will not always ruin hardwood flooring, but there is a good chance that high heels will dent your hardwood flooring. Especially if the high heels are stiletto heels.
To avoid any damage to your hardwood flooring, it is best to implement a strict ‘no shoe’ policy in your home. This is the best way to protect your flooring.