Protecting your carpet from furniture indents

The indents left by heavy furniture on carpet are unsightly and make it difficult to change the layout of a room without being left with an unattractive finish. The thicker and plusher the carpet, the more apparent the indents usually are, which means you might be stuck with your current furniture set-up if you want to avoid drawing attention to these marks. Luckily, there are things you can do to minimise the appearance of these flattened areas of carpet.

Furniture leg ‘cups’

These are a good option for furniture with fairly narrow legs. Also known as furniture coasters, these are widely available online and in many homeware and DIY stores. They are often made of plastic, and tend to be little cups that fit onto the bottom of chair or table legs. Unfortunately, they can look unattractive if they are on show; therefore, they might be better for furniture where the legs are not visible, such as on sofas with valance covers that reach the floor.

Carpet off-cuts

When your new carpet is fitted, keep hold of any scraps rather than throwing them out. Cut small pieces of carpet to match the size and shape of any troublesome furniture legs and place them under the legs. This additional layer of carpet will act as a cushion between the furniture leg and your fitted carpet, helping to reduce marks. This is a good, discreet option for chair or sofa legs that are on show.

Move furniture regularly

You don’t have to change your room’s layout every time the carpet starts showing signs of indentation, but moving heavy furniture just a few centimetres gives the carpet underneath the legs the chance to bounce back a little. Work your fingers into the indentation, fluffing up the carpet pile to its original state. If you leave furniture in the exact same location for years at a time, you will find it much more difficult to manually remove the resulting indentations.

Use a rug

If you have a particularly troublesome piece of furniture that you can’t bear to part with but that you know is likely to damage your plush new carpet, consider placing a rug under it. Choose a rug with a tough backing for the best results. If your sofa legs are hidden from view, you can choose a cheap but sturdy rug, cut it to the perfect size and place it under the sofa.