We are nearly done with a long project and have new bamboo floors. What kind of glides for dining chairs? There is the old chrome, felt, plastic and teflon. What kind is least likely to mar or dent?
Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire
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I think the design and material of your dining room chairs' legs might need to be considered. If they are metal and come to a smaller "point": I've used teflon sliders in the past for that type leg termination on a DR floor that was red oak and after 4 years, no issues.
Natural bamboo is harder (per janka scale) than red oak, and some of the engineered bamboo (vertical or horizontal grain) goes even higher on the scale.
When living in another state and owning DR chairs that had more stout wooden legs with terminations of each leg with "footprint" of 1.5 sq inches apiece, I had sticky-backed felt on them and worked well (and SLID well!) across yet another oak floor. Found that those felt sliders didn't "stay" on for more than a year, but with their inexpensive cost and ease of installation, didn't bother me to replace them now and then.
DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
I've always been frustrated with the sticky-backed felt ones. They either come off or half off, then you step on whats left of the stickum stuff, then trail it around for awhile until you realize there's something on the bottom of your shoe. . . you get the picture.
I've seen the metal ones with the nail, break off from the chair leg but the remnant of the nail is still in the leg and then that does a number on the floor.
Sooo . . . the last time I needed to think about it, I used the felt-bottomed nylon ones that have a sharp metal ring that gets whacked into the end of the chair leg. They're a little harder to find than other types. I got mine from the Rockler Catalog http://WWW.Rockler.COM Available in 7/8", 1", and 1.5" sizes. Cat. # 88569, 88577, 88957. They've been in eight dining chairs and three bar stools now for six years and not one has come out. I'd definitely use the same type again.
Edited 10/27/2006 10:55 am ET by fingers
I saw those last night at Rocker. They look ok. I also noted that I may have to "flatten" some of the legs on the chairs, as the bottoms are less than parrallel to the floor. I have seen the ones where the nail goes in and then later kills the floor. Grr.....Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire
I found that if you tap the felt sticky ones with a hammer after you stick them on they will stay in place. They are only a problem if the end of the chair leg has a small surface area. They do tend to collect dog hair and fuzz though.