Hi folks,
I’m a homeowner with a challenge that has my contractor stymied…
In our kitchen renovation, we are having a small *mobile* island with large sturdy casters built by our cabinet maker. Here’s a link of what the island looks like (please click on pic #27). http://www.henrybuilt.com/kitchen_4.asp
The challenge is that said unit is going to be situated along the dividing point between two rooms; the dining room with hardwood (generic oak) floors and the kitchen with a rubbery/cork tiled floor (it’s mostly rubber with a little bit of recycled cork in it). All four wheels will live full time on the rubber floor.
Though we do not intend to move this unit around much (maybe 2 or 3 times a year), my contractor and husband are concerned about dings, divots, and chips at the spot where the wheels roll from the rubber to the wood floor.
Do you all think this is going to be a major problem? Can you think of a way to avoid this? In my mind I wonder if like a metal T strip between the two will help…a little industrial looking, but then again, so is the mobile island unit itself.
Another issue of concern is that the wheels on the mobile island will make indentations on the rubber floor–but this doesn’t bother me too much since the idea is for the unit to be there most of the time anyways.
Any insight you have would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Dana
Replies
Off hte top of my head... Rig the island so the wheels are only down when needed. Similar to the casters on larger tablesaws, or the ladders they use at Depot and Lowes. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
You can go two ways: either protect the floor itself, or use a caster that will be kinder to the floors. I would rather have a good caster than a strip in the floor i didn't like the looks of.
I'd suggest a google search bec you have so many options. One is a pneumatic caster, built like a car tire and inflated. This would be easiest on your floors, but might look too industrial. Hard-rubber tires are another option, but you have quite a lot of choice in their profile, which will affect the way they impact the floor: some have a smaller 'footprint' than others. One profile has the circumference of the caster as a flat surface instead of rounded...this would cushion the transition over the wood edge nicely. Another option to spread the weight is to use twin-wheel casters. All other things being equal, a larger-diameter caster will carry the weight with less damage than a smaller-diameter one.
Lots of options! If you don't like the looks of one of them, the casters can be moutned interior of the edges and hidden by an apron.
If you could work an apron into the design, you could use casters and they would be almost invisible.
This TV stand, has casters and can be easily moved with one hand. I don't have different types of floors to deal with but I think it would handle them ok.
Depending on the weight of your island, leaving it sit on the cork floor may leave indentations.
Air suspension. Like an upside down air hockey game. Plug in a blower and she goes anywhere without marks.