Few materials are as expensive as marble, especially when it’s used for something as extensive as home or office flooring. Of course, the expense is often worthwhile because the floors look stunning, and they’re designed to withstand even the heaviest of uses for a long period of time. In many ways, the high cost of marble flooring more than pays for itself when the material outlasts carpet, requires less overall maintenance than hardwood, and looks great in the process. Despite its well-deserved track record of defying wear and tear, marble does suffer from one weakness: when particularly heavy or hard objects are pushed or rolled across the surface, they can leave unsightly marks, badly damaging the stone in ways that can costs thousands of dollars to repair or replace.
Damage is a downside that many people are eager to avoid during a big move, or even during routine use of the area for home or office needs. The single best way to ensure that marble stands the test of time and truly lives up to its reputation is to apply the right casters to any equipment that stands a chance of coming into direct contact with a marble surface. There are plenty of options available to those who are determined to maintain the integrity of this expensive material, and Douglas Equipment is proud to have all of these options in stock. Of course, there are also plenty of bad options out there, so it’s worth learning about both before making a decision.
Good Wheels vs. Bad Wheels
Wheels generally come in two distinct varieties. One respects its environment and rolls away without so much as a sound. The other, scrapes its way across the floor and does lots of damage to marble, wood, and carpet alike. The first group is definitely the best option for marble environments. Among the best casters and materials for this type of floor:
- Rubber Casters
Easily the best option for handling the delicacy of marble flooring, these casters actually come with a rubber coating that applies to a metal or plastic wheel. The rubber can come in varying thicknesses, and the general rule here is that a thicker rubber coating makes for a softer, gentler, and quieter wheel overall. Rubber casters are available in plenty of sizes and styles, ranging from very small “ball” casters, which work well for smaller carts, to larger wheels that are better suited for industrial or medical equipment.
When purchasing these casters, be sure to check the actual quality of the rubber. Cheaper materials will more easily leave scuffmarks on marble tile if the equipment skids at any point. While these marks can be removed, that’s still a hassle that most people won’t want to deal with. Find higher-quality rubber, like the material found on Douglas Equipment casters, which will leave behind fewer marks and make less noise during transit.
- Polyurethane Casters
All casters are sold with wheel materials that exist on a spectrum from very hard to very soft, and rubber is easily at the far end of “soft” on that spectrum. For this reason, it’s easily the best caster wheel material for those looking to take every precaution with their marble flooring. It’s not the only effective way to safeguard the floor from scratches and scuffs, however; polyurethane casters actually offer the same level of protection as their rubber counterparts, usually for a fraction of the price and with a few additional benefits.
Perhaps the biggest perk of polyurethane casters is that they’re far less likely to leave unsightly scuffmarks if the cart they’re attached to comes into contact with a wall or a person. Even if they do leave behind scuffmarks, they’re generally white or clear, and much easier to clean up.
Polyurethane casters can be purchased with a number of different thickness specifications. Each bit of additional thickness adds just a small amount of extra protection for those seeking to keep their marble floors in like-new condition.
- Polyolefin Casters
Polyolefin casters are the middle ground between soft and hard options, and they’re generally considered the caster of last resort for marble floors. While they’re softer than nylon or metal materials, they’re not soft enough to completely guarantee that a marble floor will be left unaffected when equipment rolls across the surface.
The good news for prospective caster buyers is that the polyolefin tread is most commonly associated with spherical caster designs that are less likely to be used where marble flooring is installed in the first place. Even so, if these casters are presented as an option, customers looking to safeguard their marble floor’s integrity should proceed with caution and understand that these casters may present a few more risks than their softer, polyurethane or rubber counterparts.
The Bad Apples: Caster Materials to Avoid on Marble
The thing about moving heavy equipment is that, with the wrong type of caster installed underneath, movers don’t even need to do anything wrong in order for an unsightly scratch to be etched into the surface of the marble tile. All it really takes is lots of weight, the wrong caster material, and a quick-moving piece of equipment to wreak havoc. For this reason, the caster materials listed below should be avoided at all costs, with no exceptions under any circumstances.
- Stainless Steel Casters
This is an absolutely terrible material for marble flooring. Essentially, stainless steel casters are raw wheels without any type of protection attached to them. Since marble is one of the “softer” stones to be used in flooring applications, these wheels will almost certainly cause damage that could require the full replacement of the affected tile in order to be fixed.
If presented with the option for steel casters, be sure to ask whether or not they could be rubber-coated after purchase. If not, simply move on to other options that stand a better chance of respecting the quality and beauty of marble flooring.
- Nylon Casters
Most people in search of nylon casters are looking to attach them to office chairs, desks, projectors, and other equipment that’s typically lightweight and not likely to be rolled on anything other than low-pile carpet and vinyl flooring options. That’s exactly where nylon caster materials are best suited; durable surfaces like vinyl and carpet won’t show scratches or signs of wear, nor will they make a great deal of noise when they encounter a harder material.
The same is not true of marble. Though nylon is one of the most popular caster materials overall, it’s certainly not the most popular for customers who have marble floors. Avoid this hard material at all costs, since it essentially performs on par with the stainless steel options that were mentioned earlier.
- Cast Iron Casters
Picture a cast iron frying pan for a moment. Now, with that image in mind, imagine sliding that frying pan across a marble floor without inflicting at least minor damage on the surface. It’s impossible. Cast iron casters are perfect for heavy industrial settings or heavy equipment transportation, but they should never be used in conjunction with a flooring material as sensitive to pressure and scratching as marble. Avoid this material at all costs, and if someone tries to roll a cast iron caster wheel over a marble floor, do everything within your power to stop them.
Available in Pneumatic and Other Styles
Finally, don’t hesitate to ask about marble-friendly casters with a wide variety of extra features, like pneumatic lifts and brakes. Despite their relatively delicate and quieter nature, these casters are available in a variety of styles that include the traditional wheel, spherical ball styles, treaded ball styles, and models with brakes, pneumatic lifts, and more. Like all casters, all it takes is an understanding of the right wheel size, material, and extra features, in order to get the right model for the job. The experts at Douglas Equipment will work to match these customer needs to available inventory, finding the perfect caster for long-term marble integrity.
Contact Us Today to Get the Right Casters for the Job
Douglas Equipment has been serving South Florida with excellent caster options and ample inventory for the better part of sixty years. Since 1955, we’ve been helping local businesses increase the mobility of their equipment and protect the integrity of their walls, floors, and other areas, all thanks to better casters, more protective materials, and a seasoned sales team that knows which products are best for each situation.
To learn more about our full range of casters for delicate surfaces like marble, feel free to call us at either of our numbers. Local customers in South Florida can call (305) 888-3700 to speak with a representative, while those nationwide can call us toll-free at (800) 451-0030. Our website’s contact page also offers convenient ways to get in touch when it’s time to purchase new casters.
