Pads, disks, casters prevent scuffing

You love your freshly painted porch and your wicker rocker. Or you did, until the rocker began scuffing up the glossy floor. Why can't they just get along? They can. Just think of them as siblings in need of a well-placed buffer. In fact, the best surface protectors also dampen noise and make furniture easy to move or keep where you want. Most slip under or stick to clean, dry surfaces. You can find them at hardware and home-improvement stores.

Counter, table and cabinet protection

—Appliances: Pads made from either felt or olefin will stick, slide, and buffer sound. Choose from pre-cut squares or circles, or buy sheets you can cut to fit the shape of whatever you are protecting.

—Pottery: Velour disks are available as adhesive-backed squares or rounds. They'll prevent your wares from scratching finished wood, metal, glass and tile.

—Shelves and drawers: Shelf and drawer liners will protect your cabinets' paint or lacquer. Choose ones that are nonskid and don't have an adhesive backing. Cut to size, and set in place.

—Cabinet doors: Use adhesive-backed disks made from foam, felt or cork on the interior corners of cabinet doors, where they'll dampen sound. These disks are more durable than felt pads and are best used as bumpers.

—Candlesticks: Felt, cut to size, is a custom fix. Trace the candlestick's base onto felt, and then cut just inside the line. Use an acid-free glue to attach the felt to valuable items.

—Desktop accessories: Cork pads are harvested from the bark of oak trees and are backed with adhesive. Stick them onto lamp bases, vases or plant pots and they'll protect tabletops from scratches. They also provide often-used items, such as desk accessories, with gentle traction on smooth surfaces.

—Tabletops: Table pads are a worthwhile investment for valuable dining room tables. Have one made to measure, using solid core board and insulating fiberboard for strength and heat protection. Placed under a tablecloth, they're undetectable. After the party, fold them away.

—Pastry boards: Place rubber bumpers under your pastry board and it won't move while you roll out dough. They also keep a chilled board cool by offering a buffer between it and your room-temperature countertop.

Floor protection

—Vinyl and wood floors: Plastic sliders help furniture glide over bathroom and kitchen floors. (Unlike felt, they'll work on wet surfaces.) Attach them using peel-off adhesive or screws. They skim over linoleum, tile and vinyl flooring with ease.

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