What is the upper limit of load when using casters on wooden floors?

Wood Floor Caster Load Capacity Guidelines

Core Limitation: Pressure (not Total Weight)
The load capacity of a wood floor depends on the pressure exerted by the casters on the floor (pressure = weight divided by contact area). Exceeding this threshold can easily lead to indentations, dents, or cracks:

Solid wood flooring: Ultimate pressure is approximately 2-3 kg/cm² (lower for softwood, slightly higher for hardwood).

Laminate flooring: Ultimate pressure is approximately 3-4 kg/cm².

Engineered wood flooring: Ultimate pressure is approximately 2.5-3.5 kg/cm². kg/cm²

Key Caster Design Criteria
Wheel Width

Narrow Wheels (<20mm): Suitable for furniture weighing ≤50kg (side tables, carts)

Medium Wheels (20-30mm): Suitable for furniture weighing 50-150kg (TV cabinets, armchairs)

Wide Wheels (≥30mm): Suitable for furniture weighing 150-300kg (requires 4 or more casters)

Wheel Material

Soft Wheels (Rubber/Low-Hardness PU): Increase contact surface, reduce pressure, and are preferred for wooden floors.

Hard Wheels (Nylon/High-Hardness PU): Suitable only for laminate flooring; the maximum load capacity should be reduced by 10%-20%.

Safe Load Capacity Reference
Furniture Type Total Weight Range Applicable Flooring Caster Requirements
Light Duty ≤50kg All Types Wheel Width ≥20mm, Soft Wheels
Medium Duty 50-150kg Laminate Flooring ≤150kg
Solid Wood Flooring ≤120kg Wheel Width 25-30mm, 4 Soft Wheels
Heavy Duty 150-300kg Composite/hardwood flooring: Wheel width ≥ 30mm, 4-6 soft wheels.
For overweight floors (>300kg), casters are not recommended. Floor-mounted furniture with non-slip mats is recommended.

Key Measures:
Increase the number of casters: 6 casters reduce pressure by 30% compared to 4.

Control dynamic load: When moving, the instantaneous pressure increases by 50%, and the safe weight should be reduced by 30% (e.g., if the floor is 200kg static, it should be ≤140kg when moving).

Avoid long-term static storage: Regularly adjust the position to prevent localized dents.

Floor protection: Place thin pads under the wheels to distribute pressure (anti-slip required).

Summary:

Safety total weight for solid wood flooring ≤ 200kg (softwood ≤ 150kg).

Safety total weight for laminate flooring ≤ 300kg.

Overweight furniture (>300kg) should preferably be floor-mounted.

Final standard: No indentations or cracks.