If you're looking for ways to give your home's furnishings a unique look and to maximize your space, adding industrial casters can be a great solution. Here's an overview of why industrial casters are an easy and clever way to gain flexibility from your home's elements and where you can use them in your home.

Advantages of Industrial Casters

Probably the biggest advantage to using casters is the increased flexibility you'll gain from your furniture by being able to roll pieces from one place to another. You can find wheels that match virtually any decor style. You can also use finishes like bronze paint or antiquing to give a vintage look to brand new casters.

Industrial strength casters are heavy duty and can withstand lots of use. If you purchase steel casters (versus plastic, wood or softer metal), they will be easier to keep clean and germ-free due to their nonporous nature, which is why they are used in commercial kitchens and medical facilities. The higher the chromium content in stainless steel, the better it can resist corrosion--great for wet environments or if you live near the sea.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a place where you'll see lots of savvy home designers putting casters to good use. If you put islands or chopping blocks on casters, you can move them wherever you need them for food preparation and clean up, whether that's taking food out of the fridge, loading the dishwasher, or keeping your mise en place (that's fancy culinary school talk for all your food prep) close to the stove. You can also use casters to roll storage carts into your pantry to save you from lifting heavy items or making multiple trips.

Workspace

Workspaces in many homes perform double or triple duty, so you may need to move furniture out of the way to make room for another activity. If your craft table or kids' play table is on wheels, it's easier to tuck it away when it's not in use.

Likewise, your desk or home office can slide into a corner to give you more floor space, and you can also store your file cabinets or stacking bins underneath if they're on wheels. A tool bench can move around the garage for tinkering with the car, and you can put heavy items, like anvils, on casters to reduce back strain.

Outdoors

There's no reason casters have to be confined solely to indoor use. If you mount your outdoor patio meat smokers or barbecues on casters, they'll be a breeze to store in the off-season and to move out of the rain. Heavy planters can be moved around to follow the sun or into shelter when the snow flies. Casters also make moving freestanding fire pits less of a chore.

Other Areas of the Home

Once you start putting things on casters, you'll likely think of dozens of other ways you can use them such as

• laundry carts
• sliding barn-style doors
• DIY coat racks
• coffee tables
• stereo stands
• wine bars

The key to having long-lasting casters is to purchase them from an industrial equipment supplier rather than a home supply or big box store. Look for locking casters if it's possible an item might slip when positioned. Threaded or stem casters allow the wheels to swivel, giving you maximum flexibility when it comes to the direction an item can move. Always check the weight capacity, and you'll have a stylish, helpful way to get more from your furniture in every area of your home. Contact a company like Garland's, Inc. for more information.