Metal tubular legs can often tear carpet fibers or leave skid and scratch marks when pushed across floors. Protective tips that prevent floor damage are inexpensive and widely available. Measure the length of one leg side to determine what size tips are needed to cover leg ends. Protect all flooring surfaces by purchasing vinyl or plastic leg tips to cover the end of the legs, or choose rubber leg tips for a nonskid finish instead. All of these tips promote easier gliding across carpets, hardwood, tile and linoleum flooring.
It is common for metal tubular legs to lose the end tip piece. This causes one leg to become shorter than the others, resulting in an undesired rocking chair effect. The problem is easily remedied with a new cap. Repairing a metal tubular leg is harder than doing so with a wooden leg. Still, by measuring the distance inside the leg, it is usually possible to locate a ribbed plug that can be inserted into the metal tube so that the ribbed fins prevent it from falling out when moved.
Chairs with metal legs are often cumbersome to turn and leaning back in one's seat is dangerous. However, flexible tube guides allow one to recline or rotate with little effort. Simply remove the existing leg tip and insert a swivel or spring tip. Recent design developments incorporate both functions for a comfortable seat with smooth side-to-side transition as well as a recumbent feature. Traditional nylon and steel ends are widely available, but some vendors also offer felt-tipped caps to provide scratch protection on wood, linoleum and tile floors.
Coated metal tubular legs make an excellent support for step stools and bath tub seats. They are more resistant to water damage than wooden legs and support more weight than plastic frames. Using step stools and bath tub seats featuring rust-resistant metal tubes legs equipped with safety tips increases their safety and durability. Metal tubular legs also can extend above the step level of the stool to form a safety handrail for additional climbing safety.