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How to Protect Floors During Construction

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Education & Training with Property Investment Wise

Home renovations and construction create significantly more traffic in your home. The beautiful tile, concrete or hardwood floors that serve as your base can take a beating without proper protection. Invest in proper surface protection materials so the end result will be exactly what you expected. Improper floor protection may cause poor performance and the necessity to replace the protection more frequently.

 

Why You Should Protect the Floors

Everyone should protect their floors during construction to prevent damage that costs time and money. A lack of surface protection can potentially give the floor scratches, dents, chips or other imperfections. Carpets are subject to soiling from grit and dirt. While having protection is important, bear in mind that choosing the wrong protective covering can be worse than opting for no covering at all.

 

How to Choose Materials

Consider the length of the project and materials before selecting a protective floor covering for construction. The amount of exposure also dictates protective covering selection. For instance, you need a more durable covering for heavy machinery than a scissor lift. Each flooring type requires different things for protection. Safety is another important concern. If you need anti-slip floor protectants, make the investment to protect anyone who may be in the area.

Accidental fires happen at construction sites yearly. Select a protective covering that is flame retardant. The product should align with Certifier conditions. You can verify Certifier materials by looking for a Certifier marking or certificate number.

 

  • How to protect tile floors during construction

Tile flooring needs protection that prevents damage while still providing breathability. Paper is an excellent choice for tile protection and all hard surfaces. It is breathable and absorbent. Unfortunately, the paper does not offer moisture resistance.

The protective paper usually comes in the Rosin or Kraft variety. Kraft paper is the same material that is used to produce standard brown paper grocery bags. Rosin paper is a heavy, recycled felt paper. It is inexpensive. A downside of rosin paper is it may cause a permanent stain if it gets wet. Corrugated cardboard products, another paper protectant, offers some impact protection and often prove reusable.

 

  • How to protect hardwood floors during construction

It is best to use some breathable material on freshly laid wooden floors. For general hardwood floor protection during construction, masonite is an excellent choice. Masonite comes from pressurized, recycled wood fibres. The material provides meaningful impact protection and pressure resistance.

Masonite has the ability to perfectly distribute the concentrated downward pressure floors experience during construction. Sheets of masonite are breathable and reusable. However, they do not offer any moisture protection.

 

  • Concrete floor protection during construction

Polyethylene film provides suitable protection for concrete floors and other floor types that are not curing or releasing moisture. The beauty of polyethylene film lies in its ability to flex and contour to the perfect shape. Overmore, the film is less prone to tearing than paper protectants.

Polyethylene does not provide impact protection or pressure resistance, nor is it breathable. The protective covering can be easily applied to hard surfaces. Manufacturers can create more durable polyethylene through fibre mesh reinforcement.

 

Summary

Make the smart choice to protect your floors to prevent higher costs along with extended building times. Many products on today's market allow you to use one surface protection material on multiple surface types. Use one of these temporary floor protectors for easy install, remove and clean up.

Before selecting any temporary floor protectant, be sure to evaluate your floor type, project length and product description/reviews. Find out more about a product by reading its details to see if it aligns with your needs. Read reviews to make sure the product works as intended. Happy renovating!

Posted by

Joe McCord works at REAA.

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