How to Protect Floors During Construction
Have I ever shared the story about how our new floors were ruined AFTER the renovation on a Raleigh flip house? Well, I’m telling you now.
The Studly Flip was duly named after the condition we found it in, which was basically naked. It had suffered from a house fire, originating in the kitchen.
After the fire department did what it does, the remediation company proceeded to rip everything apart to prevent mold, leaving only the studs, roof, and siding in place.
What seemed like a lemon to most, looked like an opportunity to us and we proceeded to spend seven months bringing it back to life. The house turned into a beautiful product with everything sparkling new, including all the floors.
Unfortunately, near the end of the construction phase, the deal became a bit too tight, so we avoided the cost of laying down flooring protection.
The first weekend of showings was a mind blowing success, resulting in multiple offers, but much to our dismay, the carpet did not share the same sentiment.
Someone had tracked red clay mud (a North Carolina special) through THE ENTIRE house!
We were furious! But mostly at ourselves – for trying to save a buck, which ultimately didn’t happen.
All of this is to say: flooring protection is one of those things that’s usually not prioritized, but so important. After all, whether you are renovating your own home, flipping a house, or working for a client, that new flooring is an investment you want to protect. But you have to know when and where it makes the most sense to use.
In this post, we will share and compare a few product options by Trimaco to serve your project’s flooring protection needs and a few application tools as we used them in our Wyatts Pond Flip
This post is sponsored by Trimaco, a job site protection manufacturer and brand. This post also contacts affiliate links. Read our Disclosures page for more info.
Flooring Protection Options
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CARPETS DURING CONSTRUCTION:
This is a flooring protection option we use most consistently on our job sites after new carpet installs. It is simply way too easy to ruin carpet with dirty shoes. And if you think potential buyers are actually going to remove their shoes during a showing, you are mistaken. This rarely happens, so we recommend ANY seller who cares about the condition of their carpet lay down carpet film while their home is listed and accepting showings.
Application of protective Carpet film
This Carpet Film Applicator makes what used to be a one hour, two-person job to a 15 minute, one-person job. I can’t believe we didn’t know about this tool before. Honestly, it is not that expensive and totally worth the money. You can purchase it straight from Amazon, too!
HOW TO PROTECT FLOORS DURING CONSTRUCTION: X-Board for Solid Flooring
Ideal for site-finished hardwoods, which need to continue to breathe and cure for a good bit of time, tile or other solid surface flooring, X-board is a good bit thicker and will protect your solid floors from dings and scratches, in addition to dirt.
Essentially, if you are at a stage in the renovation when you will still have heavy-footed sub contractors on your job site such as finish carpenters, electricians and plumbers, this is the product you’ll want to pick. You can purchase X-Board by Trimaco, here.
HOW TO PROTECT FLOORS WITH X-Paper
X-Paper is a thinner version of solid flooring protection, but still sturdy. Its intended use is to protect flooring during phases such as paint. Our favorite use for this product is over newly installed countertop and cabinets. For some reason, electricians love to stand right on those shiny new counters to install fixtures, so you don’t want to leave them bare. Purchase at Sherwin Williams.
HOW TO PROTECT FLOORS DURING CONSTRUCTION: Shoe Protection
The final option we leave you with for floor protection is actually for shoes. What better way to prevent the spread of dirt than to catch it before it comes in? We’ve tried leaving “boot booties” on the job sites, but in our experience, they are rarely used. This EZ floor guard has potential to change things.
Trimaco’s EZ Shoe Guide is available on Amazon!
Since the Studly Flip, we add a line item for flooring protection to each of our project budgets. That’s what happens when you learn the hard way.
Happy renovating, friends!
