How to Protect Hardwood Floors During Construction

When your work zone is set right on a hardwood floor, keeping the surface adequately protected can present quite the predicament. The standard white stuff rarely does the job, and alternatives can actually end up damaging the floors themselves. 

But settling for sub-par floor protection can have big consequences. If your crew leaves scratches, scuffs, and stains behind, you’re bound to see customer complaints come your way. More often than not, you’ll take a hit to both your profits and your professional reputation. 

Your company might be forced to cover the costs of the damaged hardwood and the labor needed for its replacement. And after having such an experience, clients may feel compelled to leave a negative review, or warn others to choose another contractor for their own projects. 

Can your business afford these blows? Likely not. That’s why it’s critical to start using truly reliable surface protection. In this post, we go over the key qualities you’ll need to look for when deciding on hardwood floor protection for construction, and explain how Pad ‘N Protect floor runners rank as the best solution on the market. 

Keep Coverings Efficiently-Sized

One of the most basic requirements of a good construction floor protector is practical sizing. Contractors need a solution that will keep setup and cleanup simple, and working with excessively large, unwieldy coverings can make that impossible. 

The ideal runner should favor length over width. This will allow it to easily fit through doorways, hallways, and other awkward spaces where tarps and such are too bulky to be useful. Strips can be laid horizontally to cover long stretches of space, and the narrowness makes it easy to fit portions into odd corners. 

Choosing a runner with these types of dimensions will not only make setup more convenient, it will also result in fewer expenses. Purchasing wider but cheaper rolls is actually likely to cost you more money over time. 

All that extra width ends up getting folded up along the walls, or cut away and disposed of. You’ll end up with more waste, meaning that you’re paying for square footage that never gets used. With a narrower floor runner, you’re able to use only what you need, getting the perfect amount of coverage for even the most unusual layouts.  

Look for Multiple Factors of Cost-Minimization

The last point brings us to the matter of cost efficiency. Aside from sizing, there are other factors that can affect how much you end up spending on your temporary floor protection. 

One of them is reusability. A runner that provides great value will allow you to get many uses out of it before requiring disposal. You won’t need to continually re-stock, and you’ll never have to worry about running out of material when you’re due at another job site. This means no more emergency runs to retail shops, where you’ll pay top price for whatever’s on the shelf. 

Another factor is multi-surface application. When you can use your runners on walls, cabinets, countertops, and other surfaces, you won’t need to purchase separate materials. All of your needs will be covered by a single covering that can adapt to any environment. 

Seek Easy Transportability

When your crew heads over to a new project site, you’re often hauling truck-fulls of materials. Keeping those loads as light as possible is essential to cutting down setup time and ensuring your team doesn’t waste too much energy on unloading. 

Good floor coverings should be lightweight, and come in compact rolls that can simply be tucked under an arm. Instead of hassling with heavy mat rolls or large pieces of cardboard, you’ll be able to swiftly transport your runners from truck to work zone and get started. 

Favor Residue-Free Solutions

Some of the common solutions for hardwood floor protection have an unfortunate drawback: residue. For example, the red pigment of rosin paper can easily seep into flooring, especially if conditions are wet or humid. 

Using this type of covering can result in the need for extensive cleanup, and if the surfaces are particularly porous, you might not be able to get all of that pigment out. This presents another opportunity for damage that can become your financial responsibility. 

Opting for a residue-free floor runner is essential to minimizing damage risks and saving time on cleanup. Pigments should not be present, and any adhesive backing should also lift away without leaving a trace. 

Prioritize Impact and Liquid Protection

A good floor covering isn’t merely a sawdust catcher. Properly protecting a floor in construction conditions requires a superior barrier system that can shield against both liquids and impacts. 

Any paint, varnish, glue, or other liquids being used on the job should be repelled by an impenetrable surface. This is where typical paper-based coverings often fail, since liquids can easily soak through to the floor beneath. 

Runners must also cushion well against impacts from dropped tools, nails, and other items. Of course, there is still a limit to how much protection a runner can provide. Strong impacts or contact with the sharp end of heavy objects will require additional cushioning. 

It’s not uncommon for contractors to choose thick cardboard or masonite to achieve adequate padding, but using these materials alone opens the door to abrasion. These materials are too rough on flooring and easily create a sanding effect, especially when particles are present beneath them. 

The best solution is to look for a high quality runner that offers good impact protection on its own, but can work as the perfect underlayer for heavy duty padding when needed. 

Choose Non-Skid Applications

Last but not least, a superior protector provides an immovable surface. The underside should gently bind to the floor in a way that fixes the runner to the spot. 

Your crew can work comfortably without worry of slipping, or accidentally exposing the floor. This also prevents the aforementioned sanding effect from ever taking place, since the covering cannot shift as workers move upon it. 

Pad ‘N Protect is the Industry’s Best Construction Floor Runner

Everything you’re looking for in high quality hardwood protection can be found in the Pad ‘N Protect floor runner. These lightweight 32”x100’ rolls are designed for hassle-free installation and unsurpassed protection. 

The waterproof barrier at the top shields against any spills or splatters, and the cottony bottom guards against impacts while creating non-slip adhesion. A clean surface is left behind, and they can be reused on a variety of surfaces time and time again. 

At the lowest price per square foot on the market, these runners offer the best value in the industry. Bulk discounts are available to make your dollar go even further. If you’re ready to upgrade your flooring protection and cut out wasteful spending, we invite you to request samples or reach out to our team to arrange a bulk order.