For those jobs requiring a longer time frame or involving multiple trades, things can get messy. Trades bump into each other and a lot of teardown and setting up by you and others only increases the probability of accidents and spills. That’s why, especially for bigger jobs, it’s important to consider floor protection options. Floor protection brings an added element of professionalism, too, making your business stand out as a team that’s in tune with job details and that has the customer’s best interest in mind. Not to mention, it can bring a painting company some peace of mind in knowing that their team is less likely to damage a floor, thus avoiding some potentially costly finger-pointing.

And “It looks far more professional than throwing down a tarp,” adds Alan Nishiguchi, president of Protective Products International, Inc., which sells a wide range of floor-protection products to a variety of trades.

BEYOND THE MINIMUM

Rosin paper has long been a go-to for painting professionals wanting to keep dirt and debris from floors while they work. But it’s a relatively bare-bones approach, as it is not very water resistant.  There are many better, yet still inexpensive, options.

Surface-protection company Pro Tect, offers Poly Craft Mask, a 3-ply reinforced protection system that featuring a fiberglass mesh made of 40-pound kraft paper with polyethylene sheeting. The product is tear and water resistant and works well on hard surfaces like tile, concrete, epoxy floors, and stamped concrete. Protective Products offers UltraKraft, which also uses a 40-pound kraft paper bonded to UV-stable woven polyethylene. And it, too, is waterproof and tear resistant.

Protective Products’ Econo Runner is another durable, affordable and popular option to protect flooring. Its extra padding does makes it ideal for hardwood flooring, however, Nishiguchi cautions that, even though it is very durable and holds up well to a lot of foot traffic, the product is not completely impact resistant.

MASONITE OPTIONS

For jobs where there are concerns about heavier items falling on the floor, coated Masonite absorbs impact quite well. One offering is Protective Products’ FlexBoard, an easy-to-use, rollable Masonite that is 45 mils thick, spill proof, and touted for its ability to protect like hardboard. Plus, it is reusable and recyclable.

Surface Shields also offers a Masonite product called Builder Board, which is also 45 mils thick and rollable. It cuts easily with a utility knife, is reusable and recyclable, and is also light to carry.

To learn more about floor-protection products, read the full-length article in the Feb/Mar issue of inPAINT magazine: inpaintmag.com