As another year rolls around, many homeowners will be planning home improvements in the coming months whether it’s touching up the walls with paint or a more extensive kitchen renovation.

Regardless of how big or intrusive the work might be, when you undertake any sort of project on your home that doesn’t require the flooring to be altered in the process, then it’s important to take steps to protect it whilst the work is going on.

WORKMEN WALKING THROUGH THE HOUSE

For bigger jobs that involve workers or tradespeople traipsing in and out of your home in dirty boots, you will need to protect your flooring from the dirt being carried in from outside as well as the damage that these heavy duty boots can have on less durable wood floors.

The best method of protection is creating an additional layer between the boots and the floor by placing a protection film or floor cardboard over your wood flooring.

Protection film is the most convenient option as you can simply lay it over the floor to create a protective layer, whereas with floor cardboard you will need to seal it to the floor using painters’ tape as this won’t leave any residue on the floor. One great product on the market designed specifically for this is Ram Board which is a heavy duty temporary floor protection.

Either method is effective and can either be placed over the entire floor or used to create a pathway for workers to walk on without touching the wood beneath it.

Alternatively, you could make the workers wear overshoes which are heavy-duty, disposable, elasticated polyethylene that can be easily slipped on over any type of shoe to prevent scuffs and footprints from footwear being worn around the house.

The only issue with this is that it can be easy for them to forget to keep putting these on and taking them off each time they enter and exit your home, and it could even become a chore for them if they are walking in and out quite a lot so you would need to monitor this closely to ensure that it is being done.

DUST, PAINT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES

There are many hazardous substances that can put your flooring at risk when undergoing renovations or redecorating from the paint used on your walls to the dust created when knocking things down or drilling things in.

A similar method of protection can be taken to the one as above - adding a protective layer to your wood flooring with film or cardboard so that any substances can collect on this layer rather than your floors.

Even in the rooms of your home where the work isn’t being carried out will need to be considered, particularly when it comes to airborne materials, such as dust, which can carry throughout the house.

For example, you might be knocking down a chimney breast in the living room but the dust from this activity can carry through to the hallway, kitchen and other spaces within the vicinity which is why it’s also important to protect the floors in those rooms by keeping doors tightly closed and ensuring that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the house and, in particular, in the room where the work is taking place.

SCRATCHES FROM TOOLS

Workers and tradespeople will also be using tools to carry out their work and this could vary from paint brushes and pots to drills and hammers, all of which have potential to cause damage to your floors.
These items being placed on your floor can cause dents and scratches if not being handled with care and accidents can happen no matter how careful your contractors are so you shouldn’t rely on them to keep your floors safe.

Again, a protective layer over your floors will keep them safe in this instance - the thicker the better which is why Ram Board would be the best solution as it is more durable than, say, a plastic protection film.

DEBRIS AND FALLING OBJECTS

An unavoidable consequence of major home improvement projects, including extensions, removing artex from the ceiling and knocking down certain features, is that debris will fall onto the floor and some of it will be sharp and heavy and could cause great damage to even the most durable wood flooring.

With a cardboard, or Ram Board, over your wood flooring, any falling objects will not damage the floor underneath; however, it is also the responsibility of the contractors to ensure that there are no extreme cases whereby a very large and heavy object drops from a height onto your floors as there is no method of protection against this and the damage could be extensive.

BE REACTIVE AS WELL AS PROACTIVE

Putting precautionary measures in place to protect your floors will have a huge impact on how much damage will be done; however, it’s highly unlikely that it will provide 100% protection and whether it’s a couple drops of paint or small scratch that has managed to reach your floors being reactive will play an important role in keeping your floor well-maintained.

It’s important that after every day of labour, you assess the room to check for any tears in the protective layer you have put on the flooring, bits of tape that might be lifting and exposing the floor underneath the cardboard and any area or other room in the home that you may have overlooked that needs protecting too.

If you do find any dust, dirt, paint or other liquid on your flooring, then as long as you clean it up as quickly as possible, your flooring will be perfectly fine.