On most new homes, the floor tiles and often the timber or hybrid flooring go down well before the house is finished. After that, painters, cabinetmakers, electricians, plumbers and cleaners all walk across them, dragging ladders, tools and grit. If the floors aren't properly protected, you end up with scratched timber, chipped tiles and paint splatter on day one of owning your new home.
Here's what good floor protection looks like, what to expect from your builder, and what to do if your floors get damaged.
When floors need protecting
Almost always, from the day they're laid until the final clean before handover. The risky stages are:
- Fixing stage. Cabinets, benchtops, doors and skirting go in. Heavy items get carried and slid across the floor.
- Painting. Drips, spills and ladder feet.
- Fit-off. Electricians and plumbers on ladders, with tool bags and offcuts.
- Rolling loads. Trolleys and pallet jacks moving benchtops, appliances or stone. These crack tiles if the load isn't spread.
Ask your supervisor when the floor protection goes down and who removes it.
What damages floors on a building site
- Grit. Sand and screws under boots and wheels act like sandpaper. This is the big one.
- Point loads. Ladder feet, trestles and dropped tools dent timber and chip tiles.
- Moisture and chemicals. Paint, mortar, cleaning water and solvents seep under poorly sealed covers.
- The wrong tape. Strong tapes such as duct tape can leave residue or pull the coating off timber floors.
- Heat and sun. Adhesive films left in the sun can bond to the floor finish.
- Trapped moisture. Plastic laid over wet grout or a damp surface can trap moisture and mark the finish.
Common protection materials
Here are the options you're most likely to see on an Australian house build:
- Heavy-duty paperboard (Ram Board and similar). The workhorse. Strong, lays flat, handles foot traffic and light trolleys, and is reusable. Joints and edges should be taped so grit can't get under. Water can curl it if spills aren't cleaned up.
- Corflute sheets. Corrugated plastic sheet. Waterproof, light and good near wet trades and at doorways. Joints need taping.
- Adhesive protection film. A thin self-adhesive film rolled onto tiles, vinyl or hard floors, with special versions for carpet. Good for dust and scuffs, but it must be the right film for the surface and removed within the manufacturer's time limit.
- Plywood or hardboard. Used as lanes for heavy or rolling loads, such as benchtop installs, to spread the weight and stop tiles cracking.
- Drop sheets. For painters. Fine for drips, but they offer no impact protection and slip on hard floors.
- Builder's plastic. Useful for dust and spatter, but slippery, easily punctured and can trap moisture. It shouldn't be the only layer on a finished floor.
Most builders use a combination: paperboard or Corflute over the whole floor, with plywood where heavy items move.
The tape question
- Low-tack masking tape is the safest choice if anything has to touch a finished floor, and only for short periods.
- Duct tape and high-tack tapes belong on the protection layer only, never directly on the floor.
- Double-sided tape should only join protection to protection.
Floor by floor
- Timber and engineered timber. Paperboard over the whole floor with sealed joints, and no direct tape. Spills must be wiped up straight away.
- Hybrid, vinyl and laminate. Paperboard or a film approved by the flooring manufacturer. These can scratch and dent easily.
- Tiles and stone. Paperboard or Corflute, plus plywood lanes for heavy loads. Don't cover grout before it's cured.
- Polished or finished concrete. Treat it like stone. It scratches and stains, and acids can etch it.
- Carpet. Usually laid last, but if not, use carpet film within its time limit.
What to check as a homeowner
You're not managing the site, but you can keep an eye on it:
- Before fit-off starts, take dated photos of your floors. If damage shows up later, you'll know when it happened.
- On site visits, look at the protection. Is it covering the floor completely, taped at joints and edges, and reasonably clean? Torn, gritty or lifted protection isn't doing its job.
- Check entries. Doorways and the garage entry wear fastest. They should have extra layers or mats.
- Ask about heavy deliveries. When benchtops or appliances come in, ask how the floor will be protected along the route.
- Don't add damage yourself. If you visit, stay off unprotected floors in work boots and don't drag anything.
My Fixing stage checklist covers what to look for at this point in the build, and the Practical Completion checklist covers the final walkthrough. Both are at constructor.net.au/checklists.
If your floors are damaged
- Inspect carefully at practical completion. Once the protection's up and the floors are clean, check in good light, including at a low angle where scratches show up. Chips, scratches, dents, residue and paint spots should all go on your defects list.
- Put it in writing. Damage you find after handover should be reported to your builder in writing as soon as you see it, with photos. Queensland's standard new home contract gives you a 12-month defects period from practical completion.
- Don't accept "it was like that". If you have dated photos from before fit-off, you've got your answer.
Protecting floors is the builder's responsibility and a cost that belongs in every build. A few hundred dollars of paperboard and tape is a lot cheaper than replacing a timber floor.
Further reading
Tips to Manage Flooring Transitions for First-Time OwnersLearn tips and techniques for managing transitions between different flooring types as first-time homeowners building a new house. Enhance the overall look of your home with smooth and aesthetically pleasing transitions.
Concrete Crazing Explained: A Homeowners Comprehensive GuideDespite the durability of concrete, it’s common to notice small cracks or patterns on its surface over time. In this post, we’ll dive into what causes concrete crazing and how home owners can identify, prevent and fix this issue before it becomes a bigger problem.
Concrete Foundations & Slabs: A Guide for Australian HomesIn this post we explain everything you need to know about house slab construction techniques, reinforcement details, best practices and maintenance.
