When renovating your home, it’s important to protect your floor from any potential damage. One way to do this is by using floor protection paper. This is a type of paper that covers the floor and protects it from paint, dust, and other materials.
There are different types of floor protection paper on the market, so it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you. In this guide, we’ll discuss the different types of flooring paper and help you choose the best floor protection for your needs!
What is the best floor protection paper?
The best floor protection paper for renovation should be thick enough so screws and nails won’t damage the floor underneath, while also being able to withstand heavy foot traffic, dust, paint, and water/liquid spills.
If you’re just going to be painting then thinner paper will suffice. However, if you’re planning on doing any demolition work or major renovations, then you’ll need thicker paper to protect your floor since the wear and tear will be greater.
The different types of floor protection paper
Not only has the different floor protection papers on the market have different thicknesses but they might also have different treatments and compositions.
Here are some different types and brands of floor protection paper you can use for your next project.
Builder’s paper
This economical floor protection paper, also known as Kraft paper, is flexible, easy to use and a great alternative to traditional red rosin paper. It helps protect floors and other surfaces from paint spills and splatters.
It is fairly thin so it’s best used for light foot traffic and for painting jobs.
This type of paper is the one I use the most as a professional painter. It’s cheap and sufficient enough for painting jobs.
Reinforced paper
Reinforced Builder’s/Kraft paper will give better protection since it’s made of up to three layers. This type of paper is lightweight, long-lasting, non-staining, and tear-resistant.
It keeps water and other liquids from soaking through and is perfect for protecting hardwood floors, tile, vinyl, marble, and carpet.
Red rosin paper
This traditional type of paper is used in construction as an underlayment for hardwood floors and siding. It’s also used to protect surfaces from paint and other construction debris.
Although, this type of paper isn’t recommended for protecting floors since it might stain the floor. Today there are other alternatives that are much better.
Heavy duty paper
When remodeling and for new construction, you’ll need to use a very durable paper to protect your floors. Then these heavy-duty floor protection papers will do the job.
X-Paper
Trimaco’s X-Paper is a heavy-duty floor protection paper that provides protection against water spills, paint splatters, scratches, and foot traffic.
It’s 1.5 times thicker than regular builder’s paper and red rosin paper, yet breathable to allow floors to continue the curing process.
X-Board
Trimaco’s X-Board is 2.5 times thicker than builder’s paper and is also breathable. It protects from liquids, paints, mud, and heavy traffic.
Floorshell
Trimaco FloorShell is contractor-strength floor protection for the toughest jobs. The heavy-duty floor protection is made from 100% recycled fibers and it’s eco-friendly and reusable.
FloorShell is breathable and protects all types of flooring such as hardwood flooring, concrete, stone, tile floors, linoleum, epoxy, vinyl composition tile (vct), and most other floor types.
The thick, yet lightweight board protects your flooring during construction for equipment as heavy as forklifts and its liquid repellent technology protects against paint, mud, water, and more.
Ram Board
Ram board has different types for your needs which can be seen here on Amazon’s store or on their website.
Ram Board is 5 times thicker than builder’s paper and is a heavy-duty, breathable floor protection for all floor types including epoxy, linoleum, wood, finished concrete, stone, marble, terrazzo, tile, ceramic, linoleum, vct, and epoxy floors.
Engineered for contractors and designed with cost and efficiency in mind, it lays out fast and is reusable. Ram Board is non-staining and uses exclusive Vapor-Cure technology, so you don’t sweat floors curing properly on your job site.
With Spill Guard Technology woven into the material, this temporary floor protection has extreme liquid holdout which protects your surfaces from water, mud, paint, and heavy traffic.
Ram Board floor protection is made from recycled materials and is FSC certified.
How to choose the best floor protection paper for your needs
With all the different types of flooring paper on the market, how do you know which one to choose? Here are some factors to consider:
- The type of surface you need to protect
- The duration of the project
- If you need breathable or non-breathable protection
- If you need water-resistant protection
- Your budget
If you’re going to repaint your ceiling and walls and you have hardwood floors or similar then builder’s paper is good enough for your needs. If the floor has wall-to-wall carpeting then you need something a little more durable like X-Paper or X-Board since builder’s paper might be too thin and tear easily.
For new construction and remodeling, it’s best to use heavy-duty floor protection paper such as X-board, Floorshell, or Ram Board since they are durable and shock resistant when tools are accidentally dropped for example. They’re also excellent for protecting floors from paint, mud, joint compound, plaster, water, and other materials.
If you need water-resistant protection then you should go with the heavy-duty papers which have that feature like X-Paper, X-Board, or Floorshell. If your choosing another brand or type then make sure to check if it’s water resistant since not all flooring papers are.
Finally, consider your budget when choosing the best floor protection paper for your needs. The heavy-duty options will be more expensive but they’re also more durable and offer better protection.
In the end, it all comes down to your needs and budget.
What is the cheapest way to cover and protect your floor?
For a DIYer on a budget, the best and cheapest way to protect your floor is by using old newspapers. You can lay them down on the floor and tape them together.
This will work for light traffic areas but takes some time to lay down. And you need some of that paper at home which isn’t the case for everyone these days.
Builder’s paper is the next best and cheapest option which you can buy at any hardware store. It’s not as durable as the heavy-duty options but it’s much better than nothing and will do the job in most cases.
Don’t forget that you’ll also need tape to secure the paper to the floor which will add to the cost. Make sure to choose a tape that won’t damage your floor when removed.
How to use floor protection paper
First, determine how much paper is needed to cover your surface. Calculate the square footage of the area you will be protecting to determine what size roll, and how many rolls you will need.
Sweep the floor and area that will need protecting. Then roll out the floor protection paper and overlay edges roughly half an inch. Repeat until your surface is completely covered.
Next, tape the seams with painter’s tape or seam tape. Finally, tape down the perimeter to keep the floor protection paper in place.
The benefits of using floor protection paper
Floor protection paper is an easy and effective way to protect your floors from damage during a renovation or construction project.
When you have chosen the right paper for the job and it’s in place then you can rest assured that your floor is well protected from paint, mud, joint compound, water and other materials.
Benefits of using floor protection paper include (depending on brand and type):
- Easy to install
- Breathable
- Water-resistant
- Durable
- Shock resistant
Related Videos
A video comparing the different flooring papers from Trimaco.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about floor protection paper.
How do you tape down construction paper?
Builder’s paper doesn’t require any special tape. Just make sure that the tape doesn’t damage your floor when removed.
The heavy-duty papers might need a stronger tape such as seam tape to keep them in place.
If you’re just going to paint the walls in a room then you don’t even need to tape it down. Cut out a strip of paper that you can move around while painting. Just don’t get paint on your feet or shoes otherwise you’ll track it all over the house.
Is red rosin paper waterproof?
It is water-resistant but not waterproof.
Does red rosin paper stain?
It can stain the floor if a liquid or water has been spilled on it and not cleaned up immediately.
To avoid staining, make sure to clean up any water or liquid spills as soon as possible.
What do professional painters use to cover the floor?
Professional painters have different preferences. Some use a drop cloth and some use floor protection paper.
You can even use a combination of masking paper and drop cloth. It also depends on the project and the painter’s experience.
Conclusion
Choosing the best floor protection paper for your project is important to protect your floors from damage.
There are different types of flooring paper on the market, and the best one for you depends on your needs and budget.
Floor protection paper is an easy and effective way to protect your floors from damage during a renovation or construction project. When you have chosen the right paper for the job and it’s in place then you can rest assured that your floor is well protected.
I hope this guide on floor protection paper was helpful. If you liked it then please share it with your friends or family who might need it.
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