Flooring Protection - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

orson · 02-28-2009, 03:36 PM

I was taught to always use protection... now get your mind out of the gutter!!!

This product was mentioned in the sticky thread about dust free remodeling and I am wondering if anyone who has actually used it can give us a review of the product:

www.dropcloth.com

I'm particularly interested in the Clean & Safe Pro and the Surface Pro, how well they worked, were they truly re-usable etc.

Thanx

paulie · 02-28-2009, 09:45 PM

I was interested in it too. It almost looks like carpet pad.

**Leo G** · 02-28-2009, 09:54 PM

I use 4x8 sheets of cardboard. Quick and cheap. If there is a mud storm outside you may need to put plastic sheeting beneath it

paulie · 02-28-2009, 09:56 PM

I've done that to but what about stairs?

Splinter · 02-28-2009, 10:13 PM

The 2' wide roll of clear sticky shrink-wrap stuff really works well. It's a little pricey though. I picked up a 200' roll at Home Creapo for $45. It stays in place, even on stairs, and it's thick enough to hold up to a lot of foot traffic. I left some on a set of steps for two weeks, and I swear I did 30 trips up and down each day. When I finally peeled off the plastic at the end of the job, the carpet was spotless. (it was a navy blue carpet too, so any debris would have really stood out. )

For hardwood floors, I just use either red rosin paper, or cardboard. I dont want anything reusable. It's going to get muddy, covered in gobs of spackle, sawdust and spackle dust, so I just want to throw it all out at the end of the job. I figure it as part of my operating costs.

neolitic · 02-28-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orson

I was taught to always use protection... now get your mind out of the gutter!!!

This product was mentioned in the sticky thread about dust free remodeling and I am wondering if anyone who has actually used it can give us a review of the product:

www.dropcloth.com

I'm particularly interested in the Clean & Safe Pro and the Surface Pro, how well they worked, were they truly re-usable etc.

Thanx

http://www.contractortalk.com/f18/du...-31707/index3/

"Well....
never did get the samples,
but I went ahead and bought some
on faith.
Ordered a week ago last Thursday,
got it on Tuesday (free shipping).
Used @4" piece of blue tape on
each side on every tread (clear finished
oak treads), and just loose on the landing,
down the hall, and through the family room.
(All hardwood)
So far so good, lots of traffic from my
partner and I, as well as a couple of subs
checking things out after we opened the walls.
HO said they didn't mind leaving it in place
over night, so it's also surviving traffic from
two teenagers, associated friends, and 2 dogs.
Pulled and rolled it for the weekend and it
was good as new.
Summary:
So far it's a good product...
Lousy sales department! "

Did use a little blue tape
to tack it on the oak treads.
All together it was down for
6 weeks, and I've re used
parts of it twice since.

Worth every penny!

neolitic · 02-28-2009, 10:27 PM

So, can anybody help me out here?
http://www.contractortalk.com/f10/go...t-vinyl-54483/

orson · 02-28-2009, 11:24 PM

Neolitic,

I missed your update in the original thread, thanx for posting.

I got the samples in the mail about a week and a hal after requesting.

They were thinner than I expected so I wanted to make sure it wasn't junk before ordering.

AtlRemodeling · 03-01-2009, 07:22 AM

Can't say I've used the dropcloth stuff but have used the protective products stuff a lot and works well. We have a store not to far away so I swing by whenever we are low and pick up the floor protection products. I've used the tub stuff once and it was a nightmare to get off the damn tub.

neolitic · 03-01-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orson

Neolitic,
..............
I got the samples in the mail about a week and a hal after requesting.

They were thinner than I expected so I wanted to make sure it wasn't junk before ordering.

I finally got samples @ 2 weeks after
the order was delivered.

Suppose their customer service read
the thread?

SLSTech · 03-01-2009, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neolitic

So, can anybody help me out here?
http://www.contractortalk.com/f10/go...t-vinyl-54483/

Man forget a hijack - go for a full blown detour

I'll post a reply there in a few

eastend · 03-01-2009, 10:44 AM

we use clean and safe all the time to cover floors and treads. works great, and can be reused. the underside is clear plastic so liquids don't seep through. the fabric portion holds down dust, too.
and we use it when stripping paint on location with chemical paint removers.

mdshunk · 03-01-2009, 10:57 AM

A few years back a builder I was doing work for protected the new, but unfinished, raw hardwood with red rosin paper for months. When he peeled it back to have the floor finished, the floor had pink blotches all over it from the paper. Oops. I think it sanded out okay.

**ChrWright** · 03-01-2009, 11:32 AM

We use Dow Protection Board III quite a lot. It's 1/4" x 4' x 50' and comes fan folded.

We roll it out and blue tape it down. It holds up much better than cardboard or rosin paper--especially in high traffic areas.

irockwithdirt · 03-01-2009, 01:14 PM

One contractor I work for uses 1/4" drywall and blue tape. Provides a little better protection than cardboard, yet can still be cut/ trimmed as work progresses easily without a saw.

I've been on jobs that used that plastic/ felt type specific flooring protection. Stuff is difficult to cut with anything but the sharpest utility blade and doesn't seem like it would absorb much impact.

**ChrWright** · 03-01-2009, 01:17 PM

Drywall on the floor?

mdshunk · 03-01-2009, 01:41 PM

I've seen drywall used a few times. Normally only because it was leftover scraps and not bought specially. Masonite is what a lot of the old-timers use. Over the door casings too.

Mr. Mike · 03-01-2009, 09:41 PM

The guy made a million zillion dollars off of drop clothes over the years and when I see my painters not using one I remind them of that, I also tell them by not using one is a disrespect to the drop cloth guys personal intelligence and he would smack them in the head with a rolling pole if he heard them say we don't need one right now.

I like the pieces of drywall on the floor trick but everything has its place, I see drywall being good in a house where you are removing plaster and or doing heavy trim work.

PA woodbutcher · 03-02-2009, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irockwithdirt

One contractor I work for uses 1/4" drywall and blue tape. Provides a little better protection than cardboard, yet can still be cut/ trimmed as work progresses easily without a saw.

I've been on jobs that used that plastic/ felt type specific flooring protection. Stuff is difficult to cut with anything but the sharpest utility blade and doesn't seem like it would absorb much impact.

Try your local appliance salesman. Unless they're serious about recycling they should have refigerator boxes. Thy are pretty heavy duty and large enough to cover a good sized area.

Buck25 · 03-03-2009, 01:48 PM

I like the 1/8" masonite. Only about $6/sheet. Reusable, light, and tough.