VI. PROTECTING RAW AND NEWLY FINISHED FLOORS
Ideally, no one should be working in
a room after wood floors are installed.
Reality often dictates otherwise.
To properly protect floors, they should be covered as follows:
1.
The
entire floor should be covered with all edges and seams taped down using blue,
no-residue, painters tape. Full
covering protects the floor and prevents the development of "light
puddles", or uneven aging due to sun. Flooring paper, butcher paper, etc. are adequate for floors
where there will be no further traffic or work done. Impermeable coverings such as polyethylene sheeting should
not be used as they may cause condensation of moisture on the wood.
2.
All traffic
areas should be covered by plywood:
1/4" or 1/8" is adequate for light traffic.
3.
Any
area where heavy work is to be done (carpentry, plumbing, tile, stone work,
etc.) should be covered by ½" plywood to a distance of at least four feet
beyond the work area.
4.
Any
area that is to be painted or plastered should be covered by a water proof
covering to a distance of at least four feet beyond the work area. In order to avoid condensation, such
covering should be taken up each night. In no case should it remain down for
more than two or three days.
The best protection is to leave the sanding and finishing of an area until after all work is done (except the installation of baseboards) and cover as in steps 1 and 2.