Here at R&J Builders Hardware, we supply to a huge number of professional and commercial customers, many of whom are often looking for builders supplies to carry out contract jobs. Mistakes can be costly in these sorts of jobs, potentially adding days or even weeks onto your schedule. Floor and carpet protection is a prime example of something you don’t want to get wrong, so we’re here to help with a few tips on how to ensure maximum protection.
An overview of our carpet protectors at R&J Builders Hardware
Our carpet protection is manufactured from high-quality polythene self-adhesive film, which designed to form an impenetrable barrier that shields carpets and floors from damage, abrasion, foot traffic, and debris and overspill from industrial liquids like paint. This makes it a near-essential aid for builders, professionals and tradesmen working on new builds, refurbishments and a variety of other construction and maintenance projects.
Carpet protection products like those we offer here at R&J are seen as having a number of useful advantages over other methods of protection like dust sheets. For starters, this film clings to floors a lot more tightly than dust sheets, which means you sidestep a lot of the trip hazards usually associated with the latter. Also unlike dust sheets, the film can also be far more easily vacuumed, swept or mopped throughout the project, which is always handy!
A couple of key things to remember about carpet protection:
- It’s intended for use on synthetic carpets only. That means it’s not for looped or wool carpets, and we strongly recommend you steer clear of using it for oriental and antique carpets, either.
- Make sure to cover the entire carpet, and don’t simply use it as a runner.
- Avoid applying it to a damp or wet carpet, or you could find things have gotten very unpleasant by the time you come to take it up.
- In extremely heavy traffic conditions – in other words, if there’s a particularly large amount of people tramping back and forth – it’s wise to inspect the carpet protection every three days, and replace it if required. It might be a wise precaution to take anyway, just to be on the safe side.
How to apply carpet protection
Firstly, you’ll want to make sure that the carpet is clean and free from dust, dirt and loose fibres. For the fastest and most efficient application, we’d recommend a carpet dispenser is used. It’s the easiest way to ensure the finished film is left smooth and crease-free.
Start by removing the protective wrap, and locate the start of the film (sometimes easier said than done, we know!). Unwind about 300mm of the carpet protection film and place it adhesive-side down at the edge of the carpet. Apply slight pressure with your hand to make sure it sticks firmly down there, and keep applying this soft pressure as you continue unwinding the film in the direction you’re applying it. This will help it better bond to the surface, maximising the protection. Roll it out to the desired length – the other end of the room, if that’s necessary – and then cut it with a safety knife.
When you’re doing the next roll, make sure to overlap the edges of the strips of carpet film. This will help you avoid accidentally leaving any fissures which could leave the carpet underneath to liquid or dust. When you’re finished, whether that’s in three hours or three days, there’s no real technique involved – all you need to do is remove the film by pulling it with your hands.
Our carpet protectors stand amongst a whole range of floor protection products we offer here at R&J Builders Hardware, your one-stop shop for building supplies. You can shop our full range of painting and decorating protection products here, or if you’ve got any questions, feel free to give us a call on 01254 52525!
