Breathability and Floor Protection – Everything You Need to Know

Construction jobsites damage new flooring more often than any other finish. This holds true across both residential custom home projects and large-scale commercial construction projects. Accordingly, it is vital to use surface protection on new floors in order to keep those expensive new floors looking immaculate.

While using surface protection on interior finishes is generally quite easy, there is one very important consideration to make when protecting a new floor – breathability.

Breathable surface protection is a class of materials that do not trap moisture or gas vapors on surfaces while they are being used. Any flooring material that requires time to cure in order to be finished is one in which using surface protection specifically marked for breathability is vital.

Without the ability to breathe and ventilate moisture and gas, surface protection covering a new floor can leave the floor looking scuffed and damaged – despite being otherwise protected from typical jobsite damage. These unsightly blemishes are most commonly known as curing lines, and they form on curing surfaces that are in some way blocked from venting. This is frequently due to leaving solid plastic-based materials on them when they need to breathe.

Tuf-Guard Floor Protection

 

To solve this problem, a variety of specially designed surface protection coverings are now breathable.

Foremost is Tuf-Guard, an industry leading breathable temporary floor protection. Tuf-Guard is designed with high end concrete and hardwood in mind, great examples of floor finishes that requires time to fully cure. Made from a bespoke synthetic fiber-based material, Tuf-Guard is not only breathable but also slip-resistant. It is an ideal floor protection because not only can it withstand use from heavy machinery, it is also spill resistant. This ensures that the scissor lifts driving on top of Tuf-Guard won’t damage a new floor by dropping equipment onto it or spilling hydraulic fluid and oil onto the protected floor. 

Other breathable floor protection options are available, such as Trimaco’s FloorShell. FloorShell is a popular alternative to RamBoard, both use recycled paper fibers to create a strong floor protection layer. Not only is this material strong, it is easy to cut to shape, making it a great option to use on vertical surfaces and countertops.

 

Surface Liner Vapor floor protection

 

Made with hardwood flooring in mind, Surface Liner Vapor is among the best breathable floor protection options for residential construction projects. Soft to the touch and non-slip even on hardwood stairs, Surface Liner Vapor is ideal for protecting anything made from wood. Surface Liner Vapor is also spill resistant