When you renovate one part of the house, other parts often double as pathways and temporary storage. Workers walk over them with dusty shoes, drop tools, drag ladders and buckets. Existing flooring – especially wood, tiles or marble – can get scratched, stained or chipped.
Laying down protective sheets, cardboard, or foam underlay before heavy work starts creates a sacrificial layer. All the rough treatment happens on that surface instead of your actual floor.
It’s much cheaper to throw away a damaged plastic sheet than to polish or replace sections of expensive flooring. Asking for this upfront also signals to the contractor that you care about details, which often raises the quality of care overall.
