Construction floor protection film should be 80–100 microns thick with high-tack adhesive (400–800 g/25mm) for smooth floors, while carpets and textured surfaces need reverse-wound film that clings mechanically instead of bonding with adhesive. Choose based on floor type, traffic level, and protection duration — the wrong choice either peels up under foot traffic or bonds so aggressively it damages the finish it was meant to protect. Kaisyon Industrial, a China-based PE protective film manufacturer, supplies floor and carpet protection film in 80–100 micron grades with reverse-wound options for textured surfaces, and will recommend the right product for your floor type and traffic level if you send your site details.
Why Floors Need Film During Construction
Finished floors are installed early and abused longest. From the day the flooring goes down to building handover, they face dropped tools, paint spatter, mortar dust, scaffold wheels, and hundreds of boot crossings. Replacing a scratched hardwood floor or a stained polished-concrete surface costs a multiple of the cents-per-square-meter that protection film costs. Film is also faster to apply and remove than corrugated board or hardboard sheets, and it lets the floor’s finish show through for client walkthroughs.
Match the Film to the Surface
Smooth Hard Surfaces (Hardwood, Laminate, Tile, Polished Concrete)
Standard adhesive PE film works well: high tack keeps it anchored under foot and cart traffic, and 80–100 micron thickness resists punctures from debris underfoot. On hardwood and laminate, confirm the finish is fully cured before filming — film applied over fresh finish can block the curing process or pick up the finish on removal. Wait the finish manufacturer’s stated cure time (often 7–14 days).
Carpet and Textured Surfaces
Never use standard adhesive film on carpet. The adhesive bonds into the pile and delaminates the carpet backing when removed. Carpet requires reverse-wound self-adhesive film: the adhesive is wound to the outside so it is applied dry-side-down, gripping the pile mechanically without impregnating it. It peels off cleanly after weeks of wear. This is a hard rule — a single roll of standard film on wool carpet can destroy a room’s flooring budget.
Windows, Frames, and Countertops on the Same Job
Many contractors buy one film for everything, which is how finished surfaces get damaged. Different surfaces genuinely need different tack — see the surface-by-surface logic in our protective film selection guide and the glass-specific recommendations in our glass film guide. A two-spec approach (one roll for floors, one for glass and coated surfaces) covers most job sites.
Specification Checklist
| Factor | Recommendation | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 80–100 μm (floors) | Resists punctures from grit and dropped tools |
| Tack | High for smooth floors; reverse-wound for carpet | Anchors under traffic; carpet needs mechanical grip |
| Roll width | 600 mm or 1,000 mm | Narrow rolls detail around edges; wide covers open areas fast |
| Roll length | 100 m+ | Fewer changeovers, less waste |
| Dwell time rating | Match your project schedule | Film left past its rating can bond permanently |
| Slip resistance | Textured outer surface | Bare film on smooth floors can be slippery underfoot |
Application Tips That Prevent Claims
- Clean before filming — grit trapped under film grinds into the floor with every footstep, worse than no film at all;
- Butt joints, don’t overlap — overlaps create trip edges and trap debris;
- Stage your application — film areas just before heavy trade traffic, not weeks ahead;
- Respect dwell limits — calendar the removal date when you apply; UV through glazing accelerates aging, as explained in our film storage guide;
- Remove at handover, not after — film keeps working only while it is intact; torn patches expose floor edges to damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can floor film stay down?
Quality floor film is rated for 30–90 days depending on formulation and sunlight exposure. Indoors away from direct UV, expect the long end; sunrooms and glazed atriums shorten it. If a project slips, peel and re-film rather than gambling past the rating — adhesive left past its dwell window is the leading cause of residue damage.
Is thicker film always better?
Up to a point. Above roughly 100 microns, you pay for puncture resistance you will not use on typical renovation traffic, and stiffness makes the film harder to lay flat. The bigger quality factors are tack stability and clean-removal adhesive formulation.
Supply and Pricing
Kaisyon supplies construction-grade floor and carpet protection film in 500–1,600 mm widths with high-tack and reverse-wound carpet grades, plus custom print options — job-site branding or contractor contact details printed along the roll. Volume pricing for distributors and contractors is available direct from the factory. Request a quote or sample roll.