Your floors take a beating during renovation. Workers walk across them daily carrying heavy tools, materials are dragged and dropped, and chemicals from painting or grouting can cause permanent staining. Protecting your floors properly isn’t optional — it’s a sign of a contractor who respects your home.
The two most common floor protection options you’ll encounter are corrugated cardboard boards and 3mm EVA foam mats. Here’s what you need to know about each.
Corrugated Board
Corrugated cardboard is the traditional go-to for floor protection on renovation sites. It’s cheap, widely available, and easy to lay down quickly across large areas.
Pros:
- Low cost — disposable and recyclable
- Easy to source and quick to install
- Adequate for light foot traffic
Cons:
- Prone to tearing under heavy loads or repeated foot traffic
- Offers very little cushioning — does not absorb shock from dropped tools
- Absorbs moisture easily, which can trap water against your floor and cause warping or staining
3mm EVA Foam Mat
EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam mats are the modern alternative. They’re the same material used in high-quality gym mats — lightweight, flexible, and surprisingly tough.
Pros:
- High durability — handles heavy foot traffic, tools, and equipment without tearing
- Excellent shock absorption — reduces impact damage from dropped items
- Water-resistant surface — doesn’t absorb spills or chemical splashes
- Reusable across multiple projects — more sustainable over time
Cons:
- Higher upfront cost compared to cardboard
- Non-recyclable in most Singapore waste streams
| Corrugated Board | 3mm EVA Mat |
| Low cost | Higher cost, but reusable |
| Prone to tearing | High durability |
| Minimal cushioning | Excellent shock absorption |
| Absorbs moisture | Water-resistant |
| Single-use, recyclable | Multi-use, not easily recycled |
What Does My Reno Studio Use?
We use 3mm EVA mats as our standard floor protection. We believe your finished floors — whether you’ve invested in marble, engineered timber, or vinyl — deserve proper protection, not just a sheet of cardboard. It’s a small cost that prevents an expensive regret.
When evaluating renovation contractors, it’s worth asking: what floor protection do they use? The answer tells you a lot about how they treat your home.
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