When you’re working in finished spaces, it isn’t just your work that reflects on your business in the eyes of your client, but also how you treat their space. Respecting and protecting your client’s space is an important part of your impression on the client. Not to mention that failing to protect a client’s home and causing damage will only cause you a loss in the end, as you have to spend time and potentially money fixing your mistake.

There are tons of products on the market designed to control and limit the impact of construction on the surrounding spaces. Obviously, there’s no such thing as the best product for any given task due to the multitude of variables involved. But we’ve gone through the options and found great general operations for a few different types of protection.

Dust Control

Though they can be a bit pricey, nothing else compares to the ZipWall. It’s sturdy, reusable and easy to set up. They are completely customizable and can fit any space. The barrier is 100% dust-proof without blocking light or access to the space.

Barriers are 12’ high and in variable widths from 2.5’ to 10’, but a roll of 10’x50’ sheeting is also available. The supplies you need depend on the size and shape of the space or opening that you want to seal off, but you’ll need one reusable barrier and two poles, at the most basic. Poles include a header that holds the sheet and a no-slip disc for the foot of the pole. There are additional accessories for allowing you to create doors, perfect seals and other customization.

If you have a high-end customer that you’re eager to impress them, ZipWalls are the only way to go.

Air Scrubber

There are a few reputable air scrubbers on the market and what works best definitely depends on the job. But the BlueDri A550 is a great all around scrubber. It has multiple filters to clean the air down to 0.3 microns. It has a timer so you can run it after the work day for a few hours

Plus it has a directional vent, which means you can direct air flow or place it at the entry point for air circulation. Multiple units can be connected in a daisy chain for more cleaning power. The units are stackable, come with a filter cover for protection and you can attach a hose to further direct the air.

General Floor Protection

There are lots of options for floor protection. What you’re looking for depends on the job, but obviously it should prevent damage from dragging, impact, moisture and the increased wear and tear of heavy traffic.

Ramboard does it all. It’s strong, durable and waterproof. There are a few variations so you can choose the type best for your projects. Once rolled out, the board lays flat and doesn’t curl up. (As you get toward the inside of the roll, you might need to fold it back as you lay it, but then it stays flat.) They also sell a special tape to avoid damaging finished floors.

While Ramboards are not meant to be reusable, it’s certainly possible for shorter jobs to save all or portions of the board, especially as a scrap to throw down in the shop or at the entry point for your next job.

Heavy Floor Protection

While it sounds a bit simplistic at the end of such technical gear, the best thing to protect a floor from heavy traffic and equipment is OSB or plywood. It’s cheap, it’s versatile and it’s almost infinitely reusable.

If you’re working indoors, drop a blanket, drop a board and you’re ready to roll. Outside, it can be used to protect grass, though you should probably lift it at the end of each day to avoid killing the grass over the course of the project.

Sometimes simple is the best solution and it doesn’t get any more simple than a sheet of plywood.