Floor Protection When Moving [How to Protect Every Floor During Moving]
1 September 2026
Temporary Floor Protection on Newly Finished Timber
500 mL Water Exposure for 5 Hours on a Newly Finished Timber Floor
How effectively does temporary floor protection stop a prolonged liquid spill from reaching a finished timber floor underneath?
Floor Protection® conducted Water Penetration Test FPT-008 inside a newly completed residential property in Vaucluse, Sydney NSW.
A 20 m² room with newly finished timber flooring was protected with Floor Protection® multi-layer temporary floor protection.
A measured 500 mL (500 cc) of water was applied to the installed protection and remained in contact with the protected surface for 5 hours.
After 300 minutes of exposure, the protection was lifted and the timber flooring underneath was inspected.
FPT-008 result:
No visible water reached the timber floor.
500 mL
WATER APPLIED
0
VISIBLE DAMAGE
5 hrs
EXPOSURE PERIOD
20 m²
PROTECTED ROOM
Can spilled water reach the timber underneath?
Temporary floor protection is normally associated with scratches, dust, paint splashes and trade traffic. But liquid spills create a different risk, particularly over newly finished timber.
FPT-008 was designed around one clear question:
If a measured amount of water remains on the installed protection for an extended period, will visible liquid water reach the finished timber floor underneath?
- Test overview
FPT-008 test conditions
The test was carried out in a real residential environment rather than only on a disposable sample board.
Test detail | Recorded information |
Test reference | FPT-008 |
Test type | In-house water penetration assessment |
Location | Vaucluse, Sydney NSW |
Property | Newly completed residential house |
Floor surface | Newly finished timber flooring |
Protected room area | 20 m² |
Water applied | 500 mL / 500 cc / 0.5 L |
Exposure period | 5 hours / 300 minutes |
Protection | Floor Protection® multi-layer floor protection |
Visible water reaching timber | None observed |
Visible timber damage | 0 |
Outcome | PASS |
- Test procedure
How the water penetration test was carried out
The method was intentionally simple and site-practical so each part of the assessment can be understood.
01
Inspect
The newly finished timber was visually checked before the assessment.
02
Protect
The 20 m² room was covered with the multi-layer temporary protection system.
03
Measure
A measured 500 mL of clean water was applied to the installed protection.
04
Expose
The water remained in contact with the protection for 5 hours / 300 minutes.
05
Lift & inspect
The protection was lifted and the underside and timber floor were visually inspected
- Measured result
After five hours, no visible water had reached the timber.
FPT-008 pass criteria
A PASS required both of the following conditions after the documented exposure:
✓ No visible liquid water reaching the timber floor.
✓ No visible damage to the finished timber.
Under the documented FPT-008 conditions, the Floor Protection® multi-layer system met both criteria.
VISIBLE TIMBER DAMAGE
0
No visible penetration observed
500 mL · 5 hours · 20 m² room
Measured test vs published product claims
FPT-008 records a defined water quantity, exposure time, floor type and post-test inspection. Other materials may be described as water resistant, spill resistant or suitable for minor spills, but those claims should not be treated as equivalent to this specific test unless the test conditions match.
How common temporary coverings compare
Protection type | Typical liquid-performance description | Equivalent 500 mL / 5-hour timber test |
Floor Protection® multi-layer protection | Directly assessed under FPT-008 | YES — FPT-008 |
Builder's paper | Some products are promoted for minor spills | Not, Failed |
Heavy protection board | Some products are marketed as liquid or spill resistant | Not identified |
Paper/poly drop sheet | Performance may rely on a plastic underside | Not, Failed |
Fabric drop sheet | fibre, thickness, weave | Not, Failed |
Plastic sheet / film | Intact film may resist liquid; seams and edges remain installation variables | Yes |
Water resistance and breathability are not the same thing
Liquid-water penetration and water-vapour transmission answer two different questions.
FPT-008
Liquid water penetration
Can water spilled onto the protection pass through the installed material and visibly reach the timber underneath?
Breathability test
Water-vapour transmission
Can moisture vapour move through the complete material construction under defined test conditions?
Floor Protection® Anti-Slippery 160gsm separately recorded 1,176 g/m²/24h under ASTM E96/E96M-24a Procedure B.
FPT-008 FAQs
- Floor Protection® Test Centre
Compare the evidence before choosing a floor covering.
Review practical installation, removal, residue, breathability and water-penetration assessments, or talk to us about the right protection for your project.
