Efforts should be made to protect completed construction work from damage or carelessness in order to eliminate the need for costly repair.

Apply the following guidelines:

To avoid damage to the waterbars and in turn a decrease in watertightness; do not allow heavy construction traffic over external door thresholds.
Protect doors with original wrapping or polythene.
Using timber strips or plywood to at least 1 m above floor level; protect door frames and linings as illustrated below.
To withstand damp caused by plaster droppings etc., protect flooring with suitable temporary covering such as building paper.
Use timber strips, plywood, or building paper to protect stair threads and handrails. Never use polythene.
Protect kitchen unit faces and worktops. Avoid using cupboards for storage or counter tops as work benches etc.

Diagram F1 - Appropriately protect reveals

Paint Finishing of Timber

All surfaces including concealed areas should be primed on joinery timbers that require a paint finish in order to reduce expansion, shrinkage, and moisture uptake while the unit is in service. Ideally, timber should be shop-primed or, if not possible, primed swiftly on delivery to site.

Clear Finish for Timber

Joinery timber should be sealed as early as possible on all exposed and concealed surfaces where the timber requires a clear surface finish. The sealing coat should be appropriate to the finish which is sought.

Protecting Complete Construction