PROTEX Frequently Asked Questions
GaffGun™ FAQs included below
Why is temporary job-site surface protection needed?
Almost every construction, remodeling or repair project involves moving large and varied amounts of equipment and personnel into and out of a jobsite which can cause unnecessary damage to floors, walls, doors and other areas which the repair of even of minor dings and scratches creates unnecessary costs in money and time.
What are PROTEX® products made out of?
All PROTEX® products are made with either certified FSC Recycled materials, 100% recycled kraft paper, 100% recycled plastic, 100% natural fibers and use only 100% bio-degradable or water-based adhesives.
What are the primary differences between PROTEX, PROBoard and PROBoardMAX?
PROTEX® is our “standard duty” temporary surface job-site protection sheet that was specifically designed for the “everyday” type of construction and DIY projects. Impact and puncture resistant, non-staining, vapor permeable and stackable / reusable sheets for fast and Tru-Lay Flat™ installation.
PROBoard™ is our “heavy duty” temporary surface job-site protection sheet that provides superior impact and puncture resistance for more demanding projects. Vapor permeable, non-staining and stackable / resusable flat sheets for Tru-Lay Flat™ installation.
PROBoardMAX™ is our “extreme duty” water proof temporary surface job-site protection sheet provide unsurpassed impact and puncture resistance for the harshest and most demanding construction projects. Water-proof, non-staining, stackable / reusable sheets for fast and Tru-Lay Flat™ installation.
How is PROTEX, PROBoard and PROBoardMAX different?
We do not recommend installing PROBoardMAX™ over any surfaces that are still curing and need to breath
How thick is PROTEX, PROBoard and PROBoardMAX?
PROTEX® is 48 mils thick, PROBoard™ is 80 mils thick and PROBoardMAX™ is 90 mils thick
To help put that into perspective:
PROTEX® is 15% thicker than the average floor protection “rolls”, 20% thicker than layout board and almost 5 TIMES thicker than average rosin paper.
PROBoard™ is almost 2 TIMES thicker than the average floor protection “rolls” and 8 TIMES thicker than average rosin paper.
PROBoardMAX™ is almost 3 TIMES thicker than the average floor protection “rolls” and 9 TIMES thicker than average rosin paper.
Do PROTEX Products lay flat?
Yes. Unlike other types of temporary floor protection “rolls”, PROTEX®, PROBoard™ and PROBoardMAX™ come in “flat” sheets that were specifically designed for Tru-Lay Flat™ installation.
Also, because they are much more rigid than the “rolls”, they are all easier to handle and much faster to install and remove.
What are some of the “traditional” products that PROTEX be used in place of?
PROTEX® Products’ full line of temporary job-site surface protection solutions has you covered for almost every size and scope of construction project. PROTEX® Products are the superior alternative to ‘traditional’ surface protection products as PROTEX Products are more versatile, durable and cost effective.
How do I install PROTEX products?
1) Clean (Sweep & Vacuum) all dirt and debris off flooring to be protected
2) Place onto floor in linear fashion from entrance and nearest wall
3) Trim (if needed) to fit around corners / walls
4) Tape seams between sheets together for more durable flooring protection.
To further eliminate waste consider overlapping the sheets rather than trimming to fit along walls.
Will PROTEX products stain my floors or walls?
No, unlike other temporary surface protection products, PROTEX®, PROBoard™, PROBoardMAX™ and do NOT contain any inks or dyes which could leach into and stain floors or stairs and damage them. Furthermore, PROEdge™ has a non-abrasive white backing.
How do I cut PROTEX products to fit?
We recommend using a high quality utility knife to “score and snap” for best results.
Tip: Do not trim sheets directly on the floor or wall to further help prevent floor and wall damage.
What tape should I use?
MTape™ is a standard-duty contractor grade medium tack paper masking seam tape. MTape has an excellent quick stick natural rubber adhesive that installs very easily and quickly.
Use with: PROTEX, PROBoard
Application: Recommended for temporary / short term application
KTape™ is a heavy-duty contractor grade pressure sensitive and moisture resistant flatback kraft paper seam tape. KTape has an aggressive synthetic rubber adhesive that offer excellent adhesion and performs well under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions.
Use with: PROBoard and PROBoardMAX
Application: Recommended for longer term application
UTape™ is an extreme-duty water-proof UPVC backed film seam tape. UTape has a solvent based natural rubber adhesive for unsurpassed adhesion and performance for the most demanding situations.
Use with: PROBoardMAX
Application: Recommended for longer term application
For PROEdge™ we recommend using either Painter’s Tape or Artists tape.
For PROLiftMAX we recommend that only PROLift Seam Tape be used.
We do NOT recommend taping PROTEX® products directly to the floor (only to other PROTEX® products or to unfinished floors, walls or molding). If it is necessary to tape directly to the floor, we recommend that you first consult the flooring manufacturer for their recommended tape solutions. For areas that are still curing and need to breathe we recommend using vapor-permeable tape.
How do I remove PROTEX Products
Carefully pull up on tape and then remove PROTEX® products.
Hint: If using heavier adhesive tape, lifting up the PROTEX® product itself, rather than the tape itself, will decrease removal time.
Are PROTEX products re-usable?
Yes. On average, depending on location and period of time PROTEX® products were in use, approximately 75% can be re-used for another project.
What do I do with PROTEX products when my project is complete?
If you want to re-use PROTEX® on your next project, simply store on a pallet in a dry area otherwise just divert the used PROTEX® products to your recycling company.
Where can I buy PROTEX products?
PROTEX products are distributed nationally through our growing list of distributors, equipment rental yards, stair component companies, stair fabrication companies and building material retailers.
If you do not have a local supplier near you, please call one of our experts at:
312-292-1310
Where are PROTEX products made?
All PROTEX® products are certified MADE IN USA.
What are the environmental benefits of using PROTEX products made with 100% recycled materials?
100% Fewer Trees Used
42% Less Energy Used
37% Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions
46% Less water Used
What are the environmental benefits of recycling PROTEX products?
Recycling paper saves over 20% of landfill space
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 185 gallons of gas
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 6,953 gallons of water
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves enough energy to power a television for 31 hours
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves over 24,000,000 BTU of energy which is enough to provide a person with two years of energy
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves two months of water use per person
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 1 ton of oil use
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves over 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space
Recycling supports over 85,000 jobs in the US alone
Most paper can be recycled up to 8 different times to create new products
Reduces greenhouse emissions
Environmentally friendly source for making new products
What is LEED®?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods that has revolutionized building construction around the world.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED helps building architects, contractors and owners to be more environmentally responsible and use our natural resources more efficiently.
Started in 1998, LEED standards have been applied to more than 50,000 projects around the world, covering more than 3 billion square feet.
Where can I find more information about LEED®?
Go to The US Green Building Council’s fantastic website at http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/
What is FSC®?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international not for-profit organization that was established in 1993 that sets certain high standards to make sure that forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible and socially beneficial manner.
Products that are “FSC Certified” means that those products were made from responsible sources — environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable – and have met all the environmental requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council.
Where can I find more information about Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)?
Go to FSC’s fantastic website at https://us.fsc.org/
Why is using LEED® Compliant products important?
Besides the importance of protecting our environment and benefits of using sustainable products, more and more “green” building mandates are being required by all levels of government, especially for construction projects and LEED® is the internationally recognized standard for measuring sustainability.
GaffGun FAQs
Do I have to use PROTEX® Products’ Seam Tape?
You do not have to purchase "GaffGun" tape, but you do need to purchase tape with the orange CoreLock core system.
PROTEX does not make tape, but instead has partnered with the world's best tape suppliers to provide their trusted tapes onto GaffGun's CoreLock core. With every tape company having a different size diameter core, the CoreLock core ensures a perfect fit every time on your GaffGun.
The CoreLock core also centers the tape on the GaffGun and allows you to utilize the GaffGun’s™ tensioning system, making tape application smooth and stable.
How many cables will the GaffGun™ accept?
Due to differences in shielding and gauge, no two cables are exactly alike. That means there's no definite rule about how many cables can consistently fit within the GaffGun's™ funnel. But, we do have some guides available indicating combinations we know to work:
Small CableGuide: 1-2 XLR cables; 10/16" wide funnel opening; 0.7" funnel ground clearance
Medium CableGuide: 3-4 XLR cables; 1-1/8" wide funnel opening; 0.7" funnel ground clearance
Large CableGuide: 5-6 XLR cables; 1-3/8" wide funnel opening; 0.7" funnel ground clearance
On what surfaces can the GaffGun™ be used?
The GaffGun™ works on most surfaces where its wheels are able to roll. To ensure cables within the funnel of the GaffGun™, a relatively low ground clearance must be maintained. Because of this, the GaffGun™ may scrape on uneven surfaces like exposed aggregate.
The GaffGun™ is designed to be an industrial tool; each device is hand-assembled in our Seattle-area warehouse using heavy-duty materials, and built to last. In fact, the body of the GaffGun is made of the same material used for pulleys on cranes on deep sea fishing ships. (That means it's really tough!)
Do I have to go back after I lay down PROTEX seam tapes and press tape down again for a strong seam between PROTEX surface protection sheets?
The GaffGun™ was designed to be weighted for even tape adhesion in mind. That coupled with the PROTEX Products’ Tru-Lay Flat™ temporary surface protection sheets mean that the tape is applied with even pressure to help prevent save you from having to go back and adhere tape after the seam tape run is complete. However, floor environment, surface, cleanliness and other factors can all play a part in the performance of the tape adhesion so always double-check seam tape runs to ensure they are safe and secure.
