A kitchen renovation is one of the most significant home improvement projects you can undertake — and one of the most common causes of surface damage to both existing and new surfaces. Worktops, tiles, floors and appliances are all vulnerable during a refit. Understanding how to protect surfaces before, during and after a kitchen renovation can save significant repair costs and prevent avoidable frustration.
Common Causes of Damage During Kitchen Refits
- Dropped tools and offcuts — hammers, drills and saw offcuts dropped onto worktops and floor tiles cause chips and cracks
- Dragging appliances across floors — heavy ovens, dishwashers and fridges dragged across vinyl, LVT or tiled floors cause scratches, tears and tile chips
- Grout and adhesive splashing onto finished surfaces — particularly damaging to polished stone and quartz
- Chemical exposure — cleaning products, thinners and adhesive removers can stain or etch stone surfaces and damage coatings
- Scaffolding boards and knee pads on new worktops — installers resting boards or tools on newly fitted worktops without protection
How to Protect Existing Surfaces During a Refit
- Worktops — cover with thick cardboard (corrugated, taped flat), hardboard sheets or a purpose-made worktop protector pad. Avoid thin polythene sheeting which won’t prevent impact damage.
- Floor tiles and LVT — lay hardboard sheets or specialist floor protection boards. These distribute weight and protect against point impacts. Tape boards at the joints so they don’t slide.
- Hardwood and engineered wood floors — use floor protection film or hardboard. Avoid dragging anything directly across wood floors; use furniture sliders under appliances.
- Existing tiles being kept in place — protect grouted surfaces from adhesive and grout splashes with masking film or dust sheets taped around them.
What to Do If a Surface Is Damaged During the Refit
If a surface is damaged during a kitchen renovation, don’t simply accept it. Tradespeople are responsible for damage they cause to existing or newly installed surfaces through negligence — and should arrange or fund a professional repair. Keep photographic evidence of damage as it occurs, noting who was on site that day.
Professional surface repair is usually possible even on freshly installed surfaces — most chips and scratches can be repaired invisibly without replacement. We regularly work alongside kitchen fitters, renovation companies and individual tradespeople to resolve installation damage quickly.
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