Season 22 of The Block is a wrap! Congratulations to Courtney and Sev on taking out the win, and to all five teams, Adam and Jolene, Chantel and Wyatt, Lisa and Rosco, Courtney and Sev, and Rick and Tayla, for an incredible effort in Mount Eliza. It’s also a wrap on our time at one of Australia’s most-watched building sites.
At the start of the season, we shared what we’d be watching for. Since then, we’ve seen protection tested by weekly deadlines, constant foot traffic, finished rooms next to live construction, and even a pop-up nightclub.
Here’s what The Block taught us about site protection.
1. Protect early
The message came through in every interview. Project specialist David Perna put it best: protection can’t be bolted on. It needs to go down before the mess, before the foot traffic, and before the damage. Regional Sales Manager Mark Johnson agreed: if you’ve paid for a quality surface, protect it the day it goes in.
Read more: Mark's Interview; David's interview
2. Protect for what’s coming next
Finished today doesn’t mean finished with trades. After every reveal, our team walked the site with the contestants and builders, reviewing what was completed and what was coming the following week. In Week 2, Protecta Shield XTRA went over a freshly finished bathroom. All season, ZipWall® kept presented rooms clean while major construction carried on right next door.
3. Good protection shouldn’t slow the job down
It should keep the job moving. As David said, protection certainly didn’t slow the trades down. Same-day delivery, plenty of stock on hand, and a project specialist who’d stick his head in and ask, “Do you need anything?” meant protection was never the holdup.
Read more: Why Nine in Six Builders Trust Protecta on The Block
4. Not every job needs a standard solution
Sometimes the site dictates the answer. This season, that meant:
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Protecta Sound Noise Barrier panels built into a temporary room, which became a nightclub with no noise complaints
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8mm Protecta Board XTRA supporting scaffold on a new metal roof
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Protecta Shield XTRA moulded to a plunge pool, which stayed spotless while everyone else scrubbed theirs
5. The cheapest defect is the one you prevent
The 9in6 builders drove protection hard and early for one simple reason: they’re the ones who deal with the defects. A little protection up front costs far less than the rework, rectification, and delays that come from damage. Quality protection also lasts, and Nine in Six still have Protecta product in their factory that’s two or three jobs old.
6. Protection is part of the build
On The Block, protection was planned in from day one. Colour-coded Protecta Site Mat XTRA marked out each team’s walkways from Week 1, kept dirt out of homes and site offices, and created clear, safe paths of travel. It’s a WHS win that even the regulator noticed.
A huge thank you to Nine in Six Builders, the contestants, and the production team for having us on site this season.
Plan it early and protect it properly by talking to your local Protecta Solution Specialist before your next project starts.