What would you do if your kid wandered into a half-demo’d kitchen?

I’ve had mixed luck with the pool noodle trick - sometimes they peel off if the tape isn’t strong enough, especially on dusty demo surfaces. I’m curious, has anyone tried those clear silicone edge bumpers? Wondering if they hold up better on rough or uneven edges.

I’ve had mixed luck with the pool noodle trick - sometimes they peel off if the tape isn’t strong enough, especially on dusty demo surfaces.

Honestly, I’m not sold on those silicone edge bumpers either. Tried them on a jagged countertop and they just wouldn’t stick - kept popping off at the corners. If the surface isn’t perfectly clean and flat, they’re kind of a pain. I actually had better luck with painter’s tape and cardboard, even if it doesn’t look pretty. At least it stays put and you can double up for thicker coverage. The “clear” look is nice in theory, but function matters more when you’ve got a toddler running around...

Painter’s tape and cardboard is underrated, honestly. I’ve done the same thing during a flip - just layered up cardboard and taped it down tight. Not pretty, but it works.

“function matters more when you’ve got a toddler running around...”

Couldn’t agree more. Half the time, the “official” bumpers don’t hold up on rough demo edges anyway.

I get the appeal of cardboard and tape - cheap, quick, and you can just toss it when you’re done. But I tried that once and my little guy figured out how to peel the tape up in about five minutes. Maybe it’s just my luck, but after that I started using those foam pool noodles cut to size and zip-tied around sharp corners. Not as “official” as store-bought bumpers, but they held up better for us. Guess every kid is a little too clever for their own good sometimes...

Pool noodles - now that’s a trick I wish I’d thought of back when we were knee-deep in our kitchen reno. I hear you on the “official” bumpers not holding up. In our old Victorian, nothing is square and every edge seems to have its own personality, so those store-bought things never fit right anyway.

Guess every kid is a little too clever for their own good sometimes...

Ain’t that the truth. My youngest managed to turn cardboard shields into a game of “how fast can I make Dad panic?” within minutes. I ended up draping old quilts over the worst spots and just crossing my fingers. Not pretty, but it worked until the dust settled - literally and figuratively.

Honestly, half the battle is just staying one step ahead of their curiosity. Sounds like you’ve got a good system going with the pool noodles and zip ties. Sometimes the best solutions are the ones you cobble together on the fly.