For years, poly sheeting has been the go-to method for jobsite containment. It’s cheap, accessible, and easy to roll out. But as construction demands evolve and expectations rise, general contractors are starting to ask a critical question:
Is poly sheeting really good enough anymore?
Short answer: Not even close.
In today’s renovation and construction landscape, where speed, professionalism, and environmental impact matter more than ever, poly sheeting is falling short. Here’s a deep dive into why outdated methods like poly sheeting no longer cut it—and what forward-thinking GCs are turning to instead.
1. It Looks Unprofessional
Let’s face it—poly sheeting screams temporary and messy. For occupied environments like hospitals, airports, or commercial buildings, the visual impact matters. When clients walk past flapping plastic, it sends the wrong message about your brand and the quality of your work.
Your containment approach is part of the overall impression you make. Professional presentation isn’t just about the finished build—it starts the moment you walk onto the site. Durable, clean-looking temporary walls signal that your team is organized, experienced, and committed to excellence from day one.
2. It Doesn’t Contain Noise or Debris
Poly sheeting is fine for basic dust protection, but it does little to block noise or fully contain debris. That creates friction with building occupants, project managers, and owners—especially in high-sensitivity spaces. If your containment solution causes complaints, it’s costing you.
Lack of noise control can halt operations in healthcare or office environments, triggering schedule delays or relocation expenses. In contrast, reusable wall systems are engineered with noise-reduction and air-sealing features that minimize disruption and reduce client complaints.
3. It’s Single-Use and Wasteful
At a time when sustainability is reshaping the industry, poly sheeting’s throwaway nature is a glaring liability. Every sheet you tear down ends up in a landfill, contributing to both environmental impact and disposal costs. It’s time to consider containment alternatives that align with greener building practices.
Reusable containment solutions offer a dramatically smaller environmental footprint. They reduce landfill waste, minimize carbon emissions from manufacturing, and can be deployed across dozens or even hundreds of projects. For GCs working under green building guidelines or sustainability KPIs, this is a clear win.
4. It Wastes Time and Labor
Setting up poly sheeting takes more time and finesse than most GCs would like to admit. Taping, cutting, and re-taping after every shift eats into productivity. And if you have to replace it mid-project? More downtime, more frustration.
Worse still, that time is often non-billable or absorbed by your team. Temporary wall systems go up fast—100 linear feet in about an hour with STARC—without skilled labor or extensive prep. That translates to fewer work interruptions and more efficient crew utilization.
5. It Doesn’t Meet Evolving Standards
With stricter regulations around infection control, safety, and environmental compliance, poly sheeting often fails to meet the mark—especially in healthcare or cleanroom settings. Compliance isn’t optional. Containment that doesn’t comply slows you down.
ICRA 2.0 guidelines emphasize stringent infection control measures during healthcare construction, leading many facilities to adopt high-performance containment solutions. As a result, there’s an increasing trend among architects, owners, and facility managers to consider reusable wall systems in their project specifications. If you’re still relying on poly sheeting, you may be falling behind current best practices.
6. It Creates Long-Term Cost Creep
Poly might seem cheap up front, but those costs add up: buying new rolls for every job, extra labor for setup and takedown, and ongoing cleanup and repair. Over time, it becomes an invisible cost center that eats away at your margins.
In contrast, investing in a reusable wall system is a capital expense that pays for itself quickly. When amortized over multiple projects, the cost-per-use drops significantly. More importantly, it frees up labor and reduces unexpected project delays, driving real bottom-line impact.
7. It Doesn’t Adapt to Complex Conditions
Most jobsites are not clean rectangles. You have ceiling height changes, curved corridors, sensitive equipment, fire-rated requirements, and varying floor conditions. Poly sheeting isn’t designed to adapt to these realities.
High-performance temporary wall systems are modular, extendable, and engineered for tough environments. Whether you need negative air panels, fire-rated enclosures, or integrated doors, these systems are built for your challenges.
The Better Alternative: Reusable Temporary Wall Systems
If you’re still relying on poly sheeting, you’re missing an opportunity to upgrade your process, your professional image, and your bottom line. Reusable temporary wall systems offer a smarter, faster, and more professional solution that’s built for modern construction challenges.
They install quickly, look clean and finished, reduce waste, and can be reused across multiple projects. More importantly, they actually contain what they’re supposed to: dust, noise, and debris—without compromise.
Industry leading temporary wall systems don’t just outperform poly sheeting—they solve the persistent challenges that come with traditional containment approaches. Whether you’re working in a healthcare setting, an airport, a datacenter, or a commercial space, the difference in performance is night and day.
Still using poly sheeting?
There’s a better way. Contact us to learn how STARC can help you ditch the plastic and take control of your jobsite containment strategy.