Drop Cloths - Floor covering
Drop cloths provide valuable protection for variety of painting and home improvement projects. These are commonly used to protect floors and furniture from the splatters of a painting job. However, the correct drop cloth does more than protects your floors and furniture from paint drips. It may also speed your job by minimizing "mishaps", protect valuables from dust and make cleanup easier and faster.
Drop cloths are available in four different material types: canvas, paper, paper/poly and plastic. Choosing the right drop cloth is very important when starting a paint or home improvement project. While plastic is the most common choice of do-it-yourselfers, canvas is preferred by most painters for the following important reasons:
- Canvas drop cloth drapes well over furniture, conforms to
surfaces better, moves less, and requires less taping.
- Their absorbent quality also helps prevent spills from
spreading along the drop cloth and being tracked around by your
feet.
- It traps dust and debris thus making cleanup faster and
easier.
- These are durable and can be used multiple times; hence more economical in the long run.
To check the good-quality canvas drop cloth, check the weave and weight of the fabric. Experts agree that the heavier the weight and tighter the cotton weave, the better and more absorbent the drop cloth.
Butyl drop cloths and poly coated drop cloths are canvas drop cloths with vinyl or polyethylene backing. These provide better protection as canvas fabric absorbs while the vinyl/ polyethylene backing prevents any paint spills and drips. These are more expensive as compared to canvas, paper, paper/poly and plastic drop cloths.
Paper drop cloths are economical, absorbent and disposable. However it is not very strong and rips easily thus spilling paint and stains. A composite paper/plastic drop cloth offers better protection. The paper side absorbs drips to keep paint tracking to a minimum while the polyethylene barrier offers additional strength and protects against paint penetration. However, it is not very strong and may rip under harsh working conditions.
Plastic drop cloths are waterproof and economical. These are disposable, ideal for quick one shot jobs. However, they are non-absorbent. Any paint spills will not penetrate them. The downside is that paint drips are more easily picked up on your shoes and thus produce a sloppier work area. For effective floor coverage, plastic drop cloths need to be taped in place, adding to the setup time.
