As professional painters are aware, drop cloths are as essential to a painting job just as painting brushes. Painters cover furniture and floors with four different types of drop cloths: canvas, plastic, paper, and a poly/paper mix.
A drop cloth is a piece of material that painters use to cover furniture and floors from paint drips and dribbles that may fall from the ceiling. There should always be a tarp underneath you if you hold a paint can and a brush in your hand. That’s one of the fundamental principles of painting.
Choosing the best drop cloth or tarp for your upcoming home improvement project can be challenging due to the variety of options available. So, we simplified it for you.
- Canvas
Professionals choose canvas drop cloths because they are strong and thick to absorb paint droplets. The rubberized butyl backing on some canvas drop cloths holds the floor and prevents paint spills from seeping through the material. They are practically unbreakable; if you purchase them once, they will last you for many years.
They are the most expensive drop cloths available, which is fortunate. There are several weights for canvas drop cloths; the heavier, the better. A 9 by 12-foot fabric may be purchased for anywhere between $15 for a 6-ounce canvas and roughly $30 for a 12-ounce canvas.
The heavier canvas will offer more absorbency if you paint sloppily. Additionally, it is more densely woven, making it more tearing-resistant. However, it is heavier and bulkier to store and transport.
Pros of canvas
- Both indoor and outdoor use
- Strong and thick
- Washable and reusable.
Cons
- Tends to cluster
- More expensive
- Plastic
Several different plastic painters’ drop cloth thicknesses are available, ranging from.4 mill to 4 mils. A.6 to 1 mil plastic drop cloth ($1 for 9 × 12 feet) is needed for most jobs: It is comparable to a trash bag in thickness.
Furniture and cabinet cover made of inexpensive, lightweight plastic drop cloths that are paint-proof work well. Heavy-duty plastic may be reused and is rip-resistant.
Paint spills may run because plastic painters’ drop cloths are not absorbent. And if you tread on any paint that has been spilt, it will follow you. To protect lawns and landscaping when painting outside, use plastic drop cloths.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Economical
- Draping-friendly to cover furniture and unusual shapes
Cons
- Not eco-friendly
- Non-absorbent
- Slipping hazard
- Paper
For cheap indoor projects like touching up window trim, you can cover furniture or windows with paper drop cloths ($3 to $5). They are textured and absorbent to hold paint. You may just fold them up and discard them once you’re done.
However, because they are so readily torn, paper drop cloths used by painters are not the ideal choice for floors.
Pros
- Recyclable
- Best for painting trim and woodwork
Cons
- Rips easily
- Blows around in the wind
Paper /Poly
Drop cloths made of paper and poly are the most practical because they are cheap and disposable. While increasing the protection for what’s underneath, they soak up paint droplets. They offer some slipping protection as well.
Drop cloths made of paper or poly can be cut to size. These drop cloths have the downside of tearing, just like paper. To prevent them from straying, tape the edges.
Pros
- Collects debris
- Multipurpose
- Best suited for exterior projects
Cons
- Use only as an under-liner for painting
Things to keep in mind when purchasing drop cloth
The word “plastic” needs to be the first thing you need to eliminate from your head if you’re going to buy drop cloths. The market is flooded with different plastic drop cloths brands in various sizes and thickness you can think of, but they all have the same flaw—none of them can actually absorb paint. You want something to absorb the paint drip when it occurs—and it will—instead of just holding it until you can tread on it. Painting over drop cloths made of plastic has left beautiful, vibrant footprints on many a carpet.
Plastic drop cloths are just good for covering furniture, and that’s all. Even then, moving the drop cloth to another piece of furniture is not a good idea since you can get paint dribbles on it and be unable to determine which side is up.
The idea that bigger is always better should also be kept in mind. It’s a recipe for disaster to try to paint your 10-foot by 12-foot space using a drop cloth that measures 9 feet by 12 feet. A drop cloth that is too large can always be folded, but a drop cloth that is too small cannot be stretched. You will be surprised at how rapidly your drop cloths appear to shrink if you want to use them to cover furniture.
Using drop cloths
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of using your drop cloths with the same side up each time. This will ensure that any paint drops on the drop cloth as you move it are on the “UP” side rather than on your furniture and carpeting. Mark the upward side numerous times with a thick magic marker to begin. The paint drips and splatters themselves will eventually reveal the benefit of the drop cloth.
Laying drop cloths
Before laying out drop cloths, vacuum the floor to avoid dirt and debris from getting trapped underneath and damaging the surface. Tape the edges of paper and plastic drop cloths to the floor since they tend to slide when you walk on them. You can safely paint all the way down to the floor line by using quick-release painter’s tape. Use masking tape to hold painters’ drop cloths in place while they are draped over furniture.
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