Cover Your Floors Completely
with Drop Cloths

Drop cloths are often ignored until paint splatters land on your furniture or concrete sidewalk. Paint splatters and drips can find the smallest uncovered area, even from across the room. You need to cover and protect your valuable property from sanding dust and paint splatters before starting any painting project.

Drop cloths are available in 4 basic material types: Canvas, Paper, Paper/Poly and Plastic.

While plastic is a common choice with homeowners, the professional painters choose canvas. These are used for covering just about everything.

Canvas drop cloths will protect the intended surface and absorb the paint splatter. Usually made from recycled cotton fabrics. The heavier the fabric and tighter the weave the better and more absorbent the cloth will be.

Butyl and PVC backed cloths are the best. These are canvas cloths with a rubberized coating on one side. Next to nothing can get through this barrier.

Also butyl backed cloths are less prone to slipping on slick surfaces, great choice for tile, hardwood floors, and stairs where the need for gripping power is crucial. Use with the canvas side up.

Regular canvas, butyl and PVC backed canvas cloths are puncture resistant and will be superior at covering plants and bushes.

Paper drop cloths are cheap and last for 1 or 2 uses only. Will work at covering furniture, but the needs of an exterior paint job will not be met. Since they are light weight a slight breeze will expose your sidewalk or wood deck. Plus, the covering of bushes requires more strength and tear resistance.

Paper/Poly has the same features as paper alone plus the ability to resist penetration of most liquids. Although this combination is better than paper alone, the draw backs are the same.

Plastic is the best material to cover furniture and other odd shaped objects. Plus, it's perfect at protecting brick and masonry surfaces.

Plastic drop cloths don't work well for covering interior floors and many exterior surfaces. You will spend more time tripping on the plastic when painting your interior or chasing after it when a slight breeze takes it to your neighbors house.

Also plastic is easy to cut and puncture. So using plastic to cover sharp objects will not work.

A good canvas drop cloth is washable and very durable. And with a butyl or PVC backing can resist almost any spill. Your valuable items deserve the best protection the next time you paint.