The primary step in creating an efficient work environment is to properly cover the flooring, furniture, and other assets of your Toronto exterior house painting project. This allows you to work at a faster speed without worrying about stray paint.
Ideally, you’ll want to remove all furniture and plants from the space you’re painting. Rather than removing all the furniture from the room entirely, you may save time and back aches by pushing it all to the other part of the house exterior and packing it all together so that you can get to the walls and windows that need painting.
Why Do You Need Drop Clothes for Exterior Painting?
You know how simple it is to wind up with paint splatter, no matter how careful you are, if you’ve ever painted anything, from creative projects to small touch-ups. Even the most experienced painter can’t completely prevent splatter!
Working with paint is inherently messy. That’s why reputable painters always take the time to carefully set down drop cloths before beginning any painting project. Drop cloths should absolutely be on your supplies list if you’re planning to do your own painting.
Drop cloths are big sheets of fabric (usually canvas) or plastic that are used to protect floors, counters, furniture, and any other surfaces when doing Toronto exterior house painting. They keep paint splatters, drips, and larger spills off these surfaces.
Drop cloths are a vital part of your pre-painting prep work, and should be laid down after you’ve cleared everything out of the area. Remove everything you can from the space, leaving only items that are too bulky or difficult to take out, such as larger pieces of furniture.
Then, before bringing in your other materials and finishing setting up, cover the flooring and these remaining things with drop cloths.
What Protocol Do Professional House Exterior Painters Follow
- Professional painters avoid using basic canvas drop cloths because they don’t do a good job of preventing paint spills from soaking into the floor and ruining it. Instead, they prefer drop cloths with a canvas backing and a plastic liner.
- Thick plastic drop cloths should be used outside, especially to protect plants, bushes, and other outside items. They should not be used on the ground or on the floor, because they can become slippery.
- Tarps are useful for outdoor jobs, such as peeling paint off the sides of a house. When it’s time to start painting, they shouldn’t be used.
- For trim and edge work, paper drop cloths are ideal. Professionals prefers to cut 4 to 5 inch chunks of paper, tape them along the bottom edge of the baseboard, and then work on top of that with his canvas drop cloth.
- Furniture and other things that can’t be removed from the work area are protected with thin plastic drop cloths. They should not be used on the floor since they are prone to tearing and can become slippery.
Canvas Drop Cloths Vs Plastic Sheets
Here’s what you need to know:
Canvas Drop Cloths
For professional painters, canvas drop cloths are often the preferred option. They’re extremely long-lasting and can be used to cover anything from floors to furniture. Standard canvas cloths are prone to slipping and bunching on floors, so opt for one with a rubberized covering on the back to avoid slipping and bunching.
Canvas is also a more environmentally friendly option than plastic because it is extremely resilient and designed to be reused. They may be more expensive, but they will last for a long time!
Drop cloths are swaths of strong canvas in different square or rectangular proportions that are economically priced, as previously said. Any paint drips or spills will be kept off the floors and carpets with a well-placed “drop,” as professionals call them in the industry.
You must ensure that your drop cloths are large enough to cover the required area. We frequently employ many drops to cover a single floor to ensure that it is completely covered.
You can also make use of old linens that you have in the house if you’re on a budget. But you should test them first to ensure that the cloth is dense enough to keep the paint on the top surface without dripping towards to the bottom and onto your deck or grass. Many people think that utilizing old bed sheets as drop cloths can work the same—well, it doesn’t!
Plastic sheeting
Professional painters in Toronto utilize plastic sheeting as a multipurpose protective tool. Plastic sheeting is ineffective as a drop cloth since it isn’t strong enough to sustain someone walking on it without ripping or shredding it.
Plastic sheeting resembles a giant’s version of plastic wrap: it arrives in a rectangular package on a roll that can be spooled out and cut to precise lengths. Instead of covering your leftovers, plastic sheeting is an excellent way to keep paint splatters off of doorways and windows. Simply cut a piece of plastic to fit the area in question and tape it in place.
Plastic sheeting can also be used to cover outdoor furniture and other belongings that are too large or unwieldy to be carried out of the exterior. The best thing about plastic sheeting is that it’s flexible but tough: no paint will ever go through as long as the plastic stays intact.
Looking for a professional company for Toronto exterior house painting? Get in touch with the experts today.
