Back when linoleum hadn’t been invented and the first settlers were looking for practical ways to decorate their homes, painted canvas floorcloths were used extensively throughout the countryside. Materials to make them were relatively easy to come by, and itinerant painters could whip up some beautiful designs to imitate more expensive marble tiles and harder-to-come-by oriental rugs.
Today floorcloths are making a comeback as fewer home owners want to deal with the difficulties of maintaining wall to wall carpet. The Green Movement is telling us about all the nasty chemicals used when making and installing carpets and worse yet, the harmful effects of mold, dust mites, and pet dander which lurk in carpets. Floorcloths are area rugs made of heavy weight canvas, painted (now usually with low VOC latex paints), and finished with water-based polyurethane. They protect the floor, are easy to clean (just damp mop), and add a wide variety of colors and patterns to virtually any hard floor surface. They are perfect in eat-in kitchens and dining rooms where spilled spaghetti or dropped grape juice can mean the end of a once beautiful wool carpet. When floorcloths are made of heavy canvas and top-quality paint and finishes they will last through decades of tough abuse from kids, dogs, and heavy furniture.
How to find a good floorcloth painter:
–Ask what weight of canvas the artist plans to use. The best floorcloths are made from canvas which is at least eighteen-ounces per square yard. That translates to #8 in canvas terms. The numbers get lower as the canvas gets heavier. For a room-filling dining room floorcloth insist on #4 canvas which is twenty-four-ounces per square yard.
–Ask how the canvas is prepared. The fabric needs to be thoroughly shrunk before any paint is applied or warping will occur. The edges should be hemmed and either glued or, for a more durable piece, sewn with mitered, clean corners. The canvas should be primed before any base coats of paint are applied and the canvas should never, ever be folded as creases will last forever.
PREVIOUS PAGE
