Floorcloth - FAQs
Over the years a lot of people have asked various questions about our floorcloths. Why Design Village floorcloths are durable, how are they different or better than other floorcloths, etc. Hopefully, this page will address those questions. If you have an additional question, then I’d be happy to answer.
Floorcloth backing
Q…. love your floorcloths - what is on the back of the floorcloth to hold it secure on my oak floor?
Dianne
A. We recommend the use of rubber-backing, available at most home-improvement or carpet stores.
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Question about a floor cloth
Q. Hi, I have a couple of questions about floor cloths, as I have never used one before. My kitchen floor is tiled (badly) so the grout lines are below the tile. If I use a thick rubber mat, would that be sufficient (I realize the floor needs to be perfectly flat).
Thanks,
Chaya
A. The care of a floorcloth is as easy as a vinyl floor, if it’s soiled just use damp mop. Regular vaccumming is recommended. The 8 layers of varnish protects the painting and provides an extremely durable surface.
Floorcloths are not recommended for use over carpet, but are designed for use on hard even floors. For tiles with deeper grout lines we recommend use of non-skid rubber mat plus felt pad.
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Questions about your floor cloths
Q. Hello - I love your designs and am quite interested in your floor cloths. I have two questions: 1. Do you stretch your floor cloth before painting them? My understanding is that floor cloths that were painted while stretched will be flatter than those that are not…. 2. How to you finish the hems of the canvas? Thanks so much! Christie, Salem, OR
A. Thanks for your interest in Design Village Floorcloth! Yes, I do strech canvas before priming. I use special glue to hem the canvas.
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Floorcloth question
Q. I would like to order a floorcloth, however, I need to know what kind of antique glaze you use on the floorcloth. I ask because my son is highly allergic to paint and some sealers, so I would need to know in advance if he could be expose to this. Thank you very much. Jeanne
A. Thanks for visiting Design Village floorcloth site! It’s a good idea to clarify before ordering. I use several products at different stages while making the floorcloth. Therefore, if you let me know of any specific chemicals that your son is allergic to, I will look for those chemicals in the products I use.
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materials used?
Q. Your floorcloths are beautiful. What materials go into making the floorcloths? Are they safe for the heavy use of infants and toddlers? Thank you so much.
A. All paint products we use are water-based and non-toxic. Our floorcloths are scrach and water resistant. They are perfect for nursery or children’s room because they are easy to maintain.
Here is the link for construction of Design Village floorcloths…… http://www.floorcloth.net/construction.shtml
May 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Hi, I have a question about finish on your floorcloths. I have purchased a floorcloth on eBay in size 6′x8′ for $300. The price was good and the floorcloth looked nice on the computer. After I received the floorcloth I was so disappointed. I realized that it looks horrible in my 1840’s home because it has a shiny finish which makes the floorcloth look like vinyl.
The description of the floorcloth said that the “THE FABRIC IS POLY FLAX HEAVY WEIGHT ( 10 OZ.) 100% COTTON CANVAS WHICH THE SMALLER THE OZ (OR DUCKS)THE HEAVIER THE CANVAS. THIS CANVAS IS EXTRA HEAVY AND WILL UPHOLD TRAFFIC FOR YEARS TO COME. I USE THIS CANVAS FOR MY LARGER FLOORCLOTHS BECAUSE OF THE TEXTURE AND DURABILITY. ” However, this floorcloth is very thin. What is the weight of your floorcloth canvas? Do your floorcloths shine like vinyl?
Floorcloths on your website look great. Is their anyway I can degloss this floorcloth? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Linda
May 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Dear Linda,
Thanks for the complements! I am sorry for your disappointment on purchase of a floorcloth.
The canvas we use for our floorcloths is 14oz or heavier 100% double fill cotton canvas. Double fill- where two threads are twisted together to make a single stronger, more durable thread which makes the weave tighter, a very uniform smoother texture for the canvas. Polyflax is not a cotton canvas, it is made from synthetic fiber yarns which is ideal for a wall mural but not recommend for floorcloths. The provided description of the canvas is totally wrong. Number ducks system is only for cotton canvas and not for Polyflax canvas. The smaller the duck the heavier the canvas. For example per square yard, #12 is about 11.5 oz.; #10 is about 14.5 oz.; #8 is about 17.55 oz, and #4 is 22 oz.
Many floorcloth makers use oil-based or water-based polyurethane which comes only in gloss or satin finish. Usually floorcloth makers apply 3-4 coats. Although a polyurethane finish is much stronger than varnish it is much thinner. No matter what, a finished floorcloth will expand in summer and will shrink in winter. The disadvantage of the polyurthane on a flexible surface like canvas is that polyurthane hardens with age. For a flexible surface like canvas polyurethane is not recommended. Eventually the floorcloth will start cracking. The more coats applied, the bigger the cracks.
We don’t use polyurethane on our floorcloths. Our floorcloths have a flat finish which makes them not glossy. They do not look like vinyl at all. They look like a piece of canvas art on the floor.
I don’t know how to degloss your floorcloth. May be you can ask the seller. If you are not happy with your purchase see if the seller is willing to take it back or try to sell it on eBay.
Good Luck.
neelam