Canvas floorcloth

[AntiM]

Are there any artists out there full of good advice? I just scored 6 yards of unprimed canvas floorcloth, the type with the non-skid backing. I need to know how to prime it, just apply acrylic paint? I'm quite excited about this alternative to carpet or billboard vinyl under my feetsies!

[robotland]

Do you want to seal the surface, or still allow moisture to pass through? Might be handy.....You could plan your decorations around having a "ground" that's raw canvas. Otherwise, just paint or prime with acrylic gesso and then paint.

[AntiM]

Thanks for the tip. With the non-skid backing, I doubt liquid will pass through and it'll be on top of billboard vinyl anyway. Besides, there's liquids one wants on the playa and then there's less desirable liquids ... oooh, euw.

[robotland]

Duh. Backing. Right. Never mind. Prime away.

Anticipating a big rainstorm, I just dragged out my big, SUPER HEAVY canvas tarps from last year for a wash....I unrolled the biggest one, from the main dome, and was treated to a playa time capsule of tinsel, aluminum cuttings, squashed cans and playadust. It smelled GREAT! The ant colony was pissed, though.

[AntiM]

Ah, large chunks of canvas, ah my dream material. I'm still bidding on large rolls of primed canvas, yards of the stuff, in nice widths. I want to make a mural or custom panels for the shade structure. There's aseller on ebay offering the stuff at ridiculously low prices, although shipping is steep. Still it is a steal if I can win an auction. (oh dear, was that commerce?)

We just had the folded billboard vinyls out to cut new end panels. Some of them were permeated with playa dust, yum. Much nicer than the one still encrusted with pigeon shit.

My regards to the ant colony.

[naken]

Last year the BM fire dept responded to a chair on fire at a theme camp on the main drag at about 2 am.The cause of the fire was a cigerete droped on the canvas floor burning a 4x4 square of the canvas before igniting the chair.with the wind up this could have been a big problem,please be very carefull an respect the limits of canvas,be safe enjoy yourself

[AntiM]

Thanks for the tip. We do keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case, and there's no smokers in our camp. I don't allow smoking in my shade structure either, I have asthma and the dust is irritating enough without dealing with someone lighting up in my personal space.

I'll look into a retardant coating that can be applied under or over paint.

[unjonharley]

Thanks for the tip. We do keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case, and there's no smokers in our camp. I don't allow smoking in my shade structure either, I have asthma and the dust is irritating enough without dealing with someone lighting up in my personal space.

I'll look into a retardant coating that can be applied under or over paint.

~
In the news last nite, That retardant shit is showing up in all Americans blood stream. I use blue tarp for my floor. Don't smoke but do cook over it. Fire extinguishers are the way to go. Even carry one on my MV.

[AntiM]

Woohoo, it is here! Yay! I can use latex housepaint as a base, acrylics for the design, and water-based polyurethane for the topcoat. Now all I need is more paint, oh, and time. Um, and a design. Persian carpet, burner version?

Also got ten yards, yes, ten YARDS of primed artist canvas. Another project which may be on hold, but yippee! I got canvas! PM me if anyone wants the ebay seller's id, the deals are incredible.

[HughMungus]

Last year the BM fire dept responded to a chair on fire at a theme camp on the main drag at about 2 am.The cause of the fire was a cigerete droped on the canvas floor burning a 4x4 square of the canvas before igniting the chair.with the wind up this could have been a big problem,please be very carefull an respect the limits of canvas,be safe enjoy yourself

Wow, thanks for posting this. I was considering a canvas floor covering for my structure. I think I might go with just a pair of $20 "industrial grade" low-pile 6x8 rugs...

[AntiM]

I still think that without smokers in camp and a painted finish I'll be okay with a floorcloth. I'll do flammability tests, but hey, I'm more concerned with how flammable my carport roof and walls are because there's always some idiot who thinks fireworks in a tent city are cool ... my koi banners have pinholes melted in them from a neighbor's spontaneous fireworks display in 2002.

Safety third!

[unjonharley]

Woohoo, it is here! Yay! I can use latex housepaint as a base, acrylics for the design, and water-based polyurethane for the topcoat. Now all I need is more paint, oh, and time. Um, and a design. Persian carpet, burner version?

Also got ten yards, yes, ten YARDS of primed artist canvas. Another project which may be on hold, but yippee! I got canvas! PM me if anyone wants the ebay seller's id, the deals are incredible.

~
Blank canvas will stop me every time. Running great ideas through the head. Then comes the dreaded blank canvas. Ten yards would have me in a corner sucking my thumb. Use to drive my boss nuts. I would have 10 15 things in the works. Maybe spent an hour looking at one or another. Then work on some thing else or sweep the floor. I would get it all done when I felt like it or in the mood. Wish I could have the money he charged for my work. No matter how lomg I took he just charged more. JUst added on "in house artist" time.

[AntiM]

I'm just going to roll it out in the driveway and start painting. nice thing about "primitive" persina carpets, the designs are more geometric then flowery, so I may be able to tape off lines and just wing it. Little men underfoot cetainly, and penii, and stylized flames ...

I don't even have to hem it, the sides are finished and the ends are self-hemming with an iron. Amazing.

[phil]

I'm just going to roll it out in the driveway and start painting.

Uh, just put some wet paint on it and drive over it a few times. Change paint, drive again?

[haptotrope]

I made a nifty floorcloth using one of those old and beaten up bedspreads (like you find @ urban outfitters) lay down some plastic, lay out the bedspread, coat with enough acrylic polyeuathane to soak it up good and proper (in layers, keeping it taut)... peel up, and trim the excess.

The one I made got a lightweight canvas backing.. and It doesn't fold/roll quite so well (at least not tightly) without cracking the surface, but it's pretty awesome otherwise.

[AntiM]

I primed my floorcloth this morning. Jeebus, that's thirsty cloth! Took nearly a gallon of cool white semi-gloss to coat it once. Of course, I was pressing it into the fabric pretty well, sheesh, it took two hours for what? 12 ~ 15 feet? I know I had six yards, but there was an "orphan" on the inside of the roll; I've yet to measure what I actually have in one length.

I did machine hem the ends, went smoothly through my machine and the upholstery thread only tangled once. Stupid bobbin.

My hands, shoulders and lower back deserve some iced coffee with Frangelico.

[AntiM]

Finally measured the floorcloth, just over 20 feet not counting the folded-over large hems. I certainly got more than I paid for on that deal; it may be slightly longer than the carport!!

[Martiansky]

AntiM, I have a question about the size of floor coverings.......
Should they be smaller or larger then your structure, because of rain seepage? I'm wondering because I'm bringing a foam flip couch to sleep on and wonder if it should be up off the ground somehow in case of rain?

Your floorcloth sounds great! I think I may end up using a tarp.

[unjonharley]

Finally measured the floorcloth, just over 20 feet not counting the folded-over large hems. I certainly got more than I paid for on that deal; it may be slightly longer than the carport!!

~
A co worker of mine, Painted the ceiling of his little girls room. Then put paint the little ones feet. He held her up so she could walk on the ceiling.

[AntiM]

Well, with tents the under tarp is larger, but tents are waterproof. We've always gone smaller in the shade structure becasue we've been using carpet and wet carpet really sucks.

I don't know about rain seepage, haven't dealt with that yet.

The floorcloth is more for art and my own comfort. I need something underfoot to keep the dust down.

I had a foam flipcouch in my house in Japan, ah memories. Will yours be in a tent under shade? If not, how will you keep it less dusty and nailed down when windy? You'll want something under it no matter what.

[Martiansky]

I was going to put it in my tent under my dome, since I am camping alone. I am thinking about getting a bed mattress zipper bag to put my couch in. If it gets a bit dusty I won't mind....it's been sitting in the basement wrapped in plastic for ten years! I was amazed the dang mice didn't chew on it.

[Martiansky]

AntiM, how did your painted canvas turn out? Is it foldable/rollable for transportation?
I looked at a painters canvas yesterday but it seemed thin and would definately need to be painted first before use.

[headquarters]

Last year the BM fire dept responded to a chair on fire at a theme camp on the main drag at about 2 am.The cause of the fire was a cigerete droped on the canvas floor burning a 4x4 square of the canvas before igniting the chair.with the wind up this could have been a big problem,please be very carefull an respect the limits of canvas,be safe enjoy yourself

Wow, thanks for posting this. I was considering a canvas floor covering for my structure. I think I might go with just a pair of $20 "industrial grade" low-pile 6x8 rugs...

what rugs would these be? i'm looking for some cheap carpet and those would be perfect!

[AntiM]

AntiM, how did your painted canvas turn out? Is it foldable/rollable for transportation?

It is all finished, could use a second or third coat of polyurethane but I can do that a little later. It is rolled up in my living room, I am quite proud of the design. Vivid Yellow, Fire Island Red, and an assortment of cobalt blues, it really hits you in the eye. Flames and suns and hands and burning men, with hippy dippy stamped borders.

It is much heavier than the painters' canvas, and it is backed with non-skid. That was a pain because I painted it outdoors and had to scrape off dried grass and dead spiders as I rolled it up. The primer layer of white latex really soaked in, 20' x 5' took an entire gallon. The next layer of yellow took less than half the gallon. I used exterior latex semi-gloss, used some craft acrylics for details, topped it with spray-on clear polyurethane.

Come find us in Hushville to have a look at it!

[Ranger Genius]

Of course, you could have taken some .jpgs for us and posted them here. But you're not listening now. (she's currently airborne en route to PA)

[robotland]

AntiM, how did your painted canvas turn out? Is it foldable/rollable for transportation?

It is all finished, could use a second or third coat of polyurethane but I can do that a little later. It is rolled up in my living room, I am quite proud of the design. Vivid Yellow, Fire Island Red, and an assortment of cobalt blues, it really hits you in the eye. Flames and suns and hands and burning men, with hippy dippy stamped borders.

It is much heavier than the painters' canvas, and it is backed with non-skid. That was a pain because I painted it outdoors and had to scrape off dried grass and dead spiders as I rolled it up. The primer layer of white latex really soaked in, 20' x 5' took an entire gallon. The next layer of yellow took less than half the gallon. I used exterior latex semi-gloss, used some craft acrylics for details, topped it with spray-on clear polyurethane.

Come find us in Hushville to have a look at it!

WOW. Can't wait!

[Tumbleweed]

Last year the BM fire dept responded to a chair on fire at a theme camp on the main drag at about 2 am.The cause of the fire was a cigerete droped on the canvas floor burning a 4x4 square of the canvas before igniting the chair.with the wind up this could have been a big problem,please be very carefull an respect the limits of canvas,be safe enjoy yourself

I never thought of that. There goes my floor idea...

[unjonharley]

Think I will sell my son in laws (a house painter) drop cloths.

[Martiansky]

I was cruising the Cabela's site a while ago and they sell a can of stuff for waterproofing canvas for $17 a can. It did say it was for re-waterproofing though.
How hard is it to fold up a painted floorcloth?

[robotland]

If it's like AntiM's, I'd plan on rolling it up! Make sure that your paint/sealant is well dried before folding....It can wreck the details and, more importantly, glue itself folded! (Bad experiences with freshly-painted theatrical backdrops in the past!) A day out in bright sunlight, ideally off the ground on milkcrates or such for airflow, should do the trick.
If it gets to be really, REALLY heavy you might consider cutting it into halves, or even quarters. My heavy-canvas floorcloth DOUBLED in size after a week on-playa, just from the stiffening caused by playadust absorption! (Not LITERALLY, of course- I mean when folded.)