TL;DR
A tack cloth is a loosely woven cheesecloth impregnated with a sticky resin, wiped over a sanded surface to lift the last traces of dust before primer, paint, or clear finish goes on. It picks up particles a vacuum and dry rag leave behind, which is what prevents gritty nibs in the cured film.
What it means
A tack cloth is a loosely woven cheesecloth impregnated with a sticky resin, wiped over a sanded surface to lift the last traces of dust before primer, paint, or clear finish goes on. It picks up particles a vacuum and dry rag leave behind, which is what prevents gritty nibs in the cured film. Painters fold to a fresh face as it loads up and press lightly, since rubbing hard can transfer resin that interferes with waterborne finishes.
Where it sits in the glossary
Tack cloth is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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