# Laying a Marley dance floor



## Schniapereli

My high school is doing a rental for this ballet company that wants to come in and perform on our stage, and they want to bring their marley floor, but they usually have someone else install it. For their show at our school, that person would be me, but I have never really done it.
I heard there are some tricks to it, like leaving it out over night so that it flattens out, or something like that, and that you use gaff tape on the SL and SR edges, but use marley tape on the seams of the long strips. Aside from that, I assume you just line them up, and work your way back.
Is this correct?
Any comments on technique or tape used?


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## Van

That's pretty much all there is to it. Leaving it out over night to settle is great if you have that option. The biggest issue there is if it's comming off a cold truck and into a warm theater it will need time to expand. Most times there just isn't enough time to allow for this luxury. To compensate for this timeline discrepency most folks will leave about an 1/8" gap between sections. It is, as you stated, best to start downstage and work your way up. I also prefer to apply the vinyl seam tape from the same direction every time. If you start the first seam on SL moving to SR do all the seams from SL to SR. Its is also very important not to stretch the vinyl tape as you are applying it. Pull 2-3 feet off the roll, let it contract for a second then apply it to the seam. be sure to leave your hand or foot on the area you've just applied when you're pulling the next section off the roll so you aren't stretching out or pulling off the section you've just applied.
Hope that helps.


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## Footer

There is nothing worse then laying a marley at 6am when it has been sitting in a truck since 10pm the night before in the middle of december. 

Personally, I prefer to use gaff for everything. I know some people don't like that, but my wife approves of it and she has been dancing for a good amount of time. 

Your going to need more then just you to lay this thing out. I have done it with 3 people, but 4 is preferable. My methods go like this...



unroll each roll upstage in a stack. Let that sit over night. If you can't do that because its showing up same day... deal with it.
Move the first sheet DS. Line it up with a strait line. This first row has to be perfectly square. Lay a chalk line if you have to.
Seal one end. To do this, I usually do 3 or 4 strips of gaff going SL/SR then another piece going upstage/downstage. That will seal it to the floor. DON'T DO BOTH ENDS.
Starting at the end you have sealed, have people "stomp" out the floor. My usual method for doing this is have one person stand on the sealed end, one person go down to the other end and pull, and the other two hop down the row towards the non sealed end. It is emparive that they hop together. This will stretch the marley and allow it to lay flat. If you still have bubbles, stomp it out again.
Seal the other end.
Tape both sides of the upstage/downstage side down to the floor.
Bring in the next row and line it up with the seam.
Repeat all steps.
I prefer to always stomp from one side to the other. Just works better for me. Depending on the quality and the care of the marley, little to no stomping might be needed. I have stomped out some marleys for an afternoon to try to get them to lay flat. Just depends. Be certain when you go to roll it up that it gets rolled square. Nothing destroys a floor faster then being put away wrong.


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## epimetheus

I've worked more than a few shows where we installed marley and we did it pretty much exactly as Footer explained.

Interestingly, at least to me, we also had to "coke" the floor a couple times. If it was too slick for the dancers, they'd have us wet mop it with watered down Coke to give it a little stick.


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## kicknargel

As you can see, different techs and different dance companies have different preferences. This can also be influence by the type and quality of the floor.

Let me add a few things:

-ALWAYS sweep really well before laying the floor. Teeny-tiny specs can pit and damage the marley, and if you get dust on the bottom of the marley, there's almost no opportunity to get it off again.

-Likewise, ALWAYS sweep really well before rolling it back up. Dust on the top will become dust on the bottom and. . .

-The stomping method above is perfect for older, stiffer, thicker floors. Some floor simply need to be taped at one end and gently pulled, then taped at the other. If it'll lay wrinkle-free without stomping, don't do it, as you may stretch it.

-Some prefer gaff tape for seams, some vinyl dance floor tape. My company liked gaff.

-Some people layout and stretch two adjacsent panels, leaving about 3/8" gap in between. Then you run a length of tape centered down the seam. Next use your thumb (some use a broom handle) to press the tape down to the stage floor in the 3/8" gap. Some dances don't like the gap--then you tape one piece down along both edges, bring the next one up to the edge (leave at least 1/8" for expansion) then tape the second piece to the first.

-I often liked to lay out all the pieces roughly, then turn on all the stage lights for a while (often over lunch) to try to get everything warm enough to stretch. We had a finicky old floor, and some bad experiences with bubbles forming as it heated under show lighting.

-I have met companies with all ranges of fussiness about the floor-seams, bubbles, slickness, etc. If they're trusting strangers, hopefully they're relaxed.

Nicholas Kargel
You Want What? Productions INC
scenic and lighting design and construction in Denver, CO

www.youwantwhatproductions.com


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## kicknargel

Oh, and a great cleaning trick is to dampen a big towel and clip it around a dust mop (towel mopping). You've probably done that. The trick part is to pierce the lid of a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and have someone squirt it lightly in front of you as you push the mop. About 1/2 a bottle does the floor. This picks up dust and oils--both big contributers to slipperiness.


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## derekleffew

Footer said:


> ...4. Starting at the end you have sealed, have people "stomp" out the floor. My usual method for doing this is have one person stand on the sealed end, one person go down to the other end and pull, and the other two hop down the row towards the non sealed end. It is imperative that they hop together. This will stretch the marley and allow it to lay flat. If you still have bubbles, stomp it out again. ...


Also known as the "Marley hop" or "dance floor shuffle."

It seems rather odd to me, Schniapereli, that a company would own a portable vinyl dance floor and not have someone to supervise its installation. As has been said, everyone has his own methods and tricks. It's one of those simple things that can become almost ludicrous when a bunch of stagehands get together and argue about the best way to do it. For example:

Footer said:


> ...Personally, I prefer to use gaff for everything. I know some people don't like that, but my wife approves of it and she has been dancing for a good amount of time. ...




kicknargel said:


> ...-Some prefer gaff tape for seams, some vinyl dance floor tape. My company liked gaff. ...


The one advantage I see to using gaffers tape is only having to stock one type of tape. Vinyl dance floor tape is less expensive and more closely matches the texture and color of the vinyl floor. Depending on the size of the stage/floor, it can take 4-8 rolls of tape, so the cost adds up quickly.

See also http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/scenery/14556-gizmo-day.html and http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/scenery/8546-marley-transportation.html.


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## hhslights

There is a dance company within our school and we use Marley floor every time they have a recital or concert (about three a year). 

We don't really have to worry about the temperature difference so we usually have no problem, however, when we do we will just lower the electrics quickly and turn up the lights to full for an hour. We only do this when we absolutely need it though. 

What we do is start at the bottom and make sure we have the first set up straight and perfect. We then build off that. Before taping down we go through and pull each floor segment tight and go over to get the bubbles out. Before taping we check to make sure that none of the segments have come out of alignment during the "de-bubbling" process. We use "Marley tape" (I am not sure if that is the name for it or not) and only gaff when we have run out of the "marley" tape. We tape everything to the ground to avoid any catastrophes involving the Marley floor coming up. This has put us in a bind one or two times leaving us out of tape and I often find myself digging through the trash to try and salvage some tape.


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## kicknargel

hhslights said:


> There is a dance company within our school and we use Marley floor every time they have a recital or concert (about three a year).
> 
> We don't really have to worry about the temperature difference so we usually have no problem, however, when we do we will just lower the electrics quickly and turn up the lights to full for an hour.
> 
> Be careful, though. If you have the lights within a few feet they can get the marley too hot and create a permanent bubble.


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## Sayen

I was about to suggest using lights as warmers. Usually a few scoops at medium height for a bit will warm up the floor, and make it easier to work with.


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## banjokeith

I have only used gaff before and have not had any complaints. Most of the companies I have seen coming into our theater also are gaff folk, though I am sure just as many out there are marley tapers, and a few people out there use some completely alien method that would inspire a combination of awe and doubt in all of us. Just make sure you know what color their floor is before you count on gaff as a solution.


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## Smcl001

epimetheus said:


> Interestingly, at least to me, we also had to "coke" the floor a couple times. If it was too slick for the dancers, they'd have us wet mop it with watered down Coke to give it a little stick.




Coke? Really? I guess that makes sense... What was the coke to water ratio on that? Do you put some coke in the mop bucket and mop as usual? 

You've captured my interest.


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## Van

I've found that 1 liter of coke to 1 mop bucket full of clean water is usually sufficient. A lot of Ballet companies TD's will hae their own precise recipe', however. 
Of course for a long running show you have to mop the floor with clean water on a regular schedule, then re-coke after cleaning. It's silly, but hey, if it keeps the dancers from breaking their necks it's worth it. 

Now if we could just keep them from tripping over lines on the floor-plan.


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## cprted

Smcl001 said:


> Coke? Really? I guess that makes sense... What was the coke to water ratio on that? Do you put some coke in the mop bucket and mop as usual?
> 
> You've captured my interest.


Before you go coking a floor, make sure you check with the dance company first.


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## Footer

Van said:


> I've found that 1 liter of coke to 1 mop bucket full of clean water is usually sufficient. A lot of Ballet companies TD's will hae their own precise recipe', however.
> Of course for a long running show you have to mop the floor with clean water on a regular schedule, then re-coke after cleaning. It's silly, but hey, if it keeps the dancers from breaking their necks it's worth it.
> 
> Now if we could just keep them from tripping over lines on the floor-plan.



As long as its not Rosin... I will do whatever it takes. I HATE rosin.


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## Van

I don't know how it started exactly, but I hate rosin boxes. Truly abhor them. seem like every time I get hooked up with a dance company I wind up making a ton of Rosin boxes. How do you break a rosin box ? How do you lose a rosin box ? Why do I need to build 6 more ? 

Can you tell ? I hat rosin boxes ?


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## Footer

Van said:


> I don't know how it started exactly, but I hate rosin boxes. Truly abhor them. seem like every time I get hooked up with a dance company I wind up making a ton of Rosin boxes. How do you break a rosin box ? How do you lose a rosin box ? Why do I need to build 6 more ?
> 
> Can you tell ? I hat rosin boxes ?



I have made my fair share as well. That and apple boxes. 

My personal hatred... folding chairs. It seams like they reproduce like rabbits in every theatre I work in.


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## MNBallet

Van said:


> I don't know how it started exactly, but I hate rosin boxes. Truly abhor them. seem like every time I get hooked up with a dance company I wind up making a ton of Rosin boxes. How do you break a rosin box ? How do you lose a rosin box ? Why do I need to build 6 more ?
> 
> Can you tell ? I hate rosin boxes ?



I've had mine for over 10 years now, never rebuilt. I put in pink rope light so that they glow in the back wings. Dancers just love that pink glow. My rosin boxes are also the "lost and found" places for dancer crap left in the wings (next to, not in them)

I too find it funny that a ballet company would own a dance floor but then "have someone else install it" on tours, that just makes no sence. Do they deliver it, or have it shipped? Does someone else do their lighting everywhere too? Or is this just a dance studio doing a recital in your space...that makes more sence to me.

I do not like the "marley hop" as every time you're in the air it will shrink back and you loose your stretching, I am a strict "Marley stomp" of 3 or 4 people across, preferably with a person pulling on the end as well. There are thinner floors that do not need much stretching, but mine has a bit of foam backing on the underside that makes it thicker. Type of tape depends on type and color of floor. I have used both clear vinyl, black and grey gaff on my floors.

About "coking" a floor.....the floor is dead if it's come to that. I know many people do it, I've done it on rare occaions. But it should not be a regular thing. If a dance troope is requesting it alot, it's time for a new floor. A touring Marley dance floor is lucky if it lasts more than 10 years. Also, be polite to dancers about rosin use. On tours for Nutcracker I see almost every place, young dancers that I can trace their footsteps for "miles" Often times they just need to be told how to rosin correctly.

Kenneth Pogin
Production / Tour Manager
Minnesota Ballet


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## FatherMurphy

Most of the marley I've seen laid was with gaffe tape, occasionally a Broadway show or a rock concert will come in with painted marley and tape it with clear tape (one roadie was getting grief from the home office about how much tape he was going through - apparently, they thought he should be able to reuse it...).

A few companies double tape their floor, taping the upstage edge of a roll to the floor, and then laying the next roll and taping its downstage edge to the first piece. This seems a bit overkill to me, but it makes them happy, and they're the ones buying the tape.

I ran into one company that didn't want to see any tape on top, so they'd have us roll out a piece, flip the upstage edge over, roll the next one out upside down, tape the two bottom edges together, and curl it upstage, ready for the next upside down piece. I don't recall how they dealt with de-bubbling it once it was effectively one big piece.

And then there was the company that had us lay two floors down, so we could take up one during an intermission, giving them a black floor in act one, and a white floor in act two, resetting the black floor after the show every night....


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## cdub260

Footer said:


> My personal hatred... folding chairs. It seams like they reproduce like rabbits in every theatre I work in.



Really! Mine grow legs and walk away.

Can I have some of yours?


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## Schniapereli

MNBallet said:


> ...I too find it funny that a ballet company would own a dance floor but then "have someone else install it" on tours, that just makes no sense. Do they deliver it, or have it shipped? Does someone else do their lighting everywhere too? Or is this just a dance studio doing a recital in your space...that makes more sense to me.
> 
> 
> Kenneth Pogin
> Production / Tour Manager
> Minnesota Ballet



I don't know too much about their situation, because I have only talked to the director a few times on the phone, and have never met her in person. But, I think they are kinda small still. They're not super small, but as she put it, they're "about to go professional." They don't really have their own crew or designers. They recently built their own new sprung floor, with basically all the instillation work done by the dancers. I think when they rent a venue, they have the resident designers just put up what colors she wants. (I think they all still try to expand on her requests, and give her better lighting than "make it pink-ish.")

For their production of Nutcracker, they have two elaborate thrones, a platform for the thrones, some nice costumes, plus a few backdrops and the marley. I don't know where they got it all from, but I know the director used to dance for some big places, and taught at a university, so I guess she may have gotten some things through her connections. Again, I haven't really talked with her much, and I am curious as well.


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## Schniapereli

Just to report back, I was able to get a friend from Wyoming to come and help who has done it before, and it went really nicely.

I guess in the past they have had some crew install it really badly and people were tripping over it, so the dancers themselves re-laid all the marley. I guess they hadn't really seen marley that smooth, and all the little kids kept coming over to look at it. We still noticed a few imperfections, but they loved it.

The ballet director also asked to use Sprite instead of Soke to mop parts of the stage to make it less slippery. In the past she has had the black coke come off on the dancers' white shoes. I don't know if they didn't let it dry enough, cause none of you guys mentioned any problems with Coke like that.


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## jlusardi

*Marley Floor*

Hi Everyone,
We are laying out a Marley floor on our stage. We rolled it out the other day and tried to flatten it by pulling and hopping it out. We have four panels of the floor...for the most part we had two pieces that were pretty good. However the third was okay and well there was one piece that is not so good. I wasn't there when it got rolled up last, or when it got unrolled. But myself and another person think that it could have something to do with how it was stored. It has been laying out since Friday. On Friday and most of Saturday each piece was laying on it's own then because of space and a group who was in our auditorium today we had them stacked on top of each other. We pulled them all out after the event today, flipped them so that they are upside down, and laid the worst one on the bottom. We need to have them on stage for Tuesday afternoon, so we are hoping that having them laying out and the weight of the others will help to flatten them out. As of about 6:30 tonight they seemed to be in a little bit better condition then they were on Friday.
Anyway my question is if we lay them all out tomorrow in order, and leave our stage lights on for a while and then go back to hop it out and pull, do you think it would help to stretch it out. And if so how long should we have the lights on for? An hour?
Anything other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance and I hope I have provided enough information.
-Jaclyn


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## Call911

I've laid the floor out, brought the electrics in, and put all pars at full for about 4 hours while I did some focusing and other work in the theater. It flattened out all the wrinkles and bumps perfectly. But this was also about 50 pars on four electrics spread out to warm up the floor. YMMV.


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## DuckJordan

Honestly, if two people stomping out Marley from center, and two people on one end with tape tabs can't get it flat enough for dance, Then the problems are your floor underneath the Marley, Running lights on it will just make it soft and add dimples later on from you stomping while its warm.


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## 65535

A buddy and I have gotten it down to 30 minutes to lay four 60' x 6' strips of marley. 
Ours however is kept at temperature in the basement on a cart.

We start with a clean stage with cables run for trees (our floor pockets are under the marley).
We pull off all 4 strips and lay them out close to where they go.
Line up the first strip just upstage of the fire curtain pocket.
Tape SL side with Gaff.
While holding the edge have someone mop down the marley with a dust mop keeping the strip under light tension, then tape down marley. We prep 3 strips of Gaff on the marley to tape it down easier.
Tape down the Front edge with Gaff.
Lay down the other strips in the same fashion making sure not to overlap the marley.
Once all strips are down tape seams. 
To tape the seams I pull the tape out the entire 60' and lay it down the seam as my partner smooths it out.


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## kicknargel

Not all marley is created equal. Your thinner, lighter, probably newer dance floors designed for touring will lay flat nice and easy with no stomping. Your heavier, thicker, older, stiffer dance floors are going to take some extra work. Baking for four hours under stage light is a last resort, but not uncommon. Be careful not to get the lights too close that they bubble/melt a spot of the floor. 

Another tip for uncooperative marly is to use the "Martha Grahm" taping method, wherein you stretch and tape down all sides of the first piece, then line up the second piece overlapping the tape that's on the stage floor, stretch and tape over the seam, and tape the other edge down the stage, then bring in the next piece. Takes twice as much tape, but you get more contact with the stage floor than the tiny gap in the traditional method.


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## jlusardi

Thanks for the advice. The problem definitely is the Marley and not our stage floor. I honestly believe that the reason we are having trouble is because of how it was rolled last year and where it was stored. I think we might try lowering our lights a little, but definitely not all the way and leaving them on for like an hour. Though by the time we go to flatten the floor out and tape it down we may not need to use the lights to help. Hopefully the fact that they have been laying out for several days will help the process


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## JBrennan

derekleffew said:


> Also known as the "Marley hop" or "dance floor shuffle."



I've always known it as the Marley Shuffle.


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## derekleffew

From the Twitter,


http://t.co/Ep0aWqc7
with the caption,
*Reasons you don't use a forklift to roll out a dance floor.*


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## jstroming

Quick fix to get out the bubbles in marley: Clothing iron! Put a rag between the iron and marley, and have at it. Works really well on Harlequin reversible, not sure about other types though!


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## Sony

derekleffew said:


> From the Twitter,
> 
> Twitter / AnonLxTech: Reasons you don't use a forklift ...
> with the caption,
> *Reasons you don't use a forklift to roll out a dance floor.*



Holy Bajeebus those guys are fired!!

The couple times I have worked with ABT and "Stiefel and Stars" (American Ballet Theatre) they have always wanted ALL Gaff tape because the different texture of the gaff actually helps some dancers place themselves on the stage because they can feel each time they pass a Gaff taped seam. This helps them with choreography because they know how far upstage/downstage they have traveled while they are dancing without looking down. 

ABT uses the tape one end, bunny hop across with one person standing on the taped end while another pulls and stretches the other end method. They also tape all 4 sides of one piece before butting the next piece up to the first so each seam gets double taped. 

Island Moving Company out of Newport RI who I used to work with regularly used a slightly different method of only taping the front seam after each row so the seams were only single taped together. They did this to save Gaff tape and also because their shows only usually lasted for a couple days and therefore didn't require the extra security of more tape. They also preferred to use Gaff tape rather than vinyl tape because of it's feel.

I've found most dance companies use the latter method but a lot of the bigger companies use the former. Some companies also claim that the former method prevents the floor from shifting upstage/downstage due to stretch or slip since the floor is usually only stretched left to right and not up to down.


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## njlace

I am in the process of choosing a floor for my new studio. I have never laid a floor down. Currently the studio has a concrete base with no pile commercial carpet over it. Any suggestions of whether or not I can just put a layer of birch over the carpet....then add my marley?? I have alot of prices for sprung floors, but don't need that yet...when studio grows I will invest the money.


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## TheaterEd

My opinion would be that you need to pull up the carpet. Trying to get the birch to line up and stay in place would be difficult at best. Especially with it being used for dance. I assume you are wanting the carpet to soften the floor a bit, but I think if you do this, you are going to have a bad time.


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## MNicolai

njlace said:


> I am in the process of choosing a floor for my new studio. I have never laid a floor down. Currently the studio has a concrete base with no pile commercial carpet over it. Any suggestions of whether or not I can just put a layer of birch over the carpet....then add my marley?? I have alot of prices for sprung floors, but don't need that yet...when studio grows I will invest the money.



I would recommend you move to a proper sprung floor. It's one thing to dance on a non-sprung wood floor with some layers of lumber and framing between the concrete and the finished floor surface. It's another entirely to dance on what is effectively a solid concrete surface (without the carpet, that is).

I would also specifically discourage you from maintaining the carpet. You don't want to guess at creating an improvised sprung floor by leaving that layer of carpet in as padding. I've heard horror stories from a local TD on a production he worked on many years ago where they improvised a sprung floor. Ended up creating what acted more like a gymnastics floor than a dance floor. The effect of the overabundance of spring in the floor was that when dancers landed on the floor, their energy was driven into the floor and then reflected directly back up into their legs. IIRC, they had two dancers shatter fibulas and another their femur before tearing up the floor and throwing it out.

Don't guess at this kind of thing. Dancers' careers can be stunted or ended altogether on a faulty floor.


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## kicknargel

I agree with the previous two comments. I'd add that if you are building something yourself, you're going to want two layers of ply with staggered seams to ensure flat/flushness at the seams.


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## matcreyn

kicknargel said:


> Oh, and a great cleaning trick is to dampen a big towel and clip it around a dust mop (towel mopping). You've probably done that. The trick part is to pierce the lid of a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and have someone squirt it lightly in front of you as you push the mop. About 1/2 a bottle does the floor. This picks up dust and oils--both big contributers to slipperiness.



No!
*Do not clean your floor with ammonia, alcohol, and acetone (the 3 A’s)*
*Why:* Every Marley type floor is made with a plasticizer that allows flexibility, so the floor can roll up, otherwise the floor would be ridged and subject to cracking. Ammonia and alcohol releases the plasticizer causing the floor to get stiff and ultimately crack, in essence accelerating the aging process. Acetone will first soften, and then melt the floor.
*What to do:* Clean your floor on a regular basis (once a week) with an approved cleaner. Special spot removing treatments should be available from your floor supplier.

and also...

*Do not use coca cola, vinegar or other remedies to make your floor non-slip*
*Why:* Most dance floors do not have a factory finish to protect them from foreign substances. Coke will literally dissolve your floor and vinegar mixed with the body oils and lotion already on the floor makes for a pungent and ineffective salad dressing.
*What to do: * To keep your floors non-slip first keep them clean on a regular basis. Second eliminate big swings in temperature and humidity in the room to reduce moisture build up, and third, use entrance mats to stop foreign materials and dirt from getting on your floor.

I've done a bunch of research on dance floor maintenance, from dancers who whine about the texture but don't care about actually maintaining the floor to manufacturers who just want you to buy their detergent/degreaser, but the actual dance floor manufacturers (I called and talked to Harlequin about all these issues) have specific instructions for marley maintenance.


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## Zebulon1880

Schniapereli said:


> My high school is doing a rental for this ballet company that wants to come in and perform on our stage, and they want to bring their marley floor, but they usually have someone else install it. For their show at our school, that person would be me, but I have never really done it.
> I heard there are some tricks to it, like leaving it out over night so that it flattens out, or something like that, and that you use gaff tape on the SL and SR edges, but use marley tape on the seams of the long strips. Aside from that, I assume you just line them up, and work your way back.
> Is this correct?
> Any comments on technique or tape used?


I have been a ballet stage technician for 30 years which includes 2 national tours with the Oakland Ballet Company. All of the comments here are valid. One thing about marley floors is that from repeated stretching and re-rolling causes the width to expand in the center stage area of the panel. So, when I set my gap between each panel after stretching, I allow 1/2" gaps at the ends and set 1/4" gaps at center. As for tape... I prefer Shurtape Gaffers tape
*P- 665W Professional Grade, Water Resistant Gaffer's Tape.*
*https://www.shurtape.com/products/p-665w/*


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