The Exhibitor (1956)

With New Installations Increasing, Here Are Tips On Laying Theatre Carpet All indications are that new carpet is one of the most desired items for the nation’s indoor theatres. Since this is an important and very costly expenditure the more the exhibitor knows about the installation of carpet, the fewer are the chances that he will permit costly errors. Therefore, although the job of laying carpet in a theatre should only be con¬ ducted by experts, the following infor¬ mation is designed to acquaint the theatreman with some of the problems involved, and for which he should be on guard. Since theatres probably have the small¬ est percentage of straight and level floors of any type of building, carpeting a the¬ atre is a real test of a carpet layer’s skill. Theatre traffic is about the heaviest to which any surface for which soft floor covering is laid is subjected, so not only must the carpet be selected with this in mind, but it must also be laid so that it will withstand the hard wear. The finest quality carpet can easily be ruined by a poor job of installation. When the carpeting has been selected, the installation man should be called in to go over the entire theatre before pre¬ paring an estimate. He must be told exactly which areas are to be carpeted, whether aisles are to be carpeted from chair standard to chair standard, whether broad marble steps are to be entirely carpeted or space left at the sides, etc. Such specific information not only helps the installation man in making his esti¬ mate, but may save needless reordering and greater expense as well. Before taking any measurements of the actual areas to be carpeted, the installa¬ tion man should make an outline sketch of the floor areas, noting defects and re¬ pairs which should be made to effect a first-class installation. He should take into account the construction of door saddles to determine whether the ends of the carpet should be bound and turned under, allowing the carpet to be fastened tight up against the saddle, or whether they should be bound and a metal nosing strip installed to prevent the carpet rising above the saddle level. In planning the installation of carpet next to doors it is extremely important to calculate both the depth of the carpet and the underlining to make sure that the door will clear both of them. When the job layout is ready for prep¬ aration, a one-half inch to the foot scale drawing should be made to show all off¬ sets, curvatures and slants of the floor areas to help solve all cutting, sewing and matching problems. It also should allow for any errors or changes made before the carpet is bundled and shipped to the theatre. For balconies, aisles and cross¬ overs not only a scale drawing, but the use of a beam-compass is essential. Ex¬ act yardage must be figured, for the slant of side walls and tapering of aisles make a great deal of difference in figuring and laying the breadths. The breadths should always run in line with the most traffic and with the least amount of cross-seams in planning for carpeting. In the entrance vestibule, lobby, or foyer the breadths should al¬ ways run from door saddle to door saddle. If it is necessary to waste a one-half breadth, it may be used along narrow side walls or side aisles. As far as standee areas are concerned, breadths should al¬ ways run from the rear wall to the standee rail to avoid cross-seams at the head of the aisles or at the standee rail, and to avoid bad tripping accidents on the part of patrons in these heavy traffic areas. Still another reason for not laying carpet from side wall to side wall lies in the fact that when carpet does have to be replaced at aisle heads, only one or two short breadths will have to be installed. This same theory also applies to the aisle cross-overs and the front row of seats. When planning the layout of the stair carpets, there should, if possible, be a continuous full breadth of carpet over treads and risers and over the landing or hallways, so there will be no open seams to constitute a hazard. If this arrange¬ ment is not possible, the seam should come about half way up the riser so that there will be less wear and tear, and little chance of patrons catching their feet in the seam. The underlining yardage is figured by taking the total net carpet yardage with¬ out allowance for matching or waste, multiplying it by three and then dividing by four to get the number of square yards of lining required. In recarpeting jobs, new underlining is often necessary, for after long use lining tends to flatten out and may be damp and dirt-filled. Under¬ lining should always be installed so that it is two inches inward from the carpet edges. Before a bundled roll of new carpet is shipped, steps should be taken to have ade¬ quate storage space set aside for it, for usu¬ ally carpet will be the last item in a theatre installation. The storage space should be clean, dry and large enough so that the carpet will not have to be bent, an action which might well break its back. No girders, beams or sharp instruments should be placed near the stored carpet. When installation is to take place, the floor areas must be completely dry and thoroughly cleaned of all refuse, especially cement and plaster. A strong knife or cold chisel should be used to get the floor perfectly smooth and free. All sur¬ faces should be checked to be sure that dampness cannot seep in, for dampness underneath can shorten the life of floor coverings appreciably. Radiant heating is not harmful to wood carpet according to studies that have been made. The insulating effect which soft floor coverings have on heated floor slabs is not enough to put properly designed and installed systems off balance, and the temperature level at which these systems operate will have no damaging effect on the carpet. The possibility of enough moisture coming through the concrete to cause mildew development is negligible. Air conditioning units need cause the theatre owner no worries. On the con¬ trary, some moisture in the air is a tonic for carpet, for excessive dryness can dull a carpet’s looks and reduce its resiliency. The proper installation of theatre carpet is a precise job, and requires services of a trained expert. PT-16 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 5, 1956