Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

17. Don't allow the carpet to extend beyond the chair line, or be cut irregularly around the chair standards. 18. Don't have the carpet anywhere with raw edges at the ends of the breadths. 19. Don't allow the carpeting to be laid over a dirty floor or where portion of it is cracked or is bulging. Repair the defects first ; if not trouble will surely appear later on. 20. Don't allow stair carpeting to be fastened to nailing strips that are not rigid and strong. Don't approve loose, shifting carpeting on stairs even if it means drilling additional holes, or installing new or extra wood strips — don't allow the carpeting to be laid over sharp edges of the stair treads unless the edges are rounded or an extra layer of lining is installed for added protection. 21. Don't allow the carpet breadths in the balcony aisles to be shorter than required for the entire length of the aisles, as any cross seams here will open up in a short time. 22. Don't permit the carpet layers to leave the job until all puckers, wrinkles or loose portions of the carpeting are completely remedied. It is so easy for them to say "we'll be back tomorrow," but tomorrow something turns up and they cannot do the job. In the meantime the carpeting takes a beating, of course. One need not be alarmed or think the carpet of inferior grade if there is a slight shedding of fine fuzz after a few days in use. This is a natural condition with new carpet and this shedding will stop soon. In the care of carpeting, it is of course generally appreciated that cleaning must be daily and thorough. It might be added here that one shouldn't allow the carpeting at the entrance doors to be left unprotected on rainy or snowy days. The use of corrugated rubber mats, or a good grade of fibre runners, offer jjood protection in wet weather. Above all don't let small defects or minor repairs pile up with the thought that they'll be remedied tomorrow. These little things will develop into big and costly things. THE WHY OF THESE DONT'S Select a pattern, whenever that is feasible, in either an 18-inch or a 24-inch repeat. In this way only 18 or 24 inches will have to be allowed in each breadth for matching the design when figuring the yardage or in laying. Especially in laying the carpet in the aisles, allow in front the first row an amount of carpet that includes an entire repeat. If the pattern has an 18-inch repeat, allow 18-inches; if a 24 inch repeat, 24 inches. Thus when the carpet in the aisles need repairs later on, the breadths can be shifted and a perfect that to remedy paint that is flaking off cement floors, first remove the paint by scrubbing with a hot solution of trisodium phosphate, or of washing soda, using 3 pounds to the gallon of hot water? After the paint softens with several such scrubbings, it should be scraped off, then rinsed cleanly off the floor. When the floor is thoroughly dry, it can be given a coat of rubber base cement floor paint, then repainted with a suitable surfacing paint. that alcohol stains, if not too bad, can be removed from varnished wood by using pumice with lemon oil? Make a cream of the mixture, and rub it over the spot in the direction of the grain with a soft cloth. After this, wipe immediately with a cloih dampened with lemon oil, then polish with a soft flannel cloth. that asphalt tile should be dusted with a clean mop only? An oil mop, strong soaps, soap powders and strong scouring powders help to deteriorate the asphalt? Use a mop wrung out in clean cool water, or mild soap suds. that paste or liquid wax should never be used on asphalt tile as they are made up of solvents that tend to soften the asphalt and attack the colors? Heavy furniture placed over asphalt tile or even over carpeting should have rubber protectors or pads placed under the feet to prevent digging into the material. that vaseline can remove ink stains from upholstery, carpets, draperies, etc.? Work it well into the stain, then wash with plenty of soap and water. Also, the stain can be soaked with a little turpentine, then sponged off with carbon tetrachloride. If it still perists, use kerosene or glycerine, washing it afterwards with plenty of soap and water. Ink stains are tough. Don't let one failure discourage you. Try again — and again. match of the design or pattern will still be had without the carpet breadth ending far under the front row. This allowance should also be made ivherever possible for carpet on stairs. Always run the seams of the carpeting from the rear wall to the standee rail so that they will be more or less in line with the most traffic. Also in this way, there will be shorter breadths to repair in case of trouble, and above all, in new laying, there will be no cross seams at the head of the aisles where there is always the heaviest traffic and strongest pull on the seams. At entrance doors where there are no saddles or dividing strips of metal, install a marble or concrete slab to break up the area between the lobby and the standee area. RUNNING THE BREADTHS It is bad practice to run long, continuous breadths of carpet from one end of the lobby to the standee rail, for when repairs are needed, long and costly breadths will be required, or cross seams will have to be put in where patches of the new carpet are laid. Remember, having cross seams in foyer or standee carpet is not undesirable from a decorative point of view, but the seams will open up in a relatively short time, as here is where traffic concentrates. One other advantage of having door saddles between the foyer and standee is that a different type of carpet can be laid in the foyer from that in the standee area. Saddles neatly divide the two areas and the laying of two different patterns will not make a bad appearance. Have the carpet breadths in the aisles as close as possible to the chair standards to avoid tripping hazards and fast wear of the edges. While the fastening holes may be drilled 6 inches apart, 3 inches apart is better so that the carpet is flat at the point where patrons enter the rows. Lay the lining in the aisles so that the edges will be in \y2 inches back at both sides of the carpet, allowing the carpet to slope to the floor. Having the lining the same width as the carpet will tend to raise the carpeting off the floor, especially with the raw edge of the carpet breadth turned under. Be sure the raw edges of a half-breadth carpet in aisles or on stairs are bound tightly to avoid any turn under, ravelling of the edge, and high humps when it is fastened to the floor. At both edges of aisle carpeting light-gauge metal, slightly beveled nosing strips should be installed the full length of the aisle to protect the carpet against edge wear. Have the ends of the carpet at door saddles bound tightly so that the carpet will lay flat and be below the level of the saddles. Carpet bulging up here, as is the case with a turn-under of the raw edges, will develop wear very fast. Allow 4 inches, in addition to the actual length or width of the area to be carpeted, on each breadth so that there will be a 2-inch turn-under available at each end of the breadth to hide the raw edges and to prevent extreme kicking by the carpet men when stretching the carpet. 44 BETTER THEATRES, APRIL 5, 1947