Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1947)

WAYS & MEANS in operation, installation, maintenance John J. Sefing is a graduate mechanical engineer and has long spec/a/fied (n theatre won The Only Way to Get a Neat, Permanent Fabric Installation »6.00 anywhere In the United States A few years ago, after an article on wall fabric installation had appeared in this department, we received a letter from an exhibitor which amounted to his saying, "Now you tell me ! He had finished a wall fabric job just a couple of months before, and was he in trouble ! Sag was developing generally. He of course was in for a practical complete rehanging, and that is something I would want no part of. It seems that the time will soon be here for a lot of new theatre construction to get started (if materials and labor costs don't scare too many exhibitors into postponing them), and, at least in number of projects, a great deal more remodeling. From some of the new theatres that have been built so far since the end of the war, and from planning being done, I get the impression that fabric is going to be used on walls, in lounges and foyers as well as in the auditorium, much more than formerly. At any rate, there will be many such installations of fabric because of the large amount of building and remodeling, so let's review the do's and dont's. First of all, contract with an experienced, reliable drapery house, then work with them hand-in-hand, both before and during the installation. If there are safe ways to cut corners, they'll know them. If they advise against any of your own ideas, give them up. In a fabric installation it is the little details that count, and they take time and preparation. The purpose of this article is to provide not so much instruction for doing the job as guidance for supervision of it by the theatre management— -to cite the things that will enable management to know whether the installation is proceeding toward a satisfactory result, or toward a botch job and further expense. Here they are : 1. Don't install the new draperies or fabrics on a side wall where persistent stains or rotting has been noticed. Check the causes carefully, which may be due to the following : Roof leaks, which should be patched several feet larger than the actual defect. Poor or deteriorated flashing along the roof, coping wall which should be replaced with entirely new material. Moisture or dampness coming through the walls due to small cracks, which should be filled in solidly with a strong mixture of cement plaster or a good grade of asphaltum or roofing cement — both sides of the crack if need be. The old wall material is too close, or is touching a steam, water or electric wiring pipe. To remedy, these pipes should be properly insulated to prevent "sweating" on the outside, or the new fabric should be installed more than the usual distance from the wall. 2. Don't pull an old fabric off wall panels any old way, as the fastening tacks can split the wood nailing strips or pull them from the wall. The new material must be fastened to these nailing strips, and they must be in good condition and firm to the wall if a lasting appearing job is to be expected. 3. Don't install new fabric on old wood strips which have loosened from the wall or have rotted or split open. When in doubt, always install only new first grade kiln-dried wood strips having reasonably straight edges and free of knots, splits, worm holes and pits. TACKING STRIPS 4. Don't use odd-sized wood strips, like ^2 x 2-inches in very short lengths to run in line with, say, 1 x 3-inch wood strips ; such uneven "match" will be noticed on the installed fabric and in some cases make it quite difficult to fasten it solidly to the wall. The best size of wood strips to use is 1 x 3-inch by about 14 feet long. 5. Don't use ordinary wire-cut nails for fastening wood strips to a wall since in most cases they bend easily when driven into masonary and as a result give only temporary, weak fastening, which allows 34 BETTER THEATRES, MAY 31, 1947