Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

How to Plan New Theatre Floors For Best Results in Carpeting Architects advise recessing floor areas to be carpeted to than plugs, should be embedded in the concrete, and should depth of carpet plus underlay, on all level and sloping run with, not across, aisles and ramps. For concrete stairs, floors and in aisles, but not on stairs. Nailing strips, rather strips should be embedded where tread meets riser. By a majority vote of more than 90 per cent, the Architects Advisory Council is agreed that new concrete floors which are to be carpeted should be prepared for it by incorporating of suitable nailing material in the concrete at the time it is poured. A majority of nearly two-thirds of the members participating consider that this material should take the form of nailing strips, rather than plugs. An equally large majority considers wood, of one kind or another (many of the members have specific preferences) as the proper material to receive and hold the carpet nails. A majority vote of 90 per cent holds that nailing strips should run parallel with, and not across, aisles and ramps; with, however, a considerable minority opinion that additional strips should be placed across the aisle or ramp at each end so the carpet can be nailed on all four sides. On concrete stairs, such strips should be embedded where the step meets the riser leading upward to the next step. There is a small minority sentiment for an additional nailing strip on the nose of each step. Where floors are not to be caroeted from wall to wall the area that is to be covered with carpet should be recessed for it. More than 90 per cent of the Architects recommend this procedure for level floors; nearly 90 per cent for aisles, and more than 60 per cent for sloping floors or ramps other than aisles. A close majority is opposed to recessing steps for carpeting. Embedding Wood in Concrete "It is very imperative to provide wood nailing strips in concrete floors and stairs, which are to receive carpet, when the concrete is poured. Continuous nailing strips are much to be preferred to plugs. If strips are not installed in concrete as it is poured, and the floor is drilled later to anchor them, there is a possibility that they will not hold, and in many cases the concrete will be badly chipped." "Definitely, new construction should have nailing strips." But of what material? The Architects are well agreed on wood, but not on the kind of wood. Some of their suggestions are: plywood; fir; treated fir; pine; treated open-grain wood. One Architect adds: "Reasonably hard, rot-resistant wood such as cypress. Redwood is too soft to hold tacks. Or else white pine tox-i-sealed against rot with Dow's Penta." And on the question of how these wood strips are to be held in place the members again have their individual preferences. They can be cemented by rubber or mastic; or held in by being bevelled, or both beveled and anchored; or nailed. However, other methods of fastening carpet, that do not involve use of nailing strips at all, are also suggested. One member, who himself favors nailing strips, nevertheless lists several alternatives: "In areas where carpet is to be laid use Nailcrete or other types of concrete that permit nailing. Or use tempered steel nails that can attach carpet to ordinary concrete. Or use the new type of carpet with sponge rubber backing that can be cemented to the fioor in sections." Still another alternative is brought forward by another Architect, who notes that: "In portions of the theatre where there is very little traffic the Robertson tackless carpet strip, but I would not recommend it for general use." For stairs, as noted, the Council in general recommends nailing strips embedded where the tread meets the riser. Here also, strips are preferred to plugs; and one member of the majority adds: "I would not cast plugs in the slab. If it Architects Advisory Council Roger Allen, Grand Rapids, Mich. Leona-d Asheim, New Haven, Conn. Myles E. Belongia, Milwaukee, Wis. Armand CairolL Armand Carroll & Wm. 1 Stephenson, Philadelphia, Pa. Horace G. Cook, Dallas, Pa. George L. Dahl, Dallas, Tex. Collins C. Diboll, Diboll-Kessels & Associates, New Orleans, La. Drew Eberson, John & Drew Eberson, New York, N. Y. Leon M. Einhorn. Einhom & Toole, Albany, N. Y. Hugh Gibbs, Long Beach, Calif. Hugo K. Graf. St. Louis, Mo. Roland Tip Harrison, Wetherell & Harrison, Dss Moines, la. Walter Hesse, Block & Hesse, New York. N. Y. Tabnadge C. Hughes, Detroit, Mich. Karl Kamralh, Mackie & Kamrath, Houston, Tex. W. H. Lee, Philadelphia, Pa. Fred I. Mackie, Jr., Mackie & Kamrath, Houston, Tex. Merle Robert Maffil, F. & Y. Building Service, Columbus, O. R. W. Naef, Jackson, Miss. Urban F. Peacock. Milwaukee, Wis. Carl W. Schubert. Boyum, Schubert & Soren son. La Crosse, Wis. Raymond B. Spencer, Memphis, Tenn, Bema-d B. Spigel, Norfolk, Va. Ha-old Spitznagel, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. Robert Law Weed. Miami, Fla. Wilaam W. Wolf, Sacramento, Calif. is not possible to build in strips, let the carpet installers drill for plugs later." A majority favors adding a nailing strip, or plugs, at or just under the nose of each step, as well as between tread and riser, to shape the carpet to the rounded overhang of the step. But as to this, a member of the majority suggests: "Yes, if the carpet is to be shaped to the nosing of a conventional tread, then another strip should be built in just below this nosing. But we prefer sloping the whole riser to form an overhang, and in that case one nailing strip is enough." Still further with respect to nailing strips on floors in general: while the large majority, as noted, favor running these parallel with and not across aisles and ramps, a substantial number among that majority add that nailing strips should run around "all the edges of the carpet" — "around the perimeter" — "be continuous" — "placed at all edges and ends of carpet." Recessing Floors for Carpet Except where carpet is to run from wall to wall, all floors (whether level or sloping) should be recessed to receive the carpet and its underlay, the Council believes. Stairs are the single exception; there the advocates of recessing are in the minority. There is, however, no clear agreement as to how deen such recesses must be; estimates of different members run between a minimum of %" to an extreme maximum of "That depends on the thickness of the carpet." "And of the matting." "Whatever depth is necessary to acommodate the thickness of carpet plus underlay. In general, approximately half an inch." "I should say, at least five-eighths inch to receive both padding and carpet." Recessing stairs to receive carpeting is, as noted, disfavored by a small majority; and one Architect comments: "Stairs should be carpeted from wall to wall if carpet is used at all. This will cost no more, and look better than forming a recess on the steps to save a little carpet. Where a stair thus carpeted ends at an upper floor that is not carpeted, a recess the same width as the stairs should be located to rer-eive the carpeting at the head of the flight." And as a kind of pendant to the meeting one Architect added: "All these matters may be and are important, b*ut most important of all is to have the carpet laid by labor that is really skilled in that job,"