Why Your Roll Out Marley Doesn’t Lay Flat

The seams don’t match and the floor is wavy. What Happened and how can I fix it? Can I fix it?

The frustrations of rolling out your marley floor and looking out on a sea of turbulence that is dangerous upon which to dance is preventable and in some cases fixable. So all is not lost.

 

These Actions Will Mess Up Your Marley Floor.

1.  How you store and transport your floor can make all the difference in how it rolls out. Always roll your floor around a tube (PVC) at least 4’ in diameter and store the floor on end, never lying on the ground or on top of each other. Store in a space that is kept at room temperature, more or less, and allow the floor to acclimatize to the space you are using it in before installation. Without a core, or lying horizontally, gravity will compress your marley creating an egg-shaped roll that will stretch the floor. When unrolled, the stretched marley will appear as waves running across the width of the roll.  
   The FixLoose lay the floor in a warm environment and let it relax overnight. If the waves remain, using a hairdryer very carefully warm a couple of the wave areas and put weight on the floor (books, sandbags, etc.) and let sit overnight. If that worked, do the rest of the floor. If it did not work, reverse roll the floor around a core and let sit overnight on end. Roll out the floor and hopefully, it will lie flat.  If not, then your floor has probably come to the end of its usefulness as the stretched parts of the floor have become permanent.

   Things NOT to do.

   Getting a bunch of people to stretch the floor flat. That will result in stretching the floor the wrong way, which in turn will distort the seams making it impossible to match them up to other rolls of flooring.

2. Taking the marley out of a cold truck (or storage) bringing it on stage and immediately taping it down. The theatrical lights will quickly warm up the floor causing it to expand, creating ripples.
   The FixAllow the floor to loose lay on the stage for as long as you can. Gap the seams about a 1/16^th of an inch and tape over it using 1.5 inch or 2 inch vinyl or cloth tape.

Never Do These Things to Your Floor

1. Bent it or Crease it
2. Stretch it
3. Store anything on top of a roll
4. Transport floors without protecting it in a box, bag or wrapping
5. Drop a floor especially in cold weather
6. Try cleaning your floor with ammonia, vinegar, bleach or acetone. You will quickly, or in some cases over time, ruin your floor. It will begin to dissolve.

Your floor is an instrument. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

For additional information about storage tubes, tapes and maintenance products contact us today. Got questions about storage or installation give Stagestep a call at 800 523 0960