Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1979 - 17

TEST 6
OBJECTIVES: To determine poly-vinyl's receptivity to repainting.
TEST COMPONENTS AND CONDITIONS: '14" and O/S" polyvinyl.
(a) dry pigment with gelatin binder;
(b) vinyl acrylic;
(c) oil base enamel.
PROCEDURE: Poly-vinyl was painted (a-c), repainted, and
subjected to foot traffic.
RESUL TS: Dry pigment would not adhere to the flooring.
Pigment beaded during application and large areas of wash
were totally uncontrollable. After all water had dried, paint
cracked and peeled from the surface. Vinyl acrylic allowed
smooth application, paint dried rapidly and exhibited an even
surface, adherence to the pOly-vinyl was good, and paint held
well under foot traffic. Progressive coats altered surface texture. Oil base enamel could be applied smoothly, adhered to
the surface, and responded to limited wear without deterioration. Thirty-six hours were required for complete and thorough drying.
CONCLUSIONS: When Vinyl acrylic is used over pOly-vinyl,
the altering of surface texture by progressive coats indicated
that removal of paint was required before a second application. Although oil base paint seemed compatible and usable with pOly-vinyl, it was not possible under our test conditions to determine the wear value of this type of paint over
long periods of time and/or several coats!

TEST 7
OBJECTIVES: To determine poly-vinyl's acceptability as a
pad for ground cloths.
TEST COMPONENTS AND CONDITIONS: 10 oz. canvas
10' X 20' ground cloth over '14" and O/S" pOly-vinyl.
PROCEDURE: Progressing from no edge tacking to moderate tacking, the cloth-covered vinyl was subjected to foot
traffic in street shoes, including running, sudden stops, and
turns.
RESUL TS: To hold the canvas securely, edge tacking was
required at the corners and at 5' intervals. The coefficient of
friction was such that the ground cloth held securely under all
conditions of foot traffic.
CONCLUSIONS: As a pad, pOly-vinyl is excellent.

Summary
Relative to the hypothesis of the study, the conclusion is a
aualified "no." If poly-vinyl were installed as a permanent
floor, the test results indicate that the floor probably ought not
be subjected to repeated painting. It also ought not be subjected to massive amounts of puncturing. Nor should it be
installed in a facility used for dance programs-especially
modern dance. It appears obvious, however, that those restrictions do not necessarily rule out pOly-vinyl as a useful
permanent floor; many varieties of theatre programs could,
and do, function well in facilities with a more restricted floor
use than would be the case with poly-vinyl. A stage house
with a permanent neutral-canvas ground cloth, for example,
could function just as well with a pOly-vinyl floor.
Test results indicate that pOly-vinyl is a good acting surface
and capable of withstanding years of abuse without losing its
USITT/Spring, 1979

original strength or texture. It should be emphasized that the
occasional use of nails or stage screws will not ruin the polyVinyl. Such usage merely causes a permanent hole, and to a
point, sections of the product can be replaced or plugged if
damage is excessive. Because of the smooth surface texture,
a dark, neutrally-colored vinyl might be superior, esthetically,
to wood or concrete. Its sound-muffling capabilities also are
superior to those two surfaces. Casters roll without injury to
the surface and without difficulty, so movable seating sections pose no problem whatsoever. Wagons, likewise, move
easily, and much more quietly, over pOly-vinyl.
In any theatre in which a raked house gives ample view of
the stage floor to an audience, the esthetics of design usually
require some form of floor treatment, and no permanent
treatment of the stage floor has proven to be totally acceptable in all situations. Here poly-vinyl offers a benefit-not as a
permanent floor, but as a temporary floor or pad. The stage
floor can be covered with the material; no adhesive is necessary. When the production is finished, the flooring can be
rolled up and stored. As Test 7 indicated, ground cloths can
be placed over the Vinyl and the floor can be changed almost
as quickly and effectively as changing a drop. What is important here is the use of pOly-vinyl as a pad. Jute, for many
years the staple product of the technician for ground cloth
padding, is virtually unavailable today. In its place have come
various foam rubber rug pads-acceptable under carpets,
but unacceptable under canvas floor, stair, and platform coverings. Foam pads simply cannot take the kind of abuse that
theatre productions give; they shred and tear. Poly-vinyl does
not.
The professional theatre uses masonite as a design-floor
covering. There is no substitute for its durability and paintability. Changing the floor design mid-show, however, is next
to impossible except with wagons. Canvas ground cloths,
regardless of padding, cannot surpass masonite because
they wear out over a run of several hundred performances,
but in the educational theatre where runs of three to nine
performances are usual, the advantages are moot. Many,
however, will fi nd its cost prohibitive. A square foot of '14"
poly-vinyl is roughly 25% more expensive than a board foot of
"c" or better white pine, 90% more than a square foot of '14"
masonite, and 110% more than the same amount of eightounce canvas over a seventy-two-ounce rubber pad. But, in
defense of its cost, like structural steel, it is a one-time purchase. It will not crack, split, chip, or tear, and it can be
repaired and resurfaced.
The most important point to be made is this: pOly-vinyl is
not a flooring panacea. The tests made in this study are not
all-inclusive, nor are the suggestions for usage. Most problems in the theatre have many possible solutions: poly-vinyl
could be one of them.

Appendix

Installation and Maintenance
Installation of pOly-vinyl does not require any special tools,
safety precautions, or skills. The product cuts easily with a
linoleum knife. For temporary use independent of sub-flooring, sections can be joined either by 2" duct tape or 2"
masking tape. To attach vinyl permanently to wood, asphalt,
or concrete, the following materials are needed:
1. Two-part epoxy adhesive
2. Seam adhesive if more than one piece will be joined
without noticeable seaming
Theatre Design & Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1979