Prior to installing your floor, you should ask yourself this question, “How long do I want the floor in this location?” You may not be sure of that answer, and if you are not, you can hedge your bet with a decision that will allow for a definitive answer later.
Performance and Touring – Short Term Dance Floor Installation
Temporary dance floor installations are designed for one day up to two months. They usually are best for short term performances, touring shows and conventions or used during summer intensives, auditions and interim use locations.
Roll out the floor leaving a 1/16 inch gap at the seam. Best to install when the space will be at its warmest and you will have allowed the dance floor to acclimate for temperature and humidity. Tape the seams and the perimeter of the marley flooring. You can use 1.5 inch or 2 inch vinyl or cloth tape (known as Gaffers tape) Check periodically to make sure tape is secure. Do not stretch the tape while installing the dance floor. It will allow for the likelihood the tape will snap back and disengage. If the tape comes up for any reason, replace immediately. While it is important to clean your floor regularly, water can attack the tape adhesive. Do not flood mop your floor. When it is time to move on, remove all the tape slowly and carefully. Ripping the tape up can damage the floor. Before rolling up the floor, clean up the tape residue using a safe solvent such as Wipeout Plus.
Wipeout Plus for Marley Dance Floors
Short Term Semi-Permanent Dance Floor Installation
If you are planning an install lasting up to two years, consider the short term semi-permanent installation option. Allow the marley flooring to lie loose in the space for twenty-four hours to acclimate. Keep the temperature at the room’s warmest. Prior to rolling out the floor, make sure your subfloor is clean, dry and smooth. With the floor rolled out and seams opened to 1-16 inch, trim all edges ¾ inch away from the wall. If there is no wall, it is not necessary to trim. If your width is not divisible by 6.56 feet (the normal width of a roll of flooring), it will be necessary to vertically cut away a piece of the flooring to fit the room. This is best accomplished by sliding the roll closest to the wall under its partner roll. Use the partner’s seam as a guide to cut away the excess flooring. Allow for 1/16 inch gap at the seam and ¾ inch gap at the wall.
Roll back the roll closest to the wall half way, make sure you always roll the floor around a core which is at least four inches in diameter. Apply 2-inch double-faced tape around the perimeter and at the midway point (3 ¼ feet) of each roll of flooring. Peel off top layer of double faced tape and carefully roll floor out over the tape. Follow the same procedure for all remaining rolls, then proceed to the other side of the room to do likewise to the second half of each roll. Top tape is applied to all seams and around the perimeter of the floor. Top tape should be changed every four to six months, double-faced tape changed every two to three years.
Long Term Semi-Permanent Dance Floor Installation
For those interested in an installation lasting three to six years, or if you are tired of replacing the top tape every three to four months, there is a method that addresses both situations. Using four-inch double-faced installation tape instead of two-inch double-faced tape will deliver a longer lasting install without top tape. The setup and execution are exactly the same and the two-inch double-faced tape and top tape except for the following: Instead of gapping the seams, butte them together for a tight fit. Apply the four-inch double-faced tape under each roll of flooring as you would the two inch. No top tape is needed. It is important to note that all tape has a shelf life and will need to be replaced and the floor re-set no matter which method you choose.
The Permanent not Permanent Installation
You are going to be in your current location for a very long time but you want the option to remove or sell your flooring system whenever. You need ReUseIt. Best to describe it as a sticky webbing that relies on suction instead of tape adhesive to bond flooring to the subfloor. It lasts indefinitely. It is applied to your subfloor perpendicular to how your roll out floor is running. One person unspools the ReUseIt roll, another person using a wide broom presses it to the floor. When you come to the wall, cut the webbing and start the next row. Keep the edge as close as you can to each other. Following the application of ReUseIt, lay out the floor and make all the necessary cuts to fit the room. When rolling up flooring, use a four-inch diameter tube to prevent cracking. Seams should be tight. Roll back the floor closest to a wall halfway. The protective coating on the ReUseIt peels off across the floor, exposing 39 inches by 6 1/2 feet. A second person rolls the flooring over the exposed ReUseIt. Continue until all the flooring has been installed. Using a 75-pound roller secures the installation.
To remove, slowly peel up the dance floor from one corner. ReUseIt should stick to the subfloor leaving no residue on the back of the floor. Roll floor around a 4” core. Repeat for all rolls. Slowly peel up ReUseIt from the subfloor and discard.
Permanent Dance Floor Installation
A permanent glue down installation is the most stable and maintenance free way to install a marley dance floor. Using adhesive means that if it is necessary to remove the floor, the subfloor will also need to be demolished. Make sure that adhesive is compatible with the flooring and has the recommendation of the manufacturer. Hire a professional floor installer to do the job. It is more difficult than you think and if you mess up you have lost both the dance floor and subfloor. Follow directions on the label of the adhesive container
Marley Dance Floor Installation Tips
- Never loose lay the floor and try walking or dancing on it. It will eventually shift and open up at the seams, resulting in damage.
- All tape needs to be changed. Exceeding the shelf life limit can result in damaging the floor or making it extremely difficult to separate the tape from the floor and subfloor.
View Our Dance Floor Installation Guide
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