Window backing

[Chiefy]

Hiya,

 

I am about to install a lighting project that involves turning a whole floor of a rather large dock warehouse into a colour block for the dark months over Christmas. I am planning on doing this by placing two LED PAR 56's behind each window (the are 56 two section windows) and controlling them through a Congo Junior.

 

I obviously need a surface on the windows to project onto and up to now I have come up with pieces of BP screen (quite expensive) or different grades of tracing paper. I want to try and avoid the BP screen as this seems a very pointless exercise cutting up 112 small pieces as we will not be able to re use these anywhere else after the project has finished and would seem like a waste of money. My other worry with using the tracing paper is I don't want the to be a situation where condensation has built up and the paper looks like some crumpled toilet paper! The building is fairly uninhabited during the instillation period.

 

Does anyone has any better suggestions on how to best back light a window? Budget is fairly flexible.

 

Thanks very much...

[Modge]

Dif?

Some thing like L216 or L250?

Got to cost a lot less than RP screen, though more than tracing paper. Should tolerate getting wet better I'd have thought.

[p.k.roberts]

You don't mention the size of the windows or what the fixing method might be -are you planning on building frames, can you staple to the existing window frames or does this have to fit neatly into each pane? For the first two, then all of the Lee diffusion gels are available on rolls, which might make the job easier (and faster). The only other alternative that springs to mind is domestic window film which is designed to obscure bathrooms windows etc. Once cut to size this stuff squeegies onto a clean window - it's quite fast and simple once you get the knack, but is designed to be more of a permanant solution so is a swine to remove!

[Barney]

Could you spray the window with something? You can purchase "glass frosting" sprays from most big DIY stores.

 

Or try this spray (might be a bit expensive for the coverage required), or try talking to these guys.

 

Barney

[son of lx dad]

if you can attach to the frame try stretched white lycra. Cheap. easy to work with and does this type of job quite well.

[pritch]

Thinking out loud here (or thinking in text, whatever)... what's greaseproof paper like when it gets wet? I'd have thought it would be OK.

[Tomo]

My gut instincts are Lycra or a strong frost gel.

 

I've used Lycra stretched around tubular frameworks, and it works quite well - however it's not that easy to work with when creating the pieces.

Frost should be much easier to work with, but comes in fairly narrow sheets - you'll have to decide if joints will be an issue or not.

[Chiefy]

Thanks for all your replies,

 

In answer to some of your questions;

The windows measure 50mm x 150mm and are in two sections each, the frames are made of aluminium so no fixings can be easily attached. The building is undergoing a major renovation so therefore is still a building site, the floor where I am planning the instillation is complete and ready for hand over although the builders don't want to hand it over until at least December. Also the instillation needs to be easily removable.

I did a test sample last night in one section of the window using a showtec LED PAR 56 and some tracing paper which worked well, however in order to achieve the results I am after I will need a larger source, so I have had Stage Electrics send over a Showtec PAR 64. Another test is due tonight!

The window backing I think I will go with is Lee 416 Quarter White Diffusion as this not only takes colour better than tracing paper, but it will also fit nicely into my risk assessment.

Thanks again for your help, I will post photo's when the instillation is complete!