James1969 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 My local amateur operatic society is kitting out an industrial unit as a rehearsal room. Can anyone recommend what type of (reasonably cheap) flooring would be appropriate for laying on the concrete floor to make it suitable for dance ? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I'm sure others will have more specific experience, but check out Harlequin Floors as they are commonly encountered. For a concrete subfloor you are probably best off looking at the Allegro, but only for a (semi)permanent installation - you don't want to be rolling and carrying it around as it is thick and heavy! It is ideal for professional dance use. The Cascade should provide enough protection for am-dram dance use, and is easier to roll and move. HTHBarney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Jules Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 If this is a permanent installation you really need to be thinking about a proper sprung dance floor Even the very best of rolled out flooring won't 'give' in the same way that a properly constructed wood over concrete floor will. It is possible to build them on the cheap with basic skills and plenty of free time. Your dances will certainly thank you and you'll then have a facility that can be hired out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I'd go for a combination of both those offerings - something on the lines of the "semi traditional" floor in Mr Jules' example, but would possibly omit the neoprene. Our stage and rehearsal room floors are this construction (ie timber battens with a layer of 18mm ply and a layer of 12mm ply without the neoprene, but with a sacrificial layer of 6mm oil-tempered hardboard on top (this is so when the paint gets too thick, it's not too expensive to re-clad the floor), and are comfortable to work on. You've then got the option of adding more cushioning in the form of a roll-out dancefloor if you want it. Without the dancefloor, you've got a robust floor you can fix things to with backflaps etc, a useful feature, with the dancefloor you have a nice clean floor for your performers (remembering of course to sweep the timber floor really thoroughly before rolling out the dancefloor!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 A concrete floor with dance"lino" laid on top will get very damp and slippery in winter. The floor is cold and the air becomes saturated with moisture, which condenses onto the floor leaving it wet and slippery. A dance "lino" laid on a wooden floor is better in theis respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I'm sure others will have more specific experience, but check out Harlequin Floors as they are commonly encountered. For a concrete subfloor you are probably best off looking at the Allegro I'll add another vote for Harlequin and the Allegro floor (we're looking at much the same thing ourselves at the moment) However The Cascade should provide enough protection for am-dram dance use, and is easier to roll and move. Is not really true, Cascade is a rigid flooring that has no padding on it at all. It's designed to go on top of the Liberty sprung floor panels which are 8 by 4 sheets of 3/4 ply with clever rubber sponges underneath that give you a semi-permanent sprung surface. They are not cheap but they are very good and for a 10m by 10m area with cascade floor on top and installation you're looking about £15,000. Anyhoo enough of me telling you what not to do, go to Harlequin and check out the website and give them a call, they're all jolly nice people and will help whenever they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 There's a great automated selection system on the harlequin site - it asks what the subfloor is, what kind of activities etc and then provides a small selection that do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 We have some of the harlequin ply and foam blocks at work. They are really good, I haven't yet had to assemble a system (we have one system installed and one system stacked for use in the theatre). Certainly got a nice amount of give with a good springy firmness. The varnished ply finish also looks very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Harlequin also do a low(er)-cost option that involves laying cellular polyurethane, then going over the top with a plywood surface. Then dance lino on top of that. I've had great success with it. It's more expensive than padded dancefloor, less expensive than batten-sprung and offers nearly as good performance. For a good quality rehearsal room, that would be an excellent choice. Dancing on regular floor laid on concrete will be a big no-no for your dancers: they'll end up hurting themselves, which won't look good. Also, as mentioned, the thermal characteristics will be a problem too. Harlequin make the best dance linos, but Junckers make some very good sprung sub-floors - they're worth investigating if you go down that route. One thing to consider is whether the room needs to support any kind of access equipment. The more "sprung" the floor, the less weight it will take without damage. Finally, Harlequin are very, very nice people, and they really know about this stuff. Don't be afraid to call and ask them about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Harlequin also do a low(er)-cost option that involves laying cellular polyurethane, then going over the top with a plywood surface. Then dance lino on top of that. I've had great success with it. It's more expensive than padded dancefloor, less expensive than batten-sprung and offers nearly as good performance. For a good quality rehearsal room, that would be an excellent choice. Dancing on regular floor laid on concrete will be a big no-no for your dancers: they'll end up hurting themselves, which won't look good. Also, as mentioned, the thermal characteristics will be a problem too. Harlequin make the best dance linos, but Junckers make some very good sprung sub-floors - they're worth investigating if you go down that route. One thing to consider is whether the room needs to support any kind of access equipment. The more "sprung" the floor, the less weight it will take without damage. Finally, Harlequin are very, very nice people, and they really know about this stuff. Don't be afraid to call and ask them about it! that foam sounds like a good idea - I've come across a similar thing forming lightweight but strong rostra tops (sandwich of foam between two sheets of 6mm ply). The only thing I'd ask in this context is how easily removed it is - this might become an issue when giving up the lease on a rented industrial unit (can't remember whether OP said it was owned or leased?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewg112 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 weve got a Harlequin Floor in our studio and that is just layed ontop of concrete, it works perfectly for everything. Ive also seen a Harlequin Floor type remake, which is no-where near as expensive but still does the job well. Andy, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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