Cheap dance mat?

[zloteraczka]

Hi everyone!

 

I need approx 4m x 8m of dance mat and I have a really tiny budget, the last price I found was about £500. It doesn't need to be great quality since it's not actually for dancing on, its going to be painted as a portable floor for a play we're touring. Does anyone know a good supplier, (or is £500 more than reasonable?) or have a cheaper suggestion? I've considered normal vinyl and heavy duty canvas, but that seems like a non-durable path to trip-hazard-filled nightmares & I've looked at so many webpages and quotes I think I'm going blind.

Thanks for any help!

[andy_s]

canvas is frequently used for floorcloths and if it is secured properly is no more of a trip hazard than any other kind of floor covering. you can have a floorcloth made up to any size specification, but there will be very slightly raised seams - a couple of mm, which might be a small disadvantage over vinyl dance floor which is a smoother surface.

But assuming you have a suitable space to do the work, it will take paint well.

 

as to cost, it's a while since I bought one, so I couldn't say if it would be much cheaper or not but companies like Promptside, McDougalls (the usual scenic fabric suspects) will be able to give you a quote pretty quickly.

[the kid]

I got a 6x6 floor cloth a few years ago I think it came to about £250 all in.

 

The thing to remember is to keep it stretched when painting (prime and finish) and it will be fine.

 

We have a show in at the moment touring lino and its a great floor, I would almost hazard nicer than dance simple because someone squash rolled it rather than rolled it rolled it and all the lumps were gone by the time we had finished a focus. I find dance floor can be so temperamental if miss rolled.

[Hilary Watts]

 

We have a show in at the moment touring lino and its a great floor, I would almost hazard nicer than dance simple because someone squash rolled it rather than rolled it rolled it and all the lumps were gone by the time we had finished a focus. I find dance floor can be so temperamental if miss rolled.

 

Going off topic slightly can you clarify the above please? I've never heard of 'squash rolling". Is that better than normal rolling and what's the difference? We have a floor that we use just 3 times a year so I'm keen to do anything we can do to preserve it in the best possible condition.

[Ynot]

I've never heard of 'squash rolling". Is that better than normal rolling and what's the difference? We have a floor that we use just 3 times a year so I'm keen to do anything we can do to preserve it in the best possible condition.

I would guess that this means it was rolled, but then the roll was 'squashed' (probably by other stuff getting loaded on top of it in the van) so that the end result is more of an oval than a circle when viewed end-on. Thus when laid, you'd get a bit of a bumpy mat...

[zloteraczka]

 

We have a show in at the moment touring lino and its a great floor, I would almost hazard nicer than dance simple because someone squash rolled it rather than rolled it rolled it and all the lumps were gone by the time we had finished a focus. I find dance floor can be so temperamental if miss rolled.

 

Really, is that just normal floor lino and nothing else? I imagined kitchen-type vinyl would warp a lot and travel badly?

[the kid]

It's normal lino, just kept on a roll and is fine, they under tape it (gaffer under rather than dance on top).

 

And yes squash rolling, not really sure how else to describe it but badly rolled and squashed.

[Dave m]

ideally dance floor needs to be kept on cardboard tubes to keep it round, and even then it needs a while to settle back down (under heat) before taping.

 

cloths are earlier and lighter normally.

 

add loads of PVA to the paint or it will crack

[Hilary Watts]

Doh! I had thought the original post meant that all the lumps had gone by the time the focus was completed because a specialist technique known as 'squash rolling' was employed, so I was keen to find out details! We use cardboard tubes and take great care when rolling the floor; when unrolling we lay it out a couple of days before it is required and then turn a few lanterns on to warm it before taping, so it sounds as if we've got it about right. I was hoping there might be a short-cut but this is clearly not the case.

[zloteraczka]

Thanks so much for the tips!

[kerry davies]

Plastic drain pipe, a la sewage pipe, is better than cardboard tube for dancefloor.

[jonathanhill]

Plastic gas pipe is the best, but not so easy to get hold of.

[the kid]

Is gas pipe not a bit heavy ? its pretty thick walled.

[WiLL]

Is gas pipe not a bit heavy ? its pretty thick walled.

 

true, but if you are rolling a lot of vinyl floor around it, you need that extra rigidity and strength. If you are only rolling under 10 metres then it probably isn't necessary.

+1 for the floorcloth or lino by the way if budget is the issue, and being such a small size you won;t need to worry about seams in a floor cloth. I'm about to make a circular floor cloth 8' in diamter by cutting some 200gsm canvas and painting the bottom with some weave filler 916 (available from flints) which should stop fraying, give it some weight so it rolls out nice and also grip the wooden floor of the venue to prevent it slipping about. Materials, including paint should come in under £50.

[Roderick]

PVC pipe gets very brittle in cold weather. Fine where I live, UK could be problematic.