General questions about our floors
Q. Will Harlequin vinyl stage floors crack or degrade over time?
A. Absolutely not. They are designed to stand up to punishing tour schedules and, if looked after carefully, will last many years. We have customers with floors from 20 years ago.
Q. Is there anything special I should know about storing Harlequin floors?
A. Ideally you should store the rolls vertically, but that’s not always possible. For instance you may have to lay them flat in transit. Take care in this case not to store them 2 or 3 high and not to lay heavy angular props or flight cases on top of them. It is better to store them horizontally instead of at an angle, which can produce ‘elephants’ feet’ or pressure folds on the bottom edge. This will give you distortion on the bottom edge when you unroll the floor.
Q. Is cleaning a problem? What about stage make-up, rosin, scuff marks... ?
A. We offer a range of floor care and maintenance products and free data sheets explaining how they should best be used. Very few stage activities will result in permanent marking in any case. For more information see the ‘Cleaning & Maintenance' section of this site.
Q. Black features strongly throughout the Harlequin range. Is this the only colour that’s good to work with stage lighting?
A. No, not at all. Obviously black is the number 1 choice. But just take a look at Grey 880, a special tonal mix of black and white with no pigmentation. Grey 880 lights like a dream and gives your lighting director exciting possibilities. Then there’s TV White (or TV neutral) – a paler non-pigmented grey, which produces white on colour TV. No matter whose gels you use you get great colour response from these greys.
Q. Can you use Harlequin floors outside?
A. Yes you can, providing you are only using them in the dry. When they get wet, or with early morning dew, they get slippery. Remember that in sun any floor will heat up. That’s really important with barefoot performances, so try to use lighter colours that stay cooler.
Q. How does cold affect the floors?
A. Technically, they’re freeze tolerant, but like all vinyls they get harder and stiffer as the temperature drops. But when the temperatures rise they return to normal. So the secret in cold weather is to get them out of the van and into the theatre as soon as possible.
Q. What sort of guarantee will I get with a Harlequin floor?
A. All Harlequin floors are unconditionally guaranteed against defects in manufacture, provided that claims are made within six months of date of despatch. Most of our floors are also guaranteed for reasonable wear and tear for five years.
Technical questions about our floors
Q. On what sort of surface can you lay Harlequin floors?
A. Pretty much any surface such as concrete, wood or tiles. Unacceptably hard surfaces can be transformed for dance or activity by using our Studio or Allegro - both specially designed with the correct cushioning. But if you are worried whether your existing floor is suitable, then check with us first.
Q. Can Harlequin floors be permanently laid? For permanent stages or rehearsal studios for example?
A. Yes they can. We can provide full installation instructions, or you can semi-permanently install using double-sided tape underneath and weld the joins with either hot or cold weld. Just contact us for more details.
Q. What is the best way to move Harlequin floors around?
A. The best way is to make sure that the floor is rolled up correctly - simply use the cardboard core or a similar large diameter plastic drain pipe for example. It is important to avoid flattening and distorting the roll. Then use Harlequin Roll Straps to keep the roll in place. And as for carrying, we have a choice of two specially designed Roll Storage Bags that make storing and carrying the roll easy.
Want to ask a question? Then use our enquiry form or telephone Harlequin on +852 254 11 666 |
