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 as for moisture, it certainly won’t harm vinyl.Q. Is there anything special I should know about storing Harlequin floors?A. Ideally you should store the foam-backed 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. The color black figures strongly throughout the Harlequin range. Is this the only color 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 Gray 880, a special tonal mix of Black and White with no pigmentation. Gray 880 lights like a dream and gives your lighting director exciting possibilities. Then there’s TV White (or TV neutral) – a paler non-pigmented Gray, which produces White on color TV. No matter whose gels you use you get great color response from these Grays.Q. Can you use Harlequin floors outside?A. Yes you can, providing you are only using them in a dry climate. 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 colors 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 my Harlequin floor?A. You’ll be glad to know that all our vinyl floors carry a 5-year guarantee – provided of course there is no evidence of unreasonable use. And remember there is a life-time guarantee against manufacturing defects.
 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.
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 three specially designed Roll Storage Bags that make storing and carrying the roll easy. |
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