InTents June/July 2019 - 36

Sometimes there
is more concern
for the grass than
the guy carrying
the products across
the grass. We really
wanted to lessen
the impact on
those people.
-Mark Cerasi, Dura-Trac Flooring LLC

"One of the biggest looks in tented
events right now is farm tables and
sailcloth tents," he says. "People have
been buying real wood flooring for those
to get the barn look, but it's pretty costly.
Roll vinyl is quicker to install, more
efficient and cost-effective." (See the
sidebar below for an installation tip.)
Still, the market for simple flooring
in basic colors remains strong. Not
everyone wants or needs a fancy
floor, according to McKee.
"Our entry-level workhorse flooring
is basic black artificial turf," he says.
"We've been using it for years and
sell more of it than anything."

EASY DOES IT

Beyond aesthetics, manufacturers
are introducing flooring and staging
products for tented events that are

lighter, which makes them easier to
transport and install, and at the same
time stronger than products of the past.
"Efficiency is a needle mover in
the space," Signature's Van Wart
says. "Flooring and staging systems
that can be easily transported and
stored offer the greatest value."
Signature's RoverDeck™, a new
product for 2019, is a lightweight rolled
plastic system in different lengths and
widths designed to be deployed as a
temporary road when labor and time
is limited, Van Wart says. "[When it's]
deployed over grass, turf, sand, gravel
or any sensitive surface, people can
access a site with ease," he says. "No
one wants to spend half their time
trying to get the stuff off the truck."
When recommending a new product
as an inventory investment, it's

TRICKS OF THE TRADE FOR USING ROLL VINYL

illy McKee, vice president and general manager for 12 By Event Flooring, admits
that roll vinyl has a "bit of a stigma." Because it was originally designed to be

glued down in commercial installations, its use in tented events can be problematic
as it is sometimes installed using staples or tape.
"The vinyl is affected by temperature swings," McKee says. "It expands and
contracts, so you hear some horror stories in the industry. It's hot in the tent when
it's installed, and when the air conditioning gets turned on, it warps."
McKee, however, has a solution. "It's a method we've been trying to teach
whether someone buys the roll vinyl from me or not, because we can't have
people saying it's not a viable option."

Here's how it works:
"We get some plastic sheeting like Visqueen and cut 6-inch-wide strips," McKee
says. "We install the roll vinyl with 2-inch double-sided carpet tape. But instead of
sticking one side to the subfloor and the other side to the bottom of the roll vinyl, we
put the plastic sheeting down first, stick the bottom of the tape to the plastic sheeting
sitting on top of the subfloor. We don't stick it to the subfloor. Then the top side of the
tape is applied directly to the vinyl.
"You have a seam that won't come apart. When you get temperature swings,
the whole seam will just slide, moving on the floor. It doesn't pucker up or come
apart. It's a nice look and if you install it right, it's a real viable product."

36 intents

june-july 2019

InTents June/July 2019

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