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Topic: carpeted booths?

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-30-1999 08:02 AM

What is the general consensus on the usefulness of a carpeted floor in projection booths? I know that most booths have tile floors, but the few that I have seen that have carpeted floors seem to be cleaner and much quieter than those with tile floors.

I know that carpet can cause static problems with ESTAR-base film on platters, but that's probably fixable by adding a humidifier in the booth.

Are there any other real disadvantages to carpeted floors (assuming that the projectors don't leak too much oil)?

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Art Averett
Film Handler

Posts: 14
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 09-30-1999 08:13 AM

Yes I have. I worked in a small twin theater that the other projectionist put down carpeting. It was not a good thing. After two years, one of the intermittants had to be re-built. Also, do not use a humidifier with an estar or polyester base print. You'll have more problems than you want. Keep the floor in the booth clean with a vacuum cleaner or damp mop to keep dust and dirt down to a minimum.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-30-1999 01:08 PM

Carpeted booths I don't like because of the problem of keeping them clean and oil free
With estar film a humidifier is a must if you want any hope of avoiding static cling

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-30-1999 01:09 PM

I love carpet in booths. It makes everything significantly quieter and after crashing on a freshly mopped floor a few times, is better for mobility as well.

Plus, of course, it just makes the place more like home.

As far as film problems, I don't have a problem with either type of booth and do not use anything extra, like a humidifier.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 09-30-1999 03:12 PM

I like carpeted booths because they are definitely quieter. I work in a concrete booth right now. We rarely ever sweep it, unless you can visibly see dirt on the floor. Our films remain clean now, especially since we got the new Christie delrin intermittent shoes. It is also important to keep the leader off of the floor. But carpet looks better. Also can be vacuumed easilly. I hate sweeping!

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-30-1999 03:20 PM

Odeon Canada, years ago, stopped carpeting their new booths due to a fear of static build up when walking across the carpet playing hell with sensitive CMOS equipment such as Dolby and solid-state automation systems. CMOS chips have become much less prone to static over the years, and this should no longer be a problem.
I find that if you are working a ten-hour shift in a booth, carpeting is a lot easier on the feet than tile (or cement floors as have sometimes been used recently).
Use a type of carpet that grease , oil and coke spills can easily be wiped up.

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-30-1999 05:06 PM

Just a thought on the carpeted booth question. Have you ever seen carpet in an operating room or an electronics factory?

I think not!

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Kelsey Black
Film Handler

Posts: 58
From: Pima, Arizona, USA
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 09-30-1999 05:28 PM

the theater that I run had carpet that was old, dirty, oil-soaked, as well as soda, glue, and anything else that you can think of in it that isn't good for film. I ripped it out about 2 weeks ago when I had some free time to re-arrange the booth... the result:
bare plywood floors, more vibration noise downstairs, less dirt, somewhat cleaner prints (I haven't sent in my money order for FilmGuard yet... I'm very successful at being a procrastinator.) and I can vouch for the harder floors... even though the carpet was pretty well flattened, my feet can tell the difference at the end of a day. I intend to put carpet under the rewind towers and rectifiers, but you know how those things go...
luckily we're shut down this weekend for "the Tribute of The Century" for Rex Allen, here in Willcox Arizona. we have entertainers on stage in one of our auditoriums, and the other has a TV running his old movies... tons of other things going on around town. (come by if you can, it's a 4 day thing.) Anyways, hopefully I should be able to rebuild both projectors while this is going on....

Why can't I ever manage to make a short post?

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-30-1999 08:08 PM

Why not have the best of both worlds: tile under the platter and projector with carpet everywhere else. Have you ever worked on a projector and dropped a screw onto the carpet and couldn't find it?

Some of the booths I have been in that are all carpeted have ratty, stained, oil soaked, and duct taped carpet that's a thousand years old.

I prefer tile myself.

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George Roher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Washington DC
Registered: Jul 99

posted 09-30-1999 11:17 PM

Bring on the carpet! Running around on a hard floor 18 hours in a row is hell on feet.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-01-1999 02:10 PM

Generally, the floors and work surfaces in a projection room should be easy to keep clean, and not be a dirt source (e.g., lint, cement dust) themselves.

Carpeting can be a source of dirt, but it does NOT contribute to "static cling" on platters, as long as the platter and projector are well grounded. Any static shocks you get from carpet are due to generating charge on yourself by rubbing across the carpet, and being insulated until you touch a grounded surface. The main risk of that type of static is to get a surprise shock or accidently "zap" sensitive electronic components. Most technicians working on circuit boards use a grounded static control wrist strap to bleed off any charge buildup before it causes damage.

I'd rather see a really clean short-nap carpet in good shape, than a unfinished cement floor, or a damaged tile floor that is full of debris, dirt, and film chips. But the ideal is a vinyl floor that can be damp mopped on a regular basis to keep it clean and dust-free.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 10-01-1999 04:16 PM

John, on your day off, can you come down to my theatre and put in vinyl flooring? We have concrete now. We would love to be a test theatre for vinyl floors. There is around 15,000 square feet to do and you will not be paid. But we will let you watch a free movie of your choice.

Just kidding, of course!

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-01-1999 04:33 PM

Joe --- if you currently have unfinished concrete floors that tend to dust, the least expensive fix is probably to treat them with several coats of a durable, non-chipping epoxy or polyurethane deck enamel or floor finish. But you'll have to find someone else to apply it, as my wife has first dibs on my painting talents

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-01-1999 06:43 PM

Hmm...maybe Joe has an idea here. Just in case any other manufacturers are lurking here, I'll volunteer my basement to be the testing facility for the latest and greatest cinema equipment. I wouldn't mind a pair of Century JJ's, a Kinoton 16mm projector, full sets of ISCO lenses for all formats, a vinyl floor, Dolby processors, top-of-the-line amps and speakers, and anything else that anyone would like for me to test... <grin>

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 10-02-1999 03:17 AM

Actually the floor to my booth is sealed. But what is interesting is that the south booth was sealed with 2 coats of sealer. The north booth only 1 coat, and half assedly at that. The north booth generally tends to be 2 to 3 times cleaner in respects to the floor. I find alot of gunk on the south booth floor, usually underneath the platter legs, of all places.

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