Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Extreme Projection Booth Makeover

This is topic Extreme Projection Booth Makeover in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Farr-Nash (Member # 4233) on 06-02-2007, 04:36 PM:

Hey folks,

I'm starting to plan out the re-do of my 50+ year old projection booth. It's a small space, pretty mishmash (it got expanded once before, so there's still plumbing pieces in the walls), and I'm going to give it a good once-over, including things like new flooring.

I'm really interested in soliciting opinions as to what makes the "cleanest" projection booth. Carpet? Tile? Neither? I'm pretty confident in the functionality of my workspace, but I want something that's (1) easy to clean and maintain, and (2) not going to harm the film.

I welcome your input.

Mark

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 06-02-2007, 04:47 PM:

Tile all the way, baby.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-02-2007, 06:46 PM:

Carpet. Sooner or later you WILL have something happen where the film hits the floor, whether it is a failed takeup or even a tossed print. With anything other than carpet, that film WILL be scratched.

Tile and other non-carpet floors is retarded. I've never had a lick of problems from carpeted booths. Just get low pile, tightly knit carpet and you will be fine. (Sorry Dom.)

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 06-02-2007, 06:54 PM:

Neither (although Brad did make a valid argument). I've worked with both , but find that non-painted sealed concrete flooring is about the best to keep clean and oil free.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-02-2007, 07:29 PM:

Carpet. keeps the booth noise down. . If you want to go crazy though, then add the padding.... Definitely made this booth below much quieter

- Monte

Posted by John Caswell (Member # 4024) on 06-02-2007, 08:44 PM:

Definitely go with carpet.

Posted by Alex Grueneberg (Member # 2652) on 06-02-2007, 09:00 PM:

I believe this is a tough call, they each have there straights and weakliness personally coming from working in both. Just look at how back and fourth the chains have been over the years.

Brad is right about scratching with tile though. That's for sure..

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-02-2007, 09:05 PM:

I am a believer in a good grade industrial tile floor that is kept mopped and waxed weekly
noise levels I find are best controlled with acoustic tile on walls

Posted by Tony Ratcliff (Member # 1196) on 06-02-2007, 09:24 PM:

Having worked in tile, concrete and carpet, I'd have to say I like carpet the best EXCEPT for keeping it clean.

I have Simplex E-7s and so oil gets everywhere no matter how hard I try. And it doesn't want to come out of the carpet.

Plus the carpet starts to stink after a while if you don't get it professionally cleaned, which is a lot more expensive than mopping a floor.

One advantage not mentioned yet about a carpeted floor is the slipperiness factor. Again, if I did have tile, my booth floors would be very slippery I'm afraid.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 06-02-2007, 09:57 PM:

Carpet all the way! Its much easier to push a vacuum cleaner than slopp'n a mop and bucket around. [thumbsup]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-02-2007, 10:08 PM:

And to be different...the AFI/Silver has this nifty rubber floor that self-heals. It keeps the noise down but more importantly...I've noticed that ones feet and knees are much better at the end of the day as compared to tile. It doesn't soak up liquids like carpet but I can't comment on the scratching aspect...they run reels there on all screens...no thrown prints.

The big disadvantage is that if you drop something (particularly if it is small)...the rubber really makes it zoom a mile a way and quietly too.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 06-02-2007, 11:11 PM:

Ah right on Steve! I forgot about getting shin splints when I went from an all carpeted building to an all tile building for a couple of years. That booth was a straight-line configuration with 16 screens and it was the length of a football field and 25-30ft wide.

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 06-02-2007, 11:38 PM:

Our booth is carpeted, pure wool of course, as legislation requires. One disadvantage is that fine fibres can escape, so you have to check every part of the film path for kamikaze carpet hair. And small items like grub screws or Film Tech cores will bounce away and hide under machines. Otherwise I wouldn’t like to change it.
When we bought the business in 1968 the floor was lined with tin!
I wonder if cork tiles would be suitable?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-03-2007, 12:07 AM:

Personally I'm partial to a well-maintained lawn. Sure, you have to mow it once a week, but at least you get that "freshly-cut-grass" smell that everyone loves.

Seriously though, carpet is the best. Oil problems? Easy to fix! Just don't have Strong projectors, or any other kind of projectors that leak oil.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-03-2007, 07:52 AM:

The cleanest cinemas we have are those with crete coated with epoxy 3 step paint. Lt grey is the best. I use this in the booth and on the auditorium floor as well. "50 years of floor maintenance in one day." No waxing, only occasional mopping and the ones from 20 years ago look like yesterday.

Throw rug under the projector for film damage control and to catch the occasional drop of oil (hose it down outside and let it sun dry.) Louis