Moving dance floors

[rob1963]

Last night's wedding involved setting up in a rather large alcove, and I left a space of nearly a foot between by gear and the dancefloor.

After an hour or two, I happened to glance down & noticed the silver trim around the dance floor was now touching my speaker stands, so I guess that rather than being flat, the ground was on a slight slope towards the disco, which is a problem I've experienced a few times before. It was your bog standard wooden dance floor which had been put down on the carpet.

I hoped the speaker stands would stop the dance floor moving any more, but they didn't...as I noticed the gap between my speaker stand & the lighting stand behind it was getting smaller, so I had to pull everything back a fair few inches...and I had to do this several more times during the evening. By the time I finished, I had probably moved everything back about 18 inches.

At the end of the evening I had a chat to the staff about this, and it was something they already knew about. They told me they were going to try & get hold of a rubber mat or sheet to put between the dance floor & the carpet to stop it happening.

I've had this problem a few times before, and every time it's involved the dance floor moving TOWARDS the disco rather than away from it, which is typical!

If there hadn't been a fair bit of space between myself & the wall, I'd have had to stop the music, clear the dance floor & get the staff to move it back.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with moving dance floors, and if so, how bad was it & what did you do?

[StarZSoundS]

Last night's wedding involved setting up in a rather large alcove, and I left a space of nearly a foot between by gear and the dancefloor.

After an hour or two, I happened to glance down & noticed the silver trim around the dance floor was now touching my speaker stands, so I guess that rather than being flat, the ground was on a slight slope towards the disco, which is a problem I've experienced a few times before. It was your bog standard wooden dance floor which had been put down on the carpet.

I hoped hoped the speaker stands would stop the dance floor moving any more, but they didn't...as I noticed the gap between my speaker stand & the lighting stand behind it was getting smaller, so I had to pull everything back a fair few inches...and I had to do this several more times during the evening. By the time I finished, I had probably moved everything back about 18 inches.

At the end of the evening I had a chat to the staff about this, and it was something they already knew about. They told me they were going to try & get hold of a rubber mat or sheet to put between the dance floor & the carpet to stop it happening.

I've had this problem a few times before, and every time it's involved the dance floor moving TOWARDS the disco rather than away from it, which is typical!

If there hadn't been a fair bit of space between myself & the wall, I'd have had to stop the music, clear the dance floor & get the staff to move it back.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with moving dance floors, and if so, how bad was it & what did you do?

More of a problem in the days of vinyl and CD's.I've had nights when I've been loated to play 500 Miles(for instance) and have people stamping their feet cos its making the floor wobble and the track jump.

[rob1963]

More of a problem in the days of vinyl and CD's.I've had nights when I've been loated to play 500 Miles(for instance) and have people stamping their feet cos its making the floor wobble and the track jump.

I'm not talking about bouncy dance floors, but ones which move towards the disco, threatening your gear.

[CRAZY K]

Last night's wedding involved setting up in a rather large alcove, and I left a space of nearly a foot between by gear and the dancefloor.

After an hour or two, I happened to glance down & noticed the silver trim around the dance floor was now touching my speaker stands, so I guess that rather than being flat, the ground was on a slight slope towards the disco, which is a problem I've experienced a few times before. It was your bog standard wooden dance floor which had been put down on the carpet.

I hoped the speaker stands would stop the dance floor moving any more, but they didn't...as I noticed the gap between my speaker stand & the lighting stand behind it was getting smaller, so I had to pull everything back a fair few inches...and I had to do this several more times during the evening. By the time I finished, I had probably moved everything back about 18 inches.

At the end of the evening I had a chat to the staff about this, and it was something they already knew about. They told me they were going to try & get hold of a rubber mat or sheet to put between the dance floor & the carpet to stop it happening.

I've had this problem a few times before, and every time it's involved the dance floor moving TOWARDS the disco rather than away from it, which is typical!

If there hadn't been a fair bit of space between myself & the wall, I'd have had to stop the music, clear the dance floor & get the staff to move it back.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with moving dance floors, and if so, how bad was it & what did you do?

Rob, not happened to me but I have worked in plenty of Hotels where a wooden dance floor is placed over carpet and can only assume they are cheap skating on providing the proper equipment, mostly they are ringfenced by metal slats and are very secure, bearing in mind im doing Barn Dancing
theres a heck of a lot of stamping running etc going on, NO PROBLEMS.

Often I have seen the most junior staff doing this job--so perhaps its inexperience or lack of training as well as cheapskating.

Theres nothing you can do on the night unless you take a few metal stakes and a club hammer--thatll fix it :beer1:

CRAZY K

[NKR]

I would suggest the floor is flat, but the dance floor is moving towards you as people would be getting on and off it at the opposite side to you so that would be the direction of force.

I haven't had one move towards me, but I have seen the wooden ones coming appart.

[rob1963]

I would suggest the floor is flat, but the dance floor is moving towards you as people would be getting on and off it at the opposite side to you so that would be the direction of force.

I haven't had one move towards me, but I have seen the wooden ones coming appart.

Surely people stepping on & off dance floors as well as their dancing when on them will be random...which is presumably why they don't move 99% of the time (as the floor is flat), but why they DO move if the floor is on a very slight slope?

[CRAZY K]

Surely people stepping on & off dance floors as well as their dancing when on them will be random...which is presumably why they don't move 99% of the time (as the floor is flat), but why they DO move if the floor is on a very slight slope?

The floor should not move at all if properly fitted.

Are you suggesting there is a slope, cant quite follow your last post,

CRAZY K

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The floor should not move at all if properly fitted.



I'm afraid that isn't true Alan. It depends on the surface and the pile of the carpet.

[rob1963]

Are you suggesting there is a slope

Yes Crazy...that's why the floor gradually moved.

If it had been completely flat like 99% of floors are, it wouldn't have been a problem.

[Corabar Steve]

I encountered one that moved many moons ago at a barracks that was having a ball.

It was the biggest one I've been involved with laying (16 x16m). It was on a gym floor & it moved 5ft just with the sheer volume of people dancing on it. It also left a 3ft gouge in the wooden floor beneath.

[Corabar Entertainment]

As Darren said, it really depends on the direction and thickness of the pile on the carpet. If it is a long, thick plush, it's all too easy for the floor to travel oin the direction of the pile

[Cowlinn]

That is quite funny that you had to run away from the dance floor lol, it's chasing you :D

[rob1963]

That is quite funny that you had to run away from the dance floor lol, it's chasing you :D

I must admit I'd rather be chased by one of the women ON the dancefloor...rather than the dancefloor itself!

[PropellerHeadCase]

Happened to me before, nothing to do with slope, as mentioned - direction of the pile of the carpet and also the direction that bodies leaving the floor pushed it AND the direction in which several bodies leaping on it at once would push it.

[NKR]

I must admit I'd rather be chased by one of the women ON the dancefloor...rather than the dancefloor itself!

You haven't done a lot of work in Wigan then :D :D :D :D

[Excalibur]

Often I have seen the most junior staff doing this job--so perhaps its inexperience or lack of training as well as cheapskating.

Theres nothing you can do on the night unless you take a few metal stakes and a club hammer--thatll fix it :beer1:

CRAZY K
Doesn't everyone? :confused: And if that sounds like hard work, a Paslode nail gun is very easy and effective. ;) :D


I'm afraid that isn't true Alan. It depends on the surface and the pile of the carpet.
One of the few things I haven't seen in this game, amazingly. :o However, at one famous function where all my kit got shoved back from the dancefloor by the sheer number of bodies on the dancefloor, there was a lot of glassware deposited just in front of me. Once it had been trodden into the polished surface, it looked like I'd attacked it with an axe! :eek:

[rob1963]

You haven't done a lot of work in Wigan then :D :D :D :D

No...but maybe I should do!

:D

Regardless of the cause of moving dancefloors, it's a real pain.

When it last happened a few years back, I ended up pinned against the wall. If the disco hadn't finished when it did, I'd have had to stop the music, ask everyone to vacate the dancefloor & get the staff to come & move it back.

Hardly an ideal situation...which is why I do like the idea of the rubber mat between the carpet & the dancefloor.

[CRAZY K]

I'm afraid that isn't true Alan. It depends on the surface and the pile of the carpet.

As you supply dance floors you are the expert here Darren.

I can only say I have played on a lot of wooden dance floors on top of various surfaces including carpets, grass, etc due to my job possibly a lot more varied than a DJ and not noticed a problem---

Do you think its up to the venue to get this sorted and there is no excuse for it happening once the problem has been recognised?

Or are you saying on some surfaces its impossible to stop sliding?

That was my point really and there is a point to my question which would be for Rob to maybe ask in a subtle way if they have fixed the problem next time --if not dont take any more gigs there on the basis that probably he will have plenty of offers in other venues without the hassle and potential for major disruption at a bad time--

Alan
CRAZY K

[rob1963]

there is a point to my question which would be for Rob to maybe ask in a subtle way if they have fixed the problem next time --if not dont take any more gigs there on the basis that probably he will have plenty of offers in other venues without the hassle and potential for major disruption at a bad time

I certainly WILL ask if the problem's been fixed before I work there next.

However, I won't turn down future gigs there if the problem has NOT been fixed, partly because the disco sets up in a large alcove & there is plenty of room to move back (even though it's inconvenient) and partly because I only do one gig there every couple of years anyway.

[Excalibur]

I certainly WILL ask if the problem's been fixed before I work there next.

However, I won't turn down future gigs there if the problem has NOT been fixed, partly because the disco sets up in a large alcove & there is plenty of room to move back (even though it's inconvenient) and partly because I only do one gig there every couple of years anyway.

I'll hire you a Paslode at reasonable rates. ;) Half a dozen 90mm nails fired into it ought to stabilise the blighter a bit. ;) :D :D

[rob1963]

I'll hire you a Paslode at reasonable rates. ;) Half a dozen 90mm nails fired into it ought to stabilise the blighter a bit. ;) :D :D

Expect a PM to ask about your hire charges.