[SML] Stage Decking Replacement

[dale]

For a pretty good discussion of hardboard and why it has varying qualities, take a look at this.  
https://ampersandart.com/the-story-of-hardbord.php
It's aimed for artists so talks a lot about paint adhesion.  
Dale



Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: Kyle Himsworth via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> 
Date: 5/23/18  12:22  (GMT-05:00) 
To: Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> 
Cc: Kyle Himsworth <kyle.a.himsworth at gmail.com> 
Subject: [SML] Stage Decking Replacement 

Hello!
We are currently in the continued planning stages of a project that was started at my university prior to my hire. The project involves replacing the decking on the stage floor in on of the large format performance venues on campus.
The entire stage is trapped and each trap plug is a steel frame with 1/4” sheet metal welded to the bottom of a steel beam frame (not visible) with three sheets of plywood laminated together on top of the frame. Everything is finished out with 1/4” Masonite (double tempered) The original scope of the job indicated that it was to replace all sheets of plywood and the top layer of tempered hardboard. Records seem to indicate that the plywood was replaced 15 years ago or so. We pulled up a test plug and save for some screw holes and one or two small holes from bolts, the plywood seems to be in decent condition so I think we’re going to consider forgoing the plywood replacement.
The biggest question comes to the hardboard top layer. I know that since traditional brand Masonite is no longer available, I’ve gotten a whole mess of different hardboard products for scenic work... all of drastically varying quality. I know of multiple houses that have replaced their top hardboard decking only to find that spike tape now destroys their stage floor.
Through some recommendations over the years I have found a product made by Decorative Panels International that is a premium hardboard product that supposedly works well for stage floor application. I have also noticed a lot of changes in paint quality and so we’re on a quest to find the right combination of products.
If anyone has any advice or has recently underwent a decking replacement, I would be more than grateful for the opportunity to chat about how it went and your experience.
Thanks,
-Kyle
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