This is how we and most of the marquee hire industry lay flooring in a marquee:

Any marquee flooring should have a non-breathable layer down underneath the main surface. This prevents the grass from giving off water vapour that will come back down as condensation and stops the surface getting muddy. Grass is tough stuff and covering it over for a week or so shouldn’t be a problem.

Use 4″ or 6″ nails to hold down the carpet, this pulls the surface tightly and prevents any trip hazards. On hard surfaces use double sided carpet tape.

Thanks for watching/reading.

Spencer

This is a tricky one..

As a marquee erector our dream is to put marquees up on bowling greens that you can park your vehicle next to.

You then come across a customer who’s dream is for you to convert their three-tiered sloped and bumpy garden in to a surface fit for a banquet.

So what do you do?

First off for those who are thinking about starting up in the marquee hire trade don’t worry, most gardens are reasonable level and you don’t come across the bumby scenario very often. You may have customers who are concerned about their flat but sloped garden and whether it’s suitable to have tables and chairs put on it -just ask them if they’re happy using their garden furniture on it, generally they will so you’re fine. DON’T chock up table legs to make them level, the seat height of chairs is standard so someone could end up eating around the ears! Just let the tables follow the lay of the land.

So, if it’s got some small bumps or holes in you can get round it, just fill the holes up and lay your floor over the top. We used to use bark as you can then sprinkle it over the customers garden with no harm done but this is a little spongy underfoot. Sand or even old newspapers are often used. Whatever it is you use put some plastic underneath it first so you can easily clear it away afterwards.

There does come a point when simply filling in some small holes won’t do, at this point unless you’ve got an integrated wooden floor system (available on large aluminium frame marquees) then it’s time to walk away and say you just can’t help. It’s upsetting but there are some cases when that’s simply how it is. We’re marquee erectors, not magicians.

One final point on flooring over uneven surfaces, if you’re laying flooring and you find a hole in the lawn make sure you fill it before finishing the floor, if you cover it over without filling it you’re leaving a hazard for someone to trip in.

Thanks for reading

Spencer

Ever gone in to a marquee and the matting looks like the waves on an angry sea? Assuming it was laid correctly there’s actually a very simple reason.

As mentioned in a previous post coconut matting is a very popular way of flooring marquees. Harder wearing and longer lasting than carpet, more attractive (in a lot of peoples opinion) and cheaper than plastic flooring it’s the flooring most marquee hire companies use.

So why does it ruckle up so much even if noone’s been walking on it?

The answer is it’s because it’s a natural fibre and absorbs moisture. If you floor a marquee with matting on a sunny afternoon no matter how tightly you stretched it the following morning it will be all ruckled – it absorbs the moisture from the dew and expands.
So the lesson is if you’re faced with ruckled matting (whether it’s you in the marquee or your customer panicking on the phone) don’t relay it! Wait until the afternoon for it to dry out and it should go back to it’s previous flat self.

Of course if it’s still ruckled in the afternoon it means it wasn’t laid correctly -try stretching it tighter or space the nails closer together.

Thanks for reading

Spencer