Boxoffice-July.01/1950

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and with none of the overpowering Moorish
motifs of the 1920s. Light colors are
chosen by most interior designers for their
feeUng of gaiety and glamor—qualities more
necessary in a theatre than anywhere else.
Asphalt tile is a friendly flooring, easy
on the eyes and feet, and is installed tileby-tile,
which permits the creation of a
wide variety of designs in beautiful colors.
Colors favored by outstanding industrial
color consultants include Kentile colors
named after famous Greek, Italian and
French marbles which they closely resemble.
They suggest luxury and proper
theatre atmosphere and have names like
"Greek Skyros," "Istrian," "Cippolino,"
and "Languedoc."
The red-brown marbleized Languedoc
serves a very practical purpose in the
theatre lobby because it tends to camouflage
tracked-in dirt or muddy spots.
Greek Skyros serves the same purpose
when a beige marbleized design is desired;
Istrian has the same effect in a creamcolored
marble; and Cippolino in a green
marbleized shade.
These colorful classic designs are ideally
suited for such areas as the mezzanine
parapet, balcony and terrace. They blend
with any interior, and diagonal striped
patterns can be employed to give narrow
mezzanine and balcony floors a more spacious
effect.
Theatre planners and designers often
suggest Themetile, Kenserts and feature
strip for originality in design. These are
ready-made in a wide selection of patterns
and contrasting colors—musical notes and
other symbols appropriate for a theatre.
Numerals and letters can be used to insert
the theatre's name or slogan for added
Individuality at the entrance, center of the
lobby, center aisle, or other points.
For the theatre with lounges and washrooms
located in the basement, architects
are almost unanimous in specifying asphalt
tile as the preferred smooth -surfaced, resilient
flooring because it is not damaged
by moisture and alkali which rises through
concrete.
One of the most important functions of
theatre flooring is to protect the patron
from falls. Slipping and falling is a hazard
which theatre operators can minimize
through selection of the proper flooring.
The safety factor is a leading reason
why architects today are specifying asphalt
tile for theatres. The National Bureau of
Standards has conducted exhaustive tests
and has found that asphalt tile has generally
the highest anti-slip coefficient of
all smooth-surfaced flooring materials
meaning there is less danger of slipping
on this type of flooring, provided overwaxing
is avoided.
A safe flooring that helps to prevent
falls and other types of bodily injury also
helps to keep public liability insurance
rates at a lower level and cuts the cost of
theatre overhead.
With greater insistence on fire-safety in
theatres today, the fact that asphalt tile
Rubber tile, though somewhat more expensive, makes a durable and lovely floor for lounges
or foyers either. Shown above is a floor machine being used to scrub a rubber tiled floor. Such
maintenance is simple and will prolong both life and beauty. —Photo courtesy S C Johnson & Son
contains a large amount of asbestos has
brought it recognition as a fire-resistant
material. Burning matches or cigarets
leave no permanent marks on it.
This flooring can take the punishment
of heavy theatre traffic because it is tough,
is made of super-durable materials, is resilient
and yields to pressure instead of
abrading. With it there are no worn traffic
lanes or beaten paths in the aisles or other
main corridors to contend with. The colors
can't walk off, because they go right
through to the back of the tile.
In case of damage by accident or abuse,
individual tiles may be easily replaced
without affecting the appearance of the
floor: and alterations or extensions can
be made, using colors originally installed,
without unsightly patching.
Asphalt tile can be installed over almost
any type of subfloor, such as wood, metal.
or concrete, and can be employed either on
grade or below grade level.
Muddy feet and tracked-in dirt constitute
no problem in the theatre with floors
of asphalt tile. Wet footprints can be wiped
up with a damp mop. Dust and dirt won't
stick to its smooth surface. Routine sweeping
and an occasional washing and waxing
are all the care required to maintain
its freshness. Cigaret burns are easily removed
with a steel wool buffing. Low
cost, easy maintenance make asphalt tile
doubly desirable in theatres because the
cost per year of service is lower than that
of any other type of resilient
flooring.
It is necessary to shut down a theatre
for a short time only while asphalt tile is
being laid, as it can be walked on immediately
after laying. In the event of general
theatre alterations, replacement is
simple and inexpensive.
All of these features make asphalt tile
a logical choice when planning a flooring
for a new theatre or when modernizing an
old one.
Rubber tile floors help to cushion footsteps
and provide an extremely silent flooring
underfoot. This is an important asset
to any theatre, where silence contributes
so much to the patrons' enjoyment of the
evening's program. It deadens the noise
of footsteps reflecting little or no more
sound than the average carpeted floor.
Rubber tile is excellent for mezzanines,
and orchestra aisles and other corridors
where extreme quiet is desirable. It comes
in a variety of colorful patterns and designs
that are easily adapted to the decor
of almost any theatre interior.
It has a non-porous surface, does not
warp or buckle. It can be installed over
almost any smooth, dry, hard surface,
wood or concrete. Rubber tile is a costlier
flooring than asphalt tile.
Rubber tile is one of the easiest floors
to maintain and keep clean. Newly installed
rubber tile should stand for a few
days to allow the cement to set before
the floor is polished. After that, a swish
of a damp mop keeps it gleaming and
lustrous.
The fact that the smooth, bright
surface needs very little waxing helps to
cut maintenance costs.
CORK TILE
For distinctive executive offices, powder
rooms and other areas where an atmosphere
of luxury is desired, a cork tile floor
(Continued on page 18
BOXOFFICE July 1, 1950