Alvas Dance Practice Mat

Regular cleaning is necessary for safety precautions and to prolong the life of your dance floor. Alvas recommends sweeping your dance floor daily with a clean, dry dust mop. Thorough cleaning should be done regularly (weekly), but may need to be done more or less frequently depending on usage. Alvas also offers a Matlay/Marlay cleaning and re-taping service. Contact us for more information.

Thorough Cleaning Instructions:
Supplies Needed for Cleaning

• Clean, Dry Dust Mop
• Clean Mop
• Clean Mop Bucket
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Hot Water (As hot as you can get it)

Instructions

1. Thoroughly sweep the Matlay/Marlay dance floor with a clean dust mop prior to mopping the floor.
2. Fill the mop bucket with three parts hot water and one part distilled white vinegar. You do not need to fill the bucket up all the way, however the ratio of 75% water and 25% distilled white vinegar should remain the same.
3. Apply intense force while mopping to remove the body oils and dirt. (Remember that body oils and dirt have been ground into the Matlay/Marlay with countless hours of dancing. Barefoot dancing compound this situation)
4. Ensure the mixture you are using is hot and clean, which means you may need to change out the bucket multiple times while cleaning the Matlay/Marlay. If you mop with dirty and/or cool water, you will just be spreading the dirt and oils around the floor. You will need to cut the oil with hot water and vinegar to get it up and off the floor. When the bucket water stays clear then all the oil is off the floor.

COVID-19 AMENDMENT:
Adding one-part bleach and one-part hot water can be used to clean Matlay/Marlay. Be sure to follow the recommended cleaning instructions using the hot water and vinegar mixture right after.

Note: Alvas cannot guarantee any cleaning will prevent the spread of any viruses.

Yes, you can tap dance on Marley. The sound is virtually the same- Possibly losing some high frequencies only.

The oxidation from Aluminum Taps does leave marks on the floor. Other than that, The answer is absolutely yes, you may tap on Marley.

Dancing on a surface without a FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor is hard on the body and may hurt dancers. The chronic “hammering” of the body against a hard surface takes a toll on joints, tendons and bones. Overtime, this can lead to stress fractures, or shin splints. For this reason, it is highly recommended to use a floating subfloor.

FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor is designed to use 9-Lamination 5′ x 5′ x 1/2″ Baltic Birch Plywood Sheets.

This plywood is not common but can be obtained locally. If you have trouble finding it locally please contact us as we are stocking distributors and supply in Southern California with this material.

• The 9-crisscross laminations within the plywood makes it very stiff, allowing it to flex both ways evenly.
• This specific plywood has better integrity and will not delaminate. Regular types of plywood flex unevenly and the layers can become delaminated.
•  Alvas has incorporated 5’ x 5’ dimension plywood in this DIY design as it is cheaper per square foot than any other configuration (like 4’ x 8’).

Any variation from the Alvas DIY Instructions (included in the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor Starter Kit) will invalidate Alvas warranty.

On an indoor surface, any color of Alvas Matlay or Alvas Marlay is suitable. However, the surface should be shaded and kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Vinyl dance floors cannot be installed nor used in direct sunlight.

On an outdoor surface, because of the heat of the sun, only the white side up of the white/black Matlay floor may be used. The gray and black floor gets too hot in the sun and can cause burns, making it unsafe to use.

Keep in mind possible inclement weather, as this could cause safety concerns as well. Sweat, any kind of humidity or moisture can cause a slippery surface. If it gets wet, it must be dried off.

Marley

• A generic term used for PVC Vinyl dance flooring, usually called “Marley” or “Marley-type” dance floors.
• Many companies have their own version of PVC Vinyl floors, often calling it by different names.

Matlay®

• Alvas brand (or version) of PVC Vinyl dance floor that is typically used for dance or other multi-purpose use.
• Installation Type: Semi-Permanent or Portable with tape-down installation.
• Matlay® is thinner than Marlay®.
• Matlay® is reversible.

Marlay®

• Alvas brand (or version) of PVC Vinyl dance floor that is typically used for dance or other multi-purpose use.
• Installation Type: Permanent with welded seam installation.
• Marlay® is thicker than Matlay®.

If Alvas Marlay is installed as a dance floor with tape (tape down), the Marlay may not be able to be welded later unless the taped parts are cleaned or cut and removed.

Welding of pvc vinyl can get particular. Welded edges must be clean and free of contamination (example: tape residue, etc). The seams must also be cut perfectly with no gaps. Therefore welding fresh, new material on a clean floor is always advised. Welding used material can propose negative outcomes.

A professional pvc-vinyl welder can advise.

We will pick up your old “marley” and re-purpose it in a green way, then sell you new Alvas Matlay® or Alvas Marlay® at 10% off *

Alvas has years of experience in building dance studios. Most of them utilize a material called “marley” for creating dance surface texture and we’ve learned that old “marley” flooring can find new life as an economical and effective sound barrier.

If you plan to replace your “marley” flooring, think “green” and contact us about recycling options. Not only will we pick up your old “marley” flooring, we will sell you new Matlay®/Marlay® at 10% discount.

* Matlay®/Marlay® will need to be rolled and in a box or cardboard tube. If it’s located in the local Los Angeles or Orange County area, we will pick it up.

If desired the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor can be painted. (Please note painting is not necessary if you decide to use a marley-type surface covering)

Alvas recommends using a water-based polyurethane or equivalent paint.

YES, Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay can be painted, if one of 3 types of paint are used:

• Standard Stage Paint: It’s water based and can wash off after use. It’s not a good choice if you will be rolling it up as peeling and flaking may occur.
• PVC Paint: It’s more permanent. Try the paint in a small area first, to see if it is the color and look that you are trying to achieve.
• Car Enamel: It’s very permanent. (Acrylic)

For information on application, drying time, etc, consult a paint supplier or theatrical supply company.

Follow these simple steps to remove tape reside from Alvas dance floors:

1. Thoroughly sweep Alvas Matlay/Marlay dance floor with a clean dust mop.
2. Dab denatured alcohol onto a clean cotton cloth until a portion of the cloth becomes saturated.
3. Rub the saturated cloth onto affected area (with the tape residue) in a back and forth motion until the residue is gone.

If the residue still has not been removed even after following the above instructions:

1. Dab turpentine onto a clean cotton cloth until a portion of the cloth becomes saturated.
2. Rub the saturated cloth onto affected area (with the tape residue) in a back and forth motion until the residue is gone.
3. Once the residue is removed, rub the affected area again with denatured alcohol (same procedure). The denatured alcohol will remove the slippery residue that turpentine will leave behind.

Alvas also offers a Matlay/Marlay cleaning and re-taping service. Contact us for more information.

Rosin has worked well for many years for dancing on hardwood floors. In the past, people even sprayed Coca-Cola, or anything sticky, if the dance floor was too slippery. Today, most dancers are choosing vinyl because it’s easier to maintain that moderate surface texture (not too slippery and not too sticky).

Some people are unaware that when dancing on hardwood floors, they’re not really dancing on hardwood. They’re dancing on paint that has been put on the wood to protect and preserve it. The old oil-based varnish inherently had a bit of sticky surface itself and when rosin gets together with that it can form spots that are too sticky at times- and then add sweat or body oils to it and it can easily become slippery as well. Vinyl has moderated this issue and that’s one of the reasons it has become so prevalent and popular.

Using rosin on vinyl will work temporarily to give a stickier surface, however it may ruin the dance floor surface for future. It’s very hard to get the rosin residue off the vinyl, but it can be done if the vinyl is cleaned and maintained properly. See also Alvas Matlay/Marlay Cleaning Instructions.

Customer satisfaction is important to us. One way we demonstrate this is by sending product samples to ones who are interested in seeing the product before purchasing it.

We also have a showroom in which our local customers may see our products in a larger scale. If you would like to visit our showroom, please contact us for an appointment.

Dance Floor Samples

Upon request, we will provide free dance floor samples of Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay as well as the Birch Plywood specified for the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor. Contact us for more information. When contacting us, please provide the full mailing address, whose attention we should mail it to and which samples you would like.

Ensure Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay is dry, clean of any foreign substances (such as grease, oil, dirt, etc) and all tape is removed before rolling it up for storage. Alvas Matlay/Marlay should be rolled evenly and tightly, and then stored horizontally on an even, flat and smooth surface with no heavy objects on top of it.

Yes, you can tap on a marley-type floor. “Marley” has become the prevalent choice of surface for most dance studios. Before choosing whether a marley-type dance floor or hardwood is best for you, here are a few things to consider:

One of the main differences between tap dancing on hardwood vs “marley” is surface texture. Tap dancers love dancing on wood because that’s what they’ve grown accustomed to. However, some people are unaware that when dancing on hardwood floors, they are not really dancing on hardwood. They are dancing on paint that has been put on the wood to help protect and preserve it. While vinyl dance floors may limit the tap dancer’s sliding, each dancer will find that their allowance of movement will change depending on what particular floor covering and shoes are being used. Then the experience of the tap dancer comes in.

Another difference is sound. Vinyl dance floors will take away some of the high frequency pitch in the tap sound but there is so much change in tone from shoe to shoe, studio to studio and theatre to theatre that this very slight difference in tone is not an issue.

Cost should also be considered. Most studios can’t afford a separate room with hardwood floors specifically for tap dancing, so “marley” has become the prevalent surface choice for dance studios.

Tapping on any surface will most likely cause some damage. Since the hard metal on the tap shoes hit the floor with such force, it really comes down to damaging either the shoes, or the floor. This is regardless of what type of floor it is. Many studios will recommend tapping on Matlay dance floors because the cost to replace it is much less than replacing/repairing hardwood floors.

The specific type of floor installed underneath the marley-type dance floor is important because it impacts how much tapping the marley-type vinyl can withstand. Alvas Matlay over a FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor will lessen the damage tapping will do.

Helpful tip: Some studios keep a small repair kit in their studios and make it a point to regularly remind students to check that the screws are screwed all the way into their tap shoes before starting class.

The type of dance floor tape you use on your dance floor matters.

Alvas can only personally guarantee the flooring tape we sell. Many companies sell vinyl tape but not all vinyl tape is the same due to the adhesive used. Some adhesives in tape will chemically react to the marley-type flooring (Alvas Matlay/Marlay), ruining the surface of the floor.