Finishes, Arches, Doors

To cover the staples, strips of wood were placed over them & nailed to the runners; strips of plastic were fastened with screws. Wood or plastic, the strips must be reasonably flexible, and not wider than the edge of the runner, for the overlap shows on the other side of the panel.

Edges of panels attached with Velcro tapes were left uncovered.

Arches

Cutting an arch into a stretched fabric membrane:

  1. Mark the height of the entrance to be on the membrane, and its width on the floor runner.
  2. Start cutting the stretched fabric at the center of the entrance & proceed straight up, stopping not less than 12" below the marked height. Then cut the fabric along the runner stopping 12" from the entrance's width.Trim excess fabric away, widening the entrance opening carefully.
  3. Measure the length of the arch's edge to be & cut a 1/2" OD vinyl tubing 18" longer. Fasten the tube to the outer marks on the floor runner by driving a nail through it; then pin the center of the tube to the height marked on the membrane.
  4. Fold the cut edge of fabric over the tube, and shape the entrance by stretching the folded fabric, snipping into the fabric when necessary until the tube feels taut and springy.
  5. Pin the fabric tightly around the tube, saw the tube in by hand, and trim away excess fabric leaving a 1/4" for safety.
  6. Cut out the section of the runner inside the arch.
  7. Cut a clear 3/4" OD tubing longer than needed, and split it lengthwise as shown in the drawing, then clamp the split tube over the inner tube folding the edge of the fabric under.
  8. Fasten the ends of the tubing to the floor, as shown in the drawing. 

Doors and Windows  can be set in vertical surfaces or in their own frames, as shown in the drawing.

Maintenance consists of vacuuming the panels, or removing them for laundering or dry-cleaning. If laundering is foreseen, the panels should fit a standard wash machine & be washed in cold water. Dry-cleaning of large panels is done in places equipped to handle institutional draperies and theater curtains, where the charge is estimated by bulk weight.

Special attention should be given to panels with Velcro tapes sewn to them. Before such panels are washed or dry cleaned, the hook tape must be turned over and pressed carefully into the fabric, for the tape will, when tumbling in the machine, hook into anything and ruin large areas of the panel. 

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