# Vinyl flooring backdrop?



## wanderinggypsy (Jun 1, 2010)

Has anyone here used a long roll of vinyl flooring as a backdrop? How do you go about mounting such a thing? I'm concerned about the immense weight. Maybe I shoud just stick to muslin. I'm trying to start a small studio  in my home. 

Thanks!


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## 7/24 (Jun 1, 2010)

Dude, you ARE talking about some serious weight. Maffer clamps or Super Clamps might hold it but, Then you'd have to be sure your stands could take the weight, and then sandbag the crap out of them once it's up.


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## Phranquey (Jun 1, 2010)

Not even getting into the weight... most vinyl flooring tends to be very reflective and will make for extremely poor backdrop material.


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## wanderinggypsy (Jun 1, 2010)

In regards to the reflective nature of vinyl, it's the backside of the roll I'd actually be using... painted flat white. It takes  paint fairly well. It's really justthe weight issue...


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## EOS_JD (Jun 1, 2010)

Lastolite do a vinyl background and provide support for it. Check out their web site. THe vinyl works very well.


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## Phranquey (Jun 1, 2010)

wanderinggypsy said:


> In regards to the reflective nature of vinyl, it's the backside of the roll I'd actually be using... painted flat white. It takes paint fairly well. It's really justthe weight issue...


 
:scratch:  Then why not just go with seamless paper.  It sounds like you are creating a difficult answer for a simple problem.


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## Flash Harry (Jun 2, 2010)

Vinyl backdrops on ebay, washable etc, cheap, will cost less than paper in the long run. H


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## Big Mike (Jun 2, 2010)

I have a vinyl backdrop.  I work for an industrial fabric company so I just had them make up a sheet about 10' wide by 12' long.  I used a low reflective white vinyl called vin-a-sign (or something like that).  It's the same material they use to make signs.  

The material comes in roll that are only about 60" wide, so they had to weld two widths together, creating a seam...but it doesn't show up in photos.  

The white vinyl background looks & work pretty well, although after a bit of use (rolling & unrolling, folding etc) it's not perfectly smooth anymore.  It still looks good when lit properly though.  It also gets dirty, and doesn't clean too easily.  
It would be a great choice for a studio, but I take it on location many times, and it's not ideal for that.


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## Big Mike (Jun 2, 2010)

As for heavy vinyl flooring...you can build a backdrop support as strong as you want.  Heck, you could nail/screw it to the wall if you wanted.


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## Brooksphotographs (Jun 2, 2010)

This video talks a little about vinyl flooring as a background.  It is worth taking a look at  http://www.youtube.com/user/prophotolife#p/u/13/YIoBK2I181g


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## DanEitreim (Jun 5, 2010)

I think that with the problems of weight etc., it would be a real hassle to work with it you were constantly putting it up and taking it down. You definitely would want an area where you can leave it up permanently.


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## Timbo (Feb 24, 2012)

Yeah the lastolite viynl is very good, no need to paint either,  much better option than paper in my opinion.


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