If properly cared for, a set of stage draperies can last for many years. When abused, they can become tattered in only a few years. Your drapery setting represents an investment of many thousands of dollars and in future years, the costs may be even greater.

Dust is the greatest enemy of cotton drapery. It will discolor the finish, affect the nap, and weaken the threads of the fabric itself. Make it a practice to keep your stage scrupulously clean in order to minimize the amount of dust in the area. Use only the best quality of cleaning equipment. There are special wide base brooms, mops, and special sweeping compounds made for cleaning the stage floor. Ask several suppliers of janitorial products about availability and use of these items.

Use sweeping compounds liberally to control flying dust and periodically damp mop the stage floor to remove oily residues. A large doormat or section of carpeting should be placed at all entrances to the stage in order to minimize tracking-in-dirt.

A floor broom should never be used to sweep stage curtains, as the oils used in "dust down" sawdust or sweeping compounds will get into the drapery and cause soiling of the fabric.

When not in use, make it a practice to fly your drapery. This will help prevent hand stains, tears, vandalism, etc. by keeping them out of reach.

By law, all stage drapery fabrics must be treated for flame resistance. This does not mean fire proof, but rather that the treated fabric will char under continuous flame or heat but not flame or smolder by and of itself. Great care should be taken to insure that the drapes do not come into direct contact with lighting instruments or interrupt the light stream in close proximity to an instrument. Unsightly discoloration, charred spots or holes could result.

Because the flame-retardant compounds contain metallic salts, the fabric becomes mildly hygroscopic, i.e.; curtains fabricated of flame-retardant cotton have a slight tendency to draw moisture from the air. This normally poses no problem as air circulation protects the curtains from concentrations of moisture. Care should be taken, particularly during the summer months, to see that curtains hang freely. That is, not to be left traversed open to a packed condition for long periods of time.

If moisture concentrates, or if water is spilled on the curtains, the flame retardant will be leached to the surface and form deposits, giving the fabric a blotchy appearance. If this occurs, brushing the spots lightly with a damp sponge may clean the curtain. Because the deposits transfer to the sponges, they should be rinsed frequently. Brushing should be first against the nap, then with the nap to restore texture.

If a curtain is accidentally spotted or soiled, clean it as soon as possible. Soil spots tend to set and are much more difficult to remove when left on fabric a long time. Be very careful in cleaning water-based spots (soft drinks, coffee, etc.). The flame-retardant compounds may be removed from the fabric, and an unsafe condition will exist. Refer to the curtain’s flame proofing certificate(s) for proper fabric cleaning techniques.

If your stage is forced-air ventilated or air conditioned, see that the air ducts do not discharge directly on the draperies. Continuous concentrated air movement can loosen the pile, and cause a build up of dirt. Our installers have been cautioned about this problem, but often air-handling equipment is adjusted after completion of the stage installation.

The nap of velour fabrics is not tightly locked into the mesh of the backing. If a tear or cut occurs, the nap will loosen near the tear and may fall out. For this reason, it is wise to repair tears immediately. For quick, temporary repairs use duct tape. Pull the sides of the tear together and apply duct tape to the back of the curtain. Later a permanent repair can be made with iron-on tape or the same approximate color as the curtain, or the tear can be sewn using an overcast stitch. At a distance, these repairs will be hardly visible.

In your theatre, it may become necessary to remove and store certain drapery in order to accommodate the hanging of a touring production. In the case of velour masking, borders, legs, blackouts, etc., proceed in the following manner.

First, sweep the stage and then lower the batten, making sure that the bottom of the velour being lowered is pulled downstage enough to insure that the face fabric does not touch the floor.

Lock off the batten and unload the counterweight arbor. Untie the curtain and lay it on its back, fully spread out, fold the curtain face-to-face, hem-to-crown. Repeat until you have a workable fold, (about three (3) feet). Then fold each end in to center; repeat until you have a workable bundle. Storage hampers should be provided and labeled for each curtain. Store curtains in a dry place.

To re-hang, lay the bundle under the batten center. Unfold the bundle across the stage. Note that the center of the heading is marked with a color blaze and a colored tie line. Tie this point on the center mark of the batten. Then tie successively from center to end (the knot is a simple bow). Load the counterweight arbor with weight equal to the curtain. If you always follow this pattern, you will find that you will spend the minimum time handling the curtains, and the curtain face will always be protected.

The masking pieces are equipped with sewn in chain pockets with chain installed for the purpose of adding weight to the bottom of the curtain to enhance the draping characteristics, and to control undesirable movement when flying. In addition, each curtain is equipped with an independent pocket of seamless duct to accommodate a weighting pipe for use when the curtain is hung as a flat unit with no tied-in fullness.

The weighting pipes are made of 10 (ten) foot sections of rigid conduit. Always use caps on the ends of the bottom pipes. The pockets are made of seamless lengths of heavy duct, but unprotected threaded ends of pipe could catch and tear.

Use ¾ inch pipe in velour drapes and borders and in the muslin and plastic drops.

Use ½ inch pipe in the scrims.

Never let a scrim hang in the fly loft without a pipe in the bottom. Otherwise, it will blow around and brush up against pipes or cables and become stained or snag on other hanging pieces.