Dance Floor Tape Explained: Seams, Perimeters and Double Stick

Dance floor tape holds a vinyl floor together. It seals the seams between strips, secures the perimeter and, in double sided form, holds the floor to the subfloor. Use the wrong tape and you get lifting edges, sticky residue or a damaged surface. This guide explains the Rosco floor tapes, which one to use where, and how to tape a floor properly.

Why use a dance floor tape

Dance floor tape, often searched for as vinyl dance floor tape or harlequin tape, is a vinyl tape made to stick firmly to a dance floor and come away cleanly. Rosco recommends its own floor tape because the adhesive is formulated not to leave a sticky residue on the vinyl. General purpose tapes are not made for vinyl dance floors, and any residue left behind collects dirt on the surface.

The Rosco floor tape range

Match the tape to the floor colour so the seams disappear. On a reversible floor, keep a roll of each colour so the floor can be flipped without re-ordering.

Taping a floor on top: temporary and touring

This is the method Rosco recommends for temporary and touring installations.

1. Let the floor settle. After cutting, leave the pieces to lie flat overnight so creases and curl relax before you tape.
2. Position the first two pieces. For Rosco Dance Floor, leave a gap of about 1.5 mm between them to allow for expansion and contraction. Rosco notes this gap is not needed for Adagio.
3. Tape the seam. Run the floor tape along the full length of the seam, covering the gap and joining both pieces.
4. Repeat for every seam.
5. Tape the perimeter last. Once all seams are done, tape around the entire edge of the floor.

Semi-permanent: double stick underneath

For a studio floor that stays down but can be lifted later, Rosco recommends attaching the floor to a prepared subfloor, preferably sprung, with double stick tape, then top-taping the seams and perimeter. Rosco's method:

1. Decide where the front edge of the first piece will fall.
2. Stick the double stick tape to the subfloor, leaving the backing on the side that will touch the floor.
3. Lay the first piece over the tape so its edge covers the full width of the tape.
4. Working in sections of about a metre, fold back the edge of the floor, peel off the backing and press the floor down onto the tape.
5. Repeat along the full length, then for every piece. Two people make this much easier.

Removing tape and cleaning residue

• Peel parallel to the floor. Rosco advises removing tape parallel to the floor, not straight up, to avoid moving or stretching the vinyl before it is rolled.
• Gummy residue. Apply Rosco All Purpose Floor Cleaner at full strength to a soft cloth and rub the residue, wearing rubber gloves. Rinse with clean water and let it dry.
• Stubborn marks. Rosco Heavy Duty Floor Cleaner at full strength on a soft cloth, then rinse.
• Never use scourers or abrasive powders, which strip the finish and permanently damage the floor.

How much tape do you need?

Add the length of every seam to the full perimeter of the floor. As an example, a 10 m by 8 m stage covered in five strips of Rosco Dance Floor has four seams of 10 m (40 m) and a perimeter of 36 m, so about 76 m of tape: three 33 m rolls with some to spare. Double stick tape for a semi-permanent install follows the same seams and edges underneath.