Floor pad ideas?

We have a large stock of what-we-have-been-using 1/2" thick black foam pads, about 7" x 14", not quite Volara but something else, for placing under artworks when arranging and installing. We recently placed some natural linen-wrapped case decks on edge on these pads, but after removing them we noticed black markings on the linen. Besides that, we are endlessly having to double/triple stack 'em when frames have bell hangers or brackets on the bottom. I'd post a pic but I'm not particularly happy with what is our grandfathered-in pad of choice.

Please post descriptions and pictures of what you use, and any issues you might have (how to clean them, if they are bulky then how to store them, etc). Thanks!

I've just used ethafoam scraps

We use ethafoam scraps. Alternatively, our director has bought out a store of water noodles pool toys (extruded foam rods), and we slice them in half if we need stuff in a pinch.

During any down time (rarely) we fabricate floor pads using both 2.2 and 4 lb ethafoam and EVA attached to the top and bottom for extra grip. We also add a lip to one end for extra protection.

Best,

Kurt Christian
Head Preparator
Saint Louis Art Museum
kurt.christian@slam.org
314.655.5448

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Those look great, Kurt. What's a source for EVA?

Paul, I am getting it through McMaster Carr.

We started using Dura Runner to protect our oak and marble floors when doing gallery construction work.
http://www.protectiveproducts.com/durarunner.html
Then we found that it made great picture pads. It comes in 32" x 100' rolls so we just roll it out the length of the wall. The top side is felt and the bottom side is nonskid. If we have fragile frames we put ethafoam blocks on top of it. We also cut it into strips and stick it to the bottom of cases and benches using 3m 465 double stick tape.

The museum I started out in back in the day had a couple hundred oval-shaped, terra cotta-colored, medium-density sponge rubber kneeling pads app. 10" X 15" X 1/2" made by the Lee Rubber Co. (long gone) that I think were almost ideal. They were heavy enough and grippy enough to stay put, but not so much that we couldn't kick them into proper placement with a nudge from a toe. we simply stacked them when additional thicknes was needed. To store and transport them, someone had built a simple hinged-top pine box on casters that doubled as a handy work surface in the galleries.

Since then, I've used pieces of carpet, vinyl "anti-fatigue" mats, cut-up interlocking gym floor mats, and untold numbers of polyethylene and urethane foam scraps. None of these has proven as versatile as those old rubber pads.

I've often looked at the ubiquitous mouse pad - the black rubber ones with the polyester knit laminated to the top - and thought that a larger and thicker version would make great floor pads for laying out framed items. Anyone have a source for that material in bulk? A quick search turned up a Chinese rubber mfr. for me. Dawg only knows what kind of nasties are contained in THAT stuff!