Maintaining an outdoor stage

[superdoo]

What is the best way to maintain an outdoor stage that has no secondary protection from the elements other than a coat of paint. It is North Dakota so the long winter is also a factor.

Another note: The deck is 3/4" ply sitting on weather treated 4x4s and there is no obvious rake. So puddling happens.

[avkid]

Tacking a tarp to it with a staple gun.

[Footer]

Or a pool liner. The outdoor stages I have worked on usually are built to drain water, either with a rake or built of aluminum and concrete. 3/4 ply would work, if it was marine grade (extremely expensive and VERY VERY heavy). I am going to assume you coat it to death with paint/sealer and hopefully when it was built ever piece of lumber was coated with paint before any cuts were made and all the cuts were later sealed with paint. Good luck with this one....

[SHARYNF]

IF it were new construction I would say completely coat it with expoxy so it would be lke a boat, but once it is painted this is a problem. You would epoxy it then give it a coat of a quality two part marine enamel.

For an existing stage, O would geat a large tarp, make your self a frame for it with enought slope to drain off standing water.

On paints definitely look at marine coatings

Sharyn

[superdoo]

Yeah, I wasn't around for it's construction and of course $$ is as always tight. The tarp with a frame is a good idea though.
Do you have any places that sell extremely large tarps (the stage is 70'x40') you would recommend.

[derekleffew]

50'x100' for $196.00 here. I like the camo decor tarps, to hide your stage from overhead airplanes!

[Footer]

Or go to your nearest trucking supplier, sometimes they have old ones that are still in good shape. Its worth a try at least.

[superdoo]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

50'x100' for $196.00 here. I like the camo decor tarps, to hide your stage from overhead airplanes!

Actually It's funny you mention it because on google earth they caught us with and all white stage. It's really pretty funny to see a giant white thing in the middle of nowhere!

Thanks for trucking idea foot!

[gafftaper]

Your local real lumber yard should be able to get you big tarps. Contractors use them to cover buildings during remodel work with the roof off.

[SHARYNF]

What you are looking for is not the standard blue tarp but the roll of material that they use in construction and is UV stabilized

http://www.mpdplastics.com/string.html

with that system you would make the frame and tack or staple the tarp to it with strips

the other method, that we use for boats here in Alaska is a shrinkable material that you lay out, and then use a heater to shrink into shape, works very well you would make your supporting frame to get the run off pitch lay out the material *you can join multiple pieces together, and then shrink the item to make a snug fit i

http://www.boatshrink.com/index.htm
Sharyn