Recommendations installing backdrops?

It is quite possible to hang a paper backdrop as a curtain without attaching to the wall or any backing at all. The trick is to staple furring strips along the top and bottom edges and to suspend the whole thing from the upper strips. This is a very useful technique if you don't want to damage the underlying wall surfaces. I have had a backdrop hanging this way for years with great success.

Thanks @Avanti. That's a great idea....basically create a frame for the backdrops rather than fully mounting to the wall.  Love it! That would save me a ton of drywall repair work should we ever decide to tear down the layout.

Can you please private messages me with the suppliers contact information? Thank you.

We use Velcro to hang them and rubber cement to splice them together.  Fully removable and reusable.

We select only the Backdrop Warehouse premium level of media, not their budget line.

Their website takes some getting used to but the product is absolutely excellent.

Well worth the effort.   The material is almost like fabric, great stuff.

@Tom Tee posted:

We use Velcro to hang them and rubber cement to splice them together.  Fully removable and reusable.

Thanks Tom. I hadn't considered rubber cement to splice. You picked up on my concern since I've got several spots where I will need to do some splicing. Two of my walls are longer than 8', so I'll need a full and a partial roll there. On another wall, and there was no practical way to avoid this unfortunately, I have the layout covering a door (We have a separate work/utility/pantry room with two doors but only need one, so I built the layout in front of one door.  Ideally, I'd have removed the door and re-dry walled it over, but down the road, I figure a future homeowner might want the door, so I'm going to just deal with the casing). 

Now that I think about it, if I use 3/4" furring strips, I can tack right into the door's casings.

Not sure if I'll actually splice rolls together or just mount them separately but thanks for the idea.

Our method is with B/W premium media.  Less expensive paper my have different results.  Check out the B/W web site,  lots of good information there.

Best way to hang backdrops?  Hmm.  I'd lend you my wife, but I don't think that would fly.   

She is, however, very good at hanging wall-paper and did a fabulous job on the Panhandle's backdrop (vinyl).

You didn't say what these backdrops are made of.  Are they vinyl?  Paper?

George

I used the BW premium ones as well.  I used double back carpet tape along top, it worked  well, up over 8 years no issues.

Nice work, AVANTI.  I am devoting this year to scenery and rolling stock and have wanted a good back drop for some time.  Your idea of hanging the back drop is an inspiration!

Advice:  Do them BEFORE your benchwork.  After is a total b****.  Don't ask me how I know.     

George

@G3750 posted:

Advice:  Do them BEFORE your benchwork.  After is a total b****.  Don't ask me how I know.     

George

Too late for that. This is an after-the-fact decision. Even have my track laid. Oh well. I just turned 56 and am still reasonably spry. A bit of a bear, but still doable. I think I have a plan to attack. Picked up wood and foam board for mounting and am just waiting on delivery of the backdrops from USPS. As seems to be common, my notice says they're delayed (only traveling about 25 miles from local supplier, too).

Consider installing a Masonite mounting surface.  I cut sheets to a 3' 1" width for 36" panels and lay out the installation so the mid section of each Masonite sheet coves around the corners.  Slightly dampen the inside and outside surface of the section to be coved with warm water so at to provide ease in bending.  Install the flat Masonite sheets before and after the section to be coved so you can snap in the coved corner piece.  Pre hung Masonits panels will help keep plumb ends of the snapped in corner panel.

There will always be variances so I find it best to work off a 360 degree lasor line snapped with white chalk for the top edge  (Colored chalk stains) .

If you are working with the platform already in place, I find installing the backdrop just off the platform deck helpful in avoiding fouling on the plywood deck.  Brutal sequencing!

Always try to hang your Backdrop before you build your bench work.   We work standing up right at the wall surface like hanging wall paper.

Notice how the Masonite backer floats the backdrop over the pipe chase in the corner and smooths over the wall set back.  Also, the backdrop was prehung high enough to avoid damage while setting the prebuilt modules and decking in place.