Preparation for ProLane

There really isn't a lot of things to do before a lane installation is done, so this mostly covers what to expect during the installation of an lane overlay.

Both Brunswick ProLane and Anvilane are a synthetic lane surface that screws down on top of an existing wood bowling lane. ProLane is 7/16" thick and Anvilane is 3/8" thick. They are both made from a solid phenolic material, which makes them very durable and this also virtually eliminates the risk of delamination of the material. Both ProLane and Anvilane also have textured approaches for improved slide and they both Glow in the Dark for centers who have Cosmic Bowling. With all the changes in bowling balls and the way lanes are conditioned and cleaned over the past several years, synthetic lanes have become the best surface for a bowling lane. Lane finish for wood lanes date back to the 70's, when a small amount of lane conditoner was applied and lanes were cleaned with a solvent based cleaner once every week or two. Large amounts of lane conditioner and daily cleaning with water based cleaners can cause problems for wood lanes and lane finish.

The first day of an installation job will mainly consist of unloading of the lane panels, pin decks and any other equipment the might be included with the installation. There will be a lot of trash, thus a 20 yard container is usually best to have on site. Each pair of lanes will be on a wood skid, plus between every panel there is paper to protect the surface of the panels. Also during the installation, each day when the old wood pin decks are removed, many centers choose to have us throw them in this container. A forklift will also be need for unloading the trailers. We usually ask the bowling center proprietor if they know where we can rent this forklift.

When the panels are brought into the center, there will need to be a place to stack them. These lane panels have to be in the center so that they can climatize to the center prior to being installed. These stacks of panels are 12 feet long and either 42 inches or 60 inches wide and need to be laying flat. There will be probably be five stacks of panels, plus the pin decks will usually be in stacks of 8 to 12, thus a 24 lane center will have two stacks of pin decks. The five stacks of panels will consist of the approach panels, the foul line panels, the arrow, common, and downlane marker panels will all be stacked together, the rear panel which measures 42" x 47", and the last stack will be the ball return fill panels, which measure about 15" wide x 12' long. Usually these can be stacked on the concourse, as long as there is room for the customers to walk around them.

When the job begins, the approach area near the foul line will be made flat with electric planers, the lanes will be leveled with a 12" drum sander, and the wood pin decks will be cut off using a circular saw. While this work will create some dust, it is usually contained mostly to the lanes that we are working on.

Usually we will have two men working in the pin deck area. They start by removing the flat gutters and the top screws in the pin decks. Then they secure the tail plank and then cut the top of the tail plank off using a circular saw. The pin deck is then cut and removed. They next secure and level the end of the lane, using 4" screws and then they prepare the under structure for the new pin decks. The new pin decks are then installed to the proper height and screwed down using twelve, 4" screws.

Up front we usually start by removing the foul lights and ball return hood and racks. Then tthe approach area and ball drop area are made flat and level using electric hand planers. We check the entire approach for flatness, but in most centers, most of this work is in the first five feet back from the foul line. Sometimes it is necessary to remove the first 4' of the approach fill and replace with a material called PLS, in order to make this area flat. This is usually the case if the approach fill is very thin.

The rest of the lane is leveled and made flat using a 12" drum sander. Once the lanes are level and the approach area is flat, we then clean the lanes, gutters and approaches in preparation of laying out the new panels. Before the panels are laid out, a sheet of plastic coated paper is laid on the lane where each of the panel seams will be.

All panels are then lined up and the proper gap and step down are set. We then start by drilling and installing one screw at the front and back of each panel to hold in place, and then the rest of each panel is drilled and screwed down. The rear panel, in front of the pin deck, is then cut for length and installed. On the approaches, the ball return fill panels are also cut for width and length, plus any trap doors that are required are cut. The back end of the approach panel is also cut for length. If there is a step down off the approach, a wood face board is cut to height and nailed to the back of the approach. Finally all screw holes are fill with plastic plugs on the lane and approach panels and pin deck plugs are used on the pin decks. Last, all lane seams are filled with a tan silicone sealent.

We will raise the ball return lift to the proper height and re-install the hood and racks, plus the foul lights, but most centers choose to have their mechanic make any adjustment needed to the pinsetters due to the increase in lane height.

Each day, if we are doing a no shut down job, we clean our work area and put away our tools. There might be a little dust on the rest of your lanes, but most of the time this can be remove with either a line-a-duster or your lane conditioning machine. The approach area will also need just a normal cleaning.

Once the silicone sealent is dry, this usually takes about four hours, the new lane surface is ready for conditioning and then the lanes can be bowled on. We usually recommend that the first time you condition this surface, just start with one pair and do it just like you have been conditioning your old lane surface. This way you can throw a few balls to see how it compares to the lane conditon that your bowlers are use to. You will probably find that you will need less conditioner and this comparison might give you an idea as to how much you should cut back on the lane conditioner. In some cases, you might find it necessary to switch the type of lane conditioner that you are using.

We do a lot of jobs such as this during the winter bowling season. Many proprioters like doing this work at this time so their bowlers will see the work being done. With jobs done during the summer, many centers will give us a group of either 4 or 6 lanes at a time. We can usually complete 6 lanes over a couple of days.

Please check out our Contact page if you have any questions or need any further information

Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment, Inc.
355 North Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 842-3237