Measuring Up: Gymnasium Surfacing Built to Your Standards
By: Jim Dobmeir
As a society, our expectations are high. We demand quality, integrity, and accountability – not only from the people in our lives, but also from the product and services we turn to, to make our lives easier and better. And, while we may compare and contrast features, benefits, and relevance, the products and the people behind them can still fall short of our expectations if we don’t ask all the right questions to ensure we are getting what we want and need.
When it comes to athletic flooring, the expectations are: performance, safety, resilience, and long-term durability.
So, when the time comes to invest in gymnasium or other athletic flooring, it is important to ask questions to learn about your surfacing options, as well as about the character of the company you will hire to do the work.
For most schools, churches, and organizations that are renovating or replacing their flooring, the surfacing options are typically narrowed to two choices: wood or a poured urethane surface. To make the best choice, the decision-makers need to consider several factors: budget, surface usage, and expectations for long-term customer service.
Traditionally, hardwood is the surface of choice for a gymnasium floor, but as the need for multi-use surfaces increases, synthetic surfaces, such as poured urethane, are proving to be a durable – not to mention, more affordable – option.
A poured urethane surface is roughly two-thirds the cost of a wood floor and offers more versatility over its hard wood counterpart, while also providing a worry-free, multi-purpose surface ideal for basketball, volleyball, indoor tennis, and jogging. And, unlike a wooden surface, which can be more sensitive to damage caused by water or the wrong type of foot traffic, a urethane surface is durable enough to handle other non-sport related events, such as meetings, dances, and church services.
Within the industry, there are generally two types of urethane floor systems used for gymnasiums: the full-pour surface and a roll-pour surface.
The full-pour system consists of a base layer of fluid-applied resin and rubber, along with a top pour of polyurethane self-leveling elastomer, to form a seamless, durable surface. The thickness of the top layer can vary to meet specific specifications. The system is finished with a two-part pigmented polyurethane coating, specifically designed for indoor sports. Game markings and intricate graphic designs, such as school logos and images, can be applied for a complete custom design.
The roll-pour is a composite synthetic flooring system that includes a prefabricated, fully adhered rubber basemat sealed with polyurethane. The top resin layer of self-leveling polyurethane is fluid applied. This system is coated with a two-part pigmented polyurethane with game lines and graphics applied.
With both the full-pour and the roll-pour systems, the long-term quality of a poured urethane surface is dependent upon several critical areas.
1. The type of material components being used
Any surface, from playgrounds to walking trails to gymnasium floors, is only as good as the components built into the system. While there are many types of urethane used in various applications, urethane for gymnasium flooring requires particular levels of tensile, strength, flexibility, and working time.
2. The experience and expertise of the installation crew
Any surface is only as strong as the installation crew who carries out the mixing, application, and finishing touches to the floor. Installing recreational and athletic surfacing is very much a construction process. Having a company with a well-connected, well-trained network of installers – committed to superior craftsmanship – helps to ensure the job is done right.
From the Components to the Company
Choosing the type of surface to best suit your needs is just the beginning of the process. Selecting a solid, reputable company committed to using quality materials, a proven process, and an experienced installation team is essential to a successful project and long-term satisfaction. Look for:
* A surfacing company interested in being your partner – not just through the installation process, but also well beyond the completion of the project. Does the company you are considering listen and understand your needs? Do you get answers to your questions?
* A company with a proven track record and a firm understanding of the industry. Ask for experience on similar projects and obtain references to gauge customer satisfaction.
* A written warranty from the company. Evaluate it in terms of content and length of time and consider the company in relationship to the warranty.
* Financial strength and stability. Does the company have staying power? How long has the company been in the industry and are you confident the company will be in business throughout the life of the warranty?
Investing in any type of athletic or recreational service is a big decision, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. When you demand more of the companies within the surfacing industry, the likelihood of choosing the best value increases significantly. Know what you are purchasing before it is installed. Asking the right questions will ensure many years of enjoyment and performance from your surfacing systems. After all, isn’t that what you expect?
Jim Dobmeier is the president and founder of Surface America, www.surfaceamerica.com.
Sidebar
One-Size Flooring Does Not Fit All
By Patricia Basileo
As educational facilities often serve as multipurpose centers where diverse activities occur on the same floor throughout the day, it is imperative for these spaces to feature a solid surface that will support a variety of activities. It is also crucial that both dancers and indoor athletes have the right surface beneath their feet as they perform and play. A common misconception is that a well-designed sports floor will suit the needs of dancers and an array of performing arts, but there are two intrinsic differences: the sprung subfloor’s construction and the performance surface.
Student safety should be of utmost concern when choosing the proper floor for an educational facility. Lower limb problems all can be attributed to incorrectly specified sprung floors and can require weeks of physical therapy and recovery time to rectify.
Along with shock absorption, most indoor sports floors require a high degree of energy return for an adequate bounce of the ball. Obviously, dancers have little need for sufficient ball bounce; however, they do need a similar, yet different combination of shock absorption and energy return.
Indoor sports players can tolerate a more rigid flooring solution than dancers because they have the luxury of performing with cushioned athletic footwear. And while athletes share the concern for the risk of slipping and falling, they generally are protected by their footwear. For performance surfaces, the main criterion for dancers is the floor’s slip-resistance. An athletic shoe’s rubber sole likely safeguards players from floors, such as hard-lacquered wood flooring, that can be hazardous for dancers.
Historically, the choice for flooring was between a wooden floor and linoleum, until the advent of vinyl floors in the 1970s. Although it might be tempting to opt for a wood floor for aesthetic reasons, or a commercial-grade vinyl for cost reasons, today there are many other options. A well-installed hardwood sprung floor, properly finished and maintained, can be a beautiful design element in a space. Furthermore, accommodating both sports players’ and dancers’ specifications can be as simple as maintaining a semi-spring wood floor for sporting events and providing a portable dance surface for performance and dance activities.
Patricia Basileo is vice president and general manager for American Harlequin, www.harlequinfloors.com.
Product Roundup
Lonseal
Schools can score big with Lonseal’s Loncourt I, Loncourt II, and Lonwood Performa vinyl flooring. Installing, cleaning, and applying custom logos and lines is made easy with Loncourt I’s specially designed flooring surface ,featuring sound-absorbing backing, seamless heat-welding flexibility, and resilient sheet durability that meets NCAA requirements for bounce. Loncourt II comes with the same durable features as Loncourt I, but is more thinly crafted for greater economy. Lonwood Performa has shock and absorbs sound with its closed-cell foam backing that offers ergonomic support for high-impact activities.
www.lonseal.com
Encore Flooring by Aeson Flooring Systems
Aeson’s Encore flooring is the revolutionary "click & go" finished hardwood floor with an integrated sprung subfloor. Ideal for virtually all sport, athletic, and fitness activities, the thorough wood construction provides a stable, long-lasting floor. The Encore Collection offers variable foam-backed systems for custom applications, allowing you to design the optimum system for their needs. Available in easy-to-handle lengths, Encore is fully transportable and installs with no adhesive, screws, or nails required. Choose from oak, beach and maple hardwoods, each of which can be line painted.
www.aesonflooring.com
Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association
The Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA) is an authoritative source of technical and general information about maple flooring and related sports flooring systems. Through cooperative member programs, MFMA establishes product quality, performance, and installation guidelines; educates end users about safety, performance, and maintenance issues; and promotes the use of maple flooring products worldwide. MFMA northern hard maple is a responsible and green choice. MFMA members consult with architects, contractors, school officials, and maintenance personnel to answer questions about the specification, use, and care of MFMA maple flooring.
www.maplefloor.org
Multi-Play Sports Flooring
Schools across the country have realized that Multi-Play Sports floors provide all the properties of a quality sports floor that you're looking for, without the high price. Ideal ball response, resilience, traction, and durability are all features of Multi-Play that you'd only expect from a higher-priced wood system. Multi-Play comes in a multitude of colors in both gridded and solid top tiles. Installation is quick and easy, and an empty room can have a full court basketball floor installed the next day. That's because of a unique post and lock system that creates a firm fit that just won't separate. If you need Multi-Play for only temporary use, the post and lock system also provides for quick and easily removal for storage.
www.multiplayfloor.com
Rhino Sports
Rhino Sports is the manufacturer and installer of the high-quality gym flooring. Their patent-pending VTek synthetic wood flooring is used for indoor gymnasiums, multi-purpose facilities, and special events. Rhino Sports floors are ideal for competitive basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and other sports, whether professional or recreational. Their gym floors can accommodate the play of professional and amateur athletes alike. Rhino Sports has gymnasium flooring, gym floors and gym courts that are specially designed for the most comfortable play with the most reasonable prices.
www.rhinogymflooring.com
Unity Surfacing Systems
Unity Surfacing Systems has developed and patented a resilient product made from 100 percent recycled tires that is clean and safe to use in any environment both indoors and out. Their maintenance-free safety surfacing, flooring, and paver products are a double tile-mat-block with an authentic, quadruple, interlocking design built directly into the product, thus eliminating the need for fasteners, pins, clips, etc. Their patented tongue-and- groove technology is designed to snap and hook into place. In addition to the unique features and attractive look, they meet or exceed ASTM, CPSC, ADA, USGBC-LEED safety standards and guidelines.
www.surfacingsystems.com
