At Sports Floors, Inc, we get excited about jobs well done, especially when they help become their best selves and stay. It’s even more satisfying when there is a mystery to be solved. Check out this recent maintenance project we did for the McKenzie Special School District and find out how we ended up solving the mystery of dirt on their gym floor.
A Slick Floor Takes the Fun Out of Gym Class
Sports Floors, Inc. has worked with the McKenzie Special School District in TN for almost a decade to perform all the maintenance of their wood athletic gym floors. After years of successful service with dozens of projects completed without issue, the school district contacted SFI about one particular floor. Despite having been recently Screened & Recoated the floor at McKenzie High School was slick – playing more like an ice rink than a gym floor. Even though the new finish had just been applied, the kids were slipping and sliding all over the place! Since we had used the same finish, at the same time, on all gyms in the district, we felt confident that it was not an issue with the finish we had applied. However, we were determined to help get to the bottom of the issue and even agreed to perform another screen and recoat free of charge.
Our crews made several trips to help determine the issue and the floor was professionally cleaned by Sports Floors, Inc. technicians numerous times on multiple occasions. Despite our cleaning demonstrations and insistence on the school and coaches that there must be another underlying issue causing the slipperiness, the school resisted. It was not until our owner, Bruce Gleneck personally went to the project site that another possible cause was finally identified.
Where Was the Dirt Coming From?
During Bruce’s site visit alongside the Superintendent, Director of Maintenance, and Basketball Coaches upon cleaning the floor, the parties again discussed the excessive amount of dirt and dust on the cleaning towel. The school still resisted this as a possible explanation. The day following Bruce’s cleaning, the gym floor was still slick. SFI cleaned the floor yet again and the cleaning towel was even dirtier than when we had cleaned the floor the day before. We hoped this would help bolster our stance that there was another underlying cause to no avail. It was at this point that Bruce offered to have Sports Floors, Inc. screen and recoat the floor AGAIN… for free. A date was set for us to return the following Monday to complete the free screen and recoat with Bruce’s encouragement that the school, once again, check all of the potential other causes over the next several days.
The school checked the air filtration system and changed air filters. Humidity and temperature controls were tested. The return vents were cleaned and checked. Floor mats were even cleaned and replaced. Despite these efforts, the dust kept reappearing. The school meticulously checked for anything that may have changed in the facility since the time of the previous years’ service until now.
Identifying the Culprit
The following Monday, as SFI was preparing to recoat the gymnasium floor at McKenzie High School, we received a call from the McKenzie Superintendent saying they had discovered the problem. Apparently, the school had recently had some old exhaust fans in the locker rooms repaired and they were blowing unfiltered air from outside into the gymnasium. Once the school shut down these exhaust fans and cleaned the floor, the floor was no longer slick. Since then there have been no further issues. The gym floor is now looking and playing its best!
Remember, SFI services your gym floor ONE day out of the year; it’s your responsibility to care for it for the remaining 364 days! If your gym floor finish is slick, it could be something as simple as a quick clean or the changing of an air filter. But sometimes, the issue is a little more difficult to identify. Either way, Sports Floors, Inc. is here to help and we will always stand behind the service we provide and the products we use.
Whatever the Mystery, We Can Help Solve It
The only thing more important than having a high-quality gym floor is taking care of that floor. If you have any questions about maintenance or a mystery you can’t seem to solve, don’t hesitate to contact our expert team today!