Dos
- Always protect the floor per your manufacturer’s specifications.
- Sweep your floor daily using a properly treated dust mop. This helps remove harmful dust, grit and other abrasive particles.
- Keep water off the floor surface, especially during inclement weather and at exterior doorways.
- Immediately remove any spills or moisture on the floor.
- Remove marks with an approved floor cleaner compatible with the floor’s finish. Use a non-abrasive soft cloth or a dust mop to clean. Feel free to contact us for a list of approved cleaning products.
- Before putting any rolling loads (bleachers, stages, lifts, etc.) on the floor, check with us for performance and safety issues. A minimum of ¾” CDX plywood must be laid on the floor first, as unprotected boards can crack.
- The heating/ventilating/air conditioning systems should always be functioning properly and set to maintain indoor relative humidity of 35 to 50%.
- Using any type of tape will likely damage the floor’s surface. For temporary lines, aA light-colored tempera paint may be applied between screen and recoats, which can be wiped away with a damp towel. and washed off with water within a reasonable amount of time (should we specify what a reasonable amount of time would be?).
Don’ts
- Never shut down the ventilation system in your facility for a prolonged period of time.
- Never clean your wood floor using scrubbing machinery or power scrubbers that use water. Water is your floor’s worst enemy!
- Never attempt to modify or repair your wood sports floor without first consulting us or your flooring contractor.
- Never use household cleaning products or procedures on your floor. They can be harmful to the floor finish and to the wood and may leave floors sticky or slippery, which can make the floor unsafe for athletes. Contact us for recommendations on proper cleaning and maintenance materials.
- Never use tape on a wood gym floor. A light-colored tempera paint may be applied and washed off within a reasonable amount of time with water if temporary game lines are needed. Contact us if you need complex temporary game lines applied to the floor surface.
MOISTURE CAN BE TORTURE
Naturally porous, wood tends to periodically absorb and release moisture. When humidity rises in your facility, your wood floor absorbs that moisture and expands. When humidity drops, your wood floor releases moisture and shrinks. Too much moisture causes abnormal expansion, which can lead to cupping or buckling of your floor. In abnormally dry conditions, the wood will contract and leave separations between flooring strips. Our installations factor all this in, including expansion voids around the perimeter and at columns or floor inserts, plus build expansion joints into the floor surface. These features permit natural, normal expansion and contraction and limit damage to the floor.