A lot of work goes into the design and installation of a fantastic gym floor, and all of that starts with the right material. Sports Floors, Inc. certainly holds one type of wood well above all the rest. Today we’ll be telling you all about why maple is the best choice for gym floors.
The Best of the Boards
Our team has proudly helped hundreds of clients achieve the gymnasium floor of their dreams. Maple wood is wonderful for various indoor sports, particularly basketball, as well as volleyball, pickleball and badminton. Let’s go over the extensive list of reasons maple is the superior wood for our gym floor projects:
- Smooth Surface: Maple wood is fine-grained, which gives it an exceptionally smooth surface. For sports, player movement and ball bounce need to remain consistent for quality play. We also like it for the highly reduced risk of splintering, which can be a safety hazard if a floor isn’t made of the right material.
- Strength and Durability: Maple hardwood is quite dense and strong, making it ultra-resistant to constant traffic and the wear and tear of sports. This can be especially prevalent in school gyms, where kids have daily physical education classes as well as sports practices.
- Highly Customizable: We love working on maple flooring to create smooth, continuous lines and bright, deep colors. It really is the best canvas for this purpose and stays looking exceptionally fresh over time.
- Aesthetic Appeal: The naturally light color can provide contrast for even our clients’ most intricate logos, gamelines and lettering and helps with overall visibility for players and onlookers. This is elevated to another level when we apply a durable sealant. Glossy finishes, in particular, bring out the beauty of the wood.
- Shock Absorption and Elasticity: Proper shock absorption means the hardwood can absorb the impact of athletes when they jump, run, and fall, which actually helps to reduce the risk of injuries. While you might not be able to detect it, the wood has a bit of a give to it, which can be healthier for athletes’ joints.
- Safety: When we apply our finishes to maple gym floors, they prevent excessive slipping and allow for dynamic movement. The floor is the foundation of every game, so when it’s safe, the players will be safe, too.
- Stability: You may not know this, but wood actually expands and contracts based on changes in temperature and humidity. For example, large crowds and lots of exercise might create a different climate than an empty gymnasium overnight. Maple is quite stable in this regard, keeping the surface consistent and resistant to warping.
- Widely Used and Trusted: Our Sports Floors, Inc. crew has worked on many collegiate basketball courts, including various universities in our beloved hometown of Memphis. Maple is always the premium choice there and in the NBA. Its use so often and esteem so highly is proof of its quality.
- Ease of Maintenance: Maple is always easy to clean since it’s so smooth. Our finishes repel dust, dirt, and excess debris and don’t require tons of additional upkeep. In terms of scratches or dents, we can do localized spot repairs or resurfacing. This is particularly neat because even after being used for years, we can restore maple floors to look almost brand new after a refinishing treatment!
FAQs
We’d like to provide you with some additional answers about this incredible material and how we use it. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us.
Q: How long does a maple gym floor last?
When properly cared for by experts like us, a gym floor can last well over 70 years. This is accomplished by diligent refinishing and repairs.
Q: How often should a maple floor be refinished?
Usually, we’ll want to do a refinishing every 7 to 10 years, though this depends on wear and usage. Some areas might need to be addressed more often based on how much traffic they receive, to keep the entire floor looking consistent.
Q: Are maple floors environmentally friendly?
They actually are! Maple is a renewable resource that can be obtained from sustainably managed forests.
An All-Star Approach
When it comes to gym floors, we don’t recommend taking shortcuts. We want our clients to have the best of the best, and our work speaks for itself. Maple is the perfect material for your next new gym floor installation. Feel free to get the ball rolling by sending in an application to Sports Floors, Inc. today.