Top Reasons to Replace Your Gym Floor
Both Synthetic and hardwood athletic floors can last for years, and decades, if they’re taken care of properly. However, no floor can last forever, and you’ll eventually need to update or replace your gym flooring systems. Sports Floors, Inc. offers guidance and expert floor replacement and restoration services to clients all over the Mid-South. We can make sure that your facility is always functioning at its best.
Signs Your Floor Needs an Update
While a full inspection from Sports Floors, Inc. may be required to determine exactly how your floor needs to be updated, there are some clues you should be watching for as your floor ages.
Moisture Damage
Moisture damage to floors can be a big problem in humid climates like the Mid-South. Wood floors are most affected by moisture and may begin to buckle, cup, compress or show gaps at the edges of the floorboards, or the system could eventually fail entirely. Moisture damage can be caused by quite a few things, from humidity changes, fire sprinklers, leaks in the roof, to flooding in extreme cases.
If you notice any of these cosmetic and structural damages, contact Sports Floors, Inc. right away so we can make a plan to fix the damage. Even if you don’t see any damage, contact us if you know that the roof has been leaking or the fire sprinklers have gone off recently so we can check for any structural damage or moisture that may not be immediately visible.
Cosmetic Updates
In some cases, you may feel that the main problem with your floor is that it doesn’t look as good as you would like. In college and professional settings, and well as wood floors in theaters, it’s important for your floor to look as good as it performs. If you’re concerned by the appearance of dings, scratches, scuffs, or an out of date logo, sanding and striping along with a new line and logo paint job from Sports Floors, Inc. might be just the update you’re looking for.
Natural Signs of Aging
No matter how well you take care of your floor, even the best systems will eventually show natural signs of aging. Decades of play, practice, and even the sandings and refinishing that help your floor perform from year to year will eventually wear down the flooring surface.
Synthetic floors
If you currently have a synthetic floor in your gym, you can expect that floor to last for about 20-25 years. Once the floor starts to show signs of wear, such as thin patches or even tears, you need to do an over-pour to update the surface so that it will look great and perform at it’s best. We can also update your game lines and logos while doing the over-pour, so your floor will get a cosmetic update as well as a functional update.
Synthetic floors can be a great option for a lot of spaces, such as elementary schools, churches, or fitness rooms, but for middle and high schools, community centers, and colleges, a wood floor is the best option. If you currently have a synthetic floor in a space that would benefit from having a wood floor, Sports Floors, Inc. can help you update your flooring system to one that better fits your needs while remaining in your budget.
Wood Floors
Wood floors will also show signs of aging over time, though they will, of course, be different than the signs of wear on a synthetic floor. Wood floors can last for decades, but only with proper attention. And even then, they’ll eventually need to be updated and replaced. After years of recoating, sanding and refinishing, your wood floor will eventually lose some of its strength and resilience. If the boards start to feel soft or bouncy, or you can see the nail heads rising up from the floor, it’s time for an update.
Additionally, there are many subfloor options available now that weren’t 20 years ago. As the science of athletic flooring has advanced, new subfloor products are always being created to reduce the wear and tear on athletes. If your gym floor was installed 50 years ago, you may want to consider tearing it out and installing a newer, safer floor that could last you another 50 years.
Mid-South Gym Floor Maintenance Updates
Replacing your gym floor completely isn’t the only way to put new life into it. The maintenance that Sports Floors, Inc. already recommends will give your floor a fresh new look and increased performance as a bonus. We recommend a screen and recoat routinely to maintain the traction necessary for safe athletic performance. This process involves roughing up the top layer to allow the new coat of finish to adhere to the existing finish coats to prevent cracking or peeling.
Every 8 – 10 years, we recommend sanding and refinishing your floor to extend the life and performance of your floor. We can also repaint lines and logos during this process to restore the visual luster of your wood floors and logos that may have dimmed with age.
Mid-South Gym floor update experts
The team at Sports Floors, Inc. are experts at updating, repairing, replacing both synthetic and wood gym floors. If you think your floor needs some love, contact us to learn more about what we can do for you. We’ll come up with a plan that will ensure the safety and comfort of your athletes for years – or even decades – to come.