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Flooring 101
by Gregg Maloley
Part 1 of a 2-part Feature Article
Flooring typically is the last purchase consideration within a health and fitness facility. After you’ve spent all your money on build out, painting, lighting, equipment, lockers, -- you then realize you need a new floor! Flooring may be your biggest purchase in terms of size and must be budgeted appropriately.
Arguably one of the most important facets of your facility is proper FLOORING. Over the years, flooring manufacturers have introduced high-performance, low-maintenance flooring options for every area of a fitness facility. By selecting the right type of floor during new construction or a renovation project, fitness facility operators have been able to lessen the amount of labor and supplies required to keep floors in optimum condition, which translates to money savings. For example in your Group X room, if it is primarily being utilized for aerobics then a cushioned wooden floor system is the perfect fit. However, if the room is primarily used as a multi-purpose room and group X classes utilizing weights then wood is not the proper fit—you should consider a synthetic system such as a poured floor or a vinyl system or a PVC floor.
Remember the flooring you purchase is only as good as the sub floor you put it on. Often times we try to “hide” sub floor imperfections or moisture issues with a new floor covering. Guaranteed it will not work! Make sure that your sub floor is level, no dips, and without moisture. Have a flooring contractor look at your sub floor and make appropriate repairs prior to installing a new floor covering. If a sub floor is not level, has cracks or divots- your new floor covering will not hide these imperfections and may even exacerbate the condition. If your sub floor is wet or has a high level of moisture your new floor covering will not adhere; will bubble or crack. Moisture is a huge issue for flooring, because humidity levels can play havoc with a floor’s stability. Summertime’s heat can cause floors to expand or buckle and winter’s dryness can cause floors to separate. Remember it’s not the outside humidity that is the real problem, but the inside. A year round humidity level of 40 to 60 percent, with no significant swings is recommended.
Room to Room
Entry and Transition Areas
This is your first impression to existing and prospective new members- this is your statement area- the WOW affect area. Remember it is also the first surface they step on with their shoes- whether they’re clean and dry, wet and muddy or dusty and dirty. Carpeting has been the staple floor covering for many years. However, carpeting holds stains, zippers, snags and must be replaced often. Thus an average priced carpet becomes expensive as it must be replaced every 3-5 years. More efficient products include non-slip vulcanized rubber tiles; polypropylene rubber base tiles and fiberglass tiles. These products can be cleaned easily and withstand high usage. These products also offer a WOW effect for many years. Though initially they may be more expensive than carpet; they become very cost efficient over the lifetime of the product as they do not require replacement every 3-5 years like a carpet.
Behind the Front Desk and Juice bar Areas
Because the areas behind the front desk and juice bar aren’t seen by members they often go neglected. Given that staff members are on their feet a lot in these areas, the wrong flooring can be hard on their legs. Again an inexpensive carpet has been the product of choice for many years. I would recommend an 8mm (5/16”) black recycle rubber roll good in these areas. The rubber is cost efficient, easy to clean and maintain and offers your staff resiliency thus lessoning the wear and tear on their legs.
Child Care Area
Besides making the child-care room look like a creative and enjoyable place for children to spend time in, facility owners must also consider the child’s ages and activities who will be frequenting the room. Remember this area is very important to your membership and we often over look it. Mommy or daddy enjoys working out and they want to make sure that their children are secure within a safe and healthy environment. Again, a lot of club owners utilize carpet or recycled rubber roll goods. Carpet stains, zippers, holds odor and breeds germs. Rubber though resilient from a safety stand point has a cold feel; is not antimicrobial, and truthfully I wouldn’t want my kids crawling on a surface made of recycled tires. I suggest you look at polypropylene tiles; pad and pour surfaces. These products are water proof; antimicrobial, safe, and easily maintained.
Locker Rooms
Wet areas always provide a unique challenge for health clubs. Not only do club owners need to think about mildew, mold and the risks of slippery surfaces, but they also should focus on making a member feel at home, which can be achieved by selecting the right floors. Antimicrobial polypropylene tiles or fiberglass resin tiles for locker bays. They are soft, durable, and hygienic and can fit most color schemes. In wet areas, tile is still the best choice. Bigger tiles will require less maintenance. Covering these tiles with an Envirotile product will reduce mold, mildew, and slippage.
Next month we will focus our attention on the Free Weight Room, Selectorized Room, Cardio equipment room, Group X studio, Spinning/Pilates room, and Sports areas.
Please review a partial listing of our more popular flooring products. Click on a product to view more details:
Bolon: BKB & Eight
- Features a warm, carpet look
- Many colors to choose from, BKB ribbed look and Eight plain weave
- Easily cleaned
- Great warranty: 5 years
- Slip resistant and waterproof
- Chemical-and bacteria-resistant
- Class 1 fire rating
- Environmentally sound
- Use in all areas of fitness club (except free weight room)
Sport Weave
- Comfortable appearance of carpet; versatility of rubber
- Features color and patterns
- Can be used in free weight, selectorized and cardio areas. Also, ideal for entry ways, offices, tanning rooms, locker rooms, and more.
- Anti-microbial and fast drying
- Repels moisture
- Won’t find rust or dent marks being left behind when moving equipment
- Easily repels stains
- Due to its needle punching method of polypropylene materials into bitumen backing it can be cut into patterns, curves, borders, and logos without fraying
- Will not zipper or tear like nylon based carpet
- Can be self-installed
- 7-year abrasive wear warranty- Industry Best
Boflex
- Low profile
- D.I.N. certified
- #1 in shock absorption
- 70% more dimensionally stable than competition
- Floating floor with top layer of Maple, Oak, or Ash
- Utilizes evazoate foam channels under board
- Tested with 45,000lb. loads without loss of resiliency
- Double tongue groove connection points-utilize glue, no nails
- Pre-finished at factory with 6- layers of polyurethane
- 5- year warranty
Rubberflex S- Rubber
- Highly resilient
- ADA compliant for slip resistance
- #1 ranked recycled rolled rubber product in the U.S.
- 4’ wide rolls
- Standard and custom fleck colors
- 5- year warranty
Rubberflex Elite
- 24” x 24” x 1” solid rubber tile
- All black, 20% color fleck or 95% color fleck top surface
- Permanent or portable application
- Custom fleck available
- Extremely durable and offers sound proofing
Xtreme Court
- Economical multi- purpose floor.
- High impact polypropylene color tiles
- 12” x 12” x ∏”
- Completely portable floor with 12 available colors.
- 5- year warranty
Puregrass
- Artificial turf product
- No infill required
- Features a patented layering system and a modular design
- Adaptable to all sports; ages; sizes, and weights
- Safest product on the market
- Easy installation as product is supplied in 15’ rolls.
Gymlastic
- Environmentally friendly
- Multi-layered system comprised of a rubber granulate base covered with 4-layers of polyurethane.
- Seamless floor installation
- Provides excellent shock absorption, sound absorption, and durability.
- Superior mechanical strength and low-maintenance flooring system.
- 11- standard colors
- 5- year abusive wear warranty.
Ecoflor
- Manufactured using virgin and first grade recycled components
- Ecoflor is specially formulated for extreme resistance to cuts, punctures, and tears.
- High density and excellent elasticity
- Many vibrant colors to choose from, all with a hammertone, polished look.
- 5-year warranty.
G-Court
- Vinyl synthetic top layer with attached closed cell foam pad
- Comes in colors and simulated wood grain
- 6.75mm or 8mm thickness
- Ideal for multi purpose, aerobics, and sport court surfaces
- Very durable and easily maintained
- 5- year warranty.
In This Issue
Q & A: National Fitness Trade Show 2009
Last issue you mentioned this year’s National Fitness Trade Show being held in Reno in August. How can we get...more.
What's New: U.S. Coast Guard Boflex Installation
We just completed a Boflex installation for the U.S. Coast Guard Training Station. The installer was Doug Seeman of...more.
Featured Article: Flooring 101
Flooring typically is the last purchase consideration within a health and fitness facility. After you've spent all your...more.
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