A floor is simply a place to stand or walk on, but a sports floor is something different altogether. It is something to stand on, walk on, dance on, bounce on, sit on, roll on, jump on, run on and do many other sports activities. A sports floor receives the most use, which is why you need to be careful when choosing a sports flooring for your recreational facility. The hardest part lies in answering the questions that lead to the right sports flooring. Here are some of the considerations that come into play when choosing a sports flooring.

How will the floor be used?

Different sports floors align with varying qualities of performance best for various sports. For instance, basketball floors need to return the energy to maximize the ball’s bounce while at the same time allowing athletes to jump well and allow for quick pivot turns. On the other hand, tennis courts should be able to return the energy to bounce well and enable horizontal movements of the athletes.

While a park may find artificial turf suitable for a soccer field, it would be a poor choice for volleyball because it doesn’t allow the foot slides necessary for the sport, so athletes are likely to suffer injuries. You need to have the sports to be played on the surface in mind when choosing sports flooring.

Wood VS synthetic sports flooring

Wood flooring

Hardwood remains the standard for multipurpose sports floors for many reasons. It provides a sense of quality that is hard to compare with other floor types. When it comes to wood flooring, people know exactly what they are dealing with, so maintenance becomes easy. The best thing about using wood flooring for sports surfaces is that it can return energy, improve bounce quality, and is durable.

The very appearance of hardwood flooring on sports centers also encourages athletes to commit themselves more. However, since wood expands and contracts with humidity changes, the proper installation is necessary to ensure an appropriate ventilation system. With a professional hardwood installation company, you don’t have to worry about anything.

Synthetic flooring

Although wood flooring seems like the best choice for gymnasiums and other multipurpose sports floors, it may not be the best floor for every sports facility. As such synthetic flooring, including urethane, rubber, and polyvinyl chlorate (PVC), comes in functionally. Synthetic floors can be installed by rolling them out in long sheets or put together as interlocking tiles.

Synthetic flooring is a good choice for multipurpose sports facilities. Multipurpose means that various sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, teen dances, adult recreational activities, etc., take place there. In such cases, the planners have had to be talked out of wood flooring because the flooring expert knows it may not be the best solution.

The bottom line

When installing a new sports floor, consider its key performance features such as friction, shock absorption, and vertical deformation. It would be nice to keep in mind other things such as the subfloor, elasticity properties, and aesthetics. Most importantly, the floor should be able to enhance the performance of athletes.