When it comes to school, most of our firsts will take place in the gym. The first time you got hit by a rogue volleyball, the first time you did a pull-up, your first slow dance, and maybe even your first kiss. A school sports floor has seen its share of feet throughout the school year, and the summer. Because of that, you need a gym floor that is tough and easy to maintain.
Wood vs. Synthetic Sports Floors
When it comes to choosing the right material for your gym floors, you have to think about the cost of installation, materials, maintenance, and life-expectancy to figure out what is most economical for you. Wood is going to be more expensive than synthetic materials, but a sports floor is a large surface, so you shouldn’t discount the aesthetic value of wood. The tricky part of choosing wood is that you have to consider all the various types of shoes that will be walking across the gym floor.
Durability
Wood sports floors are incredibly durable. The installation process is a bit more involved, the subfloor has to be just right to protect athletes, but the wood also needs to stand up to the entire school dancing, and jumping with hard soled shoes and heels at every dance and school event. Although wood is sturdy, synthetic flooring does have the bonus of being tough regardless of the footwear and the activity. Wood may scratch, scuff, and dent.
Moisture
Wood floors are also more reactive to spills and moisture, which can be hard to avoid at events where people are cheering, dancing, and celebrating while holding a large cup of liquid. After a game, dance or event, there are plenty of spills that need to be taken care of to protect and maintain a wood sports surface. Synthetic material is more forgiving.
It’s also important to maintain a good and consistent indoor air temperature in your gym or facility to protect wood floors. Wood will change according to the moisture content in the air. The more consistent you can keep the moisture levels, the longer your wood floors will last.
Longevity
You’d think that synthetic floors can last forever, but a wood floor has a longer lifespan that synthetic sports floors. Wood also has the advantage because they can be refurbished. Synthetic floors need to be replaced once they are damaged or worn. A polyurethane floor finish can also help extend the lifespan of your wood sports floors.
Wood sports floors look better, feel better, and last longer than synthetic options. Talk to us at T&G Flooring about the best material for your sports floors.