We are all spectators of Christ, watching miracles happen daily. As an athletic flooring and equipment company, we have the task of making sure our clients’ facilities are ready to play host to the students, athletes, and the patrons coming to crowd into our local school gymnasiums to watch our beloved athletes take part in their favorite sport and celebrate Christ through competition. It is our job to overwhelm the senses with the scoreboard lights, bleachers, basketball goals, volleyball setup, wall pads and especially the gym floor graphics we stain and paint on the gymnasium floor.
In unison with the facility staff, we strive to put quality materials and workmanship into every aspect of what we do. God gave every one of us talents to use; we are thankful to use ours to promote the next generation to take pride in whatever they choose to do in life. We want them to have excitement whenever they walk into a facility and know that every measure has been taken to let them enjoy this period in their life.
Throughout the planning process, we help our clients decide on what is the best equipment and flooring products that will suit their needs, safety and budget. When it comes to gymnasium floors, Northern Hard Maple is the first choice. Our gymnasium subfloor of choice is a superior load bearing, omni-directional floor that allows wall to wall air flow under the floor. It’s an all wood system that provides excellent dimensional stability, so there are no issues with moisture, temperature, and humidity changes. This will also help avoid dead spots, warping, and creating gaps in the gymnasium floor.
Once all of the hard work of the planning process has been completed, and the space is starting to take shape, the face of the space is ready to be installed: the graphics. Given the level of creativity of graphics that can be attained when a talented artist is given the opportunity to express themselves, amazing things can happen.
This scenario requires great communication from all parties involved to ensure the end product represents the vision of the school for the next 8 to 10 years, the life cycle of the gymnasium floor, and ensures that school or team spirit will thrive with the same level of pride and excitement 10 years down the road as day one.
Graphics change the atmosphere of a gymnasium, especially when they’re well designed and installed properly. When the spectators and athletes realize just how much effort, time and dedication went into creating their masterpiece, the energy level can go through the roof.
The upkeep and maintenance of athletic equipment and gymnasium floors involves a couple of points. Basic maintenance and cleaning should take place on a weekly, monthly and an annual basis to ensure that all aspects of the space remain in proper working order for the safety of all that will play and watch. Daily, weekly and monthly upkeep is completed by the facility’s maintenance team, with proper training and instruction from our staff.
The greater, and more important, piece involves getting on a predetermined maintenance plan with a full-service crew. Depending on the amount of use the facility sees, this maintenance might only happen once a year. Ideally, the company installing the floor and graphics also has a servicing contract in place to ensure all products and finishes warranty will remain intact.
Having the same company complete both the installation and the maintenance makes sure the surface will be as good as possible for as long as possible, because they have familiarity with all the products that went into the facility.
Typically, this annual maintenance involves a simple refinishing process that is completed in a day, and the surface is ready to be used after 24 hours. Coordinating equipment and bleacher inspections prior to gymnasium floor refinishing is a must to make sure the floor finish does not get marked up with any unnecessary wheel tracks from lifts performing aerial inspections and service.
Finding the right partner to talk through current needs, future needs, and options to provide the best possible experience for the athletes is of the utmost importance. There really is no “one size fits all” approach. When it’s all said and done, the gymnasium will provide years of enjoyment for all who enter it, and the athletes will thank you for it.
This information is courtesy of The Sports Flooring Group, a premier provider of athletic flooring and equipment, www.sportsfloorsonline.com. The Sports Flooring Group services from Virginia to South Carolina, but they will be happy to provide consulting services for your project if you happen to be outside their service area.
Photo: Ambassador Christian School; Huntersville, North Carolina
