Traditionally, timber has been the flooring of choice for gymnasiums and sports arenas. However modern products such as Taraflex synthetic sport flooring offer a number of advantages, which should be considered when creating a new sports floor.
Safety is a primary consideration, particularly if the floor is intended for use by children as well as adults. For school gymnasiums, the duty of care is particularly important. When striking a timber floor after a trip or fall, smaller, lighter bodies may not receive adequate protection. Synthetic sport flooring such as Gerflor Taraflex ranges offer the highest levels of comfort and protection to the user. It is the floors shock absorption that minimizes the force of impact, providing optimal protection and helping to prevent injury.
Due to their construction, wooden sports floors also have an inherent lack of uniformity, resulting from the irregular placement of shock pads and sleepers, and other underfloor supports; this can affect sports performance. In contrast, Taraflex flooring offers a uniform performance – whether it’s shock absorption or ball rebound both are consistent across the entire surface.
The lifetime cost of a flooring surface should also be accounted for. Maintenance of wooden sports floors is a substantial expense. Recoating of the surface on average is required every 1-3 years and full sand and recoating every 5-7 years, at a cost of up to $25/m2, plus the additional expense of repainting game lines.
Taraflex is classified as low maintenance floor, having both a wear layer and a factory-applied polyurethane protective treatment (Protecsol) which is good for the life of the product making it unnecessary to seal and polish the floor. Of course, regular care and cleaning is still essential for maximising the floor’s lifespan and appearance.
That appearance can also be enhanced by the wide palette of colours available in the Taraflex range – from reds, blues and greens to striking pinks and yellows; there are even traditional wood grains.
This means floor designs can represent school and club colours, or add colour accent for a dynamic sports environment.
We have a range of safe, durable Taraflex sports floors, including multi-use and sports-specific surfaces for tennis, hockey and badminton.
Read about Taraflex vs polyurethane sports floors here.
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