Gym flooring plays a major part in establishing your sports facility’s character. Understanding the latest flooring trends and techniques will allow you to maintain a beautiful, top-performing sports floor — regardless of your budget. On this page, we’ll share the latest gym floor trends that you should be aware of when repairing or replacing your sports floor.
Top Trends for Hardwood Gym Floors
Hardwood gym floors are the most common flooring solution and a classic option that’s been around for decades. From basketball and volleyball courts to multipurpose facilities, hardwood floors are universal.
In terms of specific trends currently tied to hardwood floors, the first things that come to mind are innovations in subfloor designs.
Industry experts know that the subflooring system plays a significant role in the hardwood’s overall performance. Subfloors have a substantial impact on player safety and comfort.
There are three main categories of sports subfloor designs:
- Anchored Sports Floors — Anchored sports floors combine the characteristics of both floating and fixed sports floors. They’re mechanically fastened to the slab and retain the hardwood floor close to the concrete surface. At the same time, anchored sports floors give the floorboards enough space to move laterally and vertically. This allows anchored sports floors to offer excellent shock absorption without significantly impacting player movement and speed.
- Floating Sports Floors — Unlike anchored sports floors, floating systems aren’t anchored to the concrete slab. These sports floors can provide very high levels of shock absorption and are quite resilient. On the other hand, they don’t offer the same stability as anchored and fixed sports floors.
- Fixed Sports Floors — Fixed floor systems are directly attached to the concrete slab with screws or pins. These sports floors offer minimal shock absorption. But installation is faster than the other two options. Fixed sports floors also offer better ball rebounds.
Aside from the three main categories, there has also been a popularization of portable sports flooring systems. These solutions are suitable for operators who run multi-use arenas and require easy-to-install flooring systems. Portable sports flooring can also be removed quickly if needed.
Top Trends for Rubber Gym Floors
As high-grade sports flooring solutions become better with each passing year, sports floors’ requirements also get exponentially higher. Rubber gym floors possess outstanding characteristics that make them ideal for many different indoor and outdoor sports.
They offer excellent dimensional stability and indent recovery. Rubber sports flooring solutions also offer unrivaled acoustic performance and are much quieter than hardwood sports floors.
What makes rubber sports floors one of the most popular flooring solutions in today’s industry is that they can be used for almost any sports activity. It’s a cost-effective flooring solution that doesn’t require too much maintenance while still offering a durable and comfortable surface. From fast-paced sports like basketball and handball to indoor weight rooms, rubber gym floors are currently one of the top trends in the flooring industry.
General Flooring Trends
Making a Green Choice
Many facility operators nowadays strive to implement eco-friendly solutions in their sports facilities. Most modern flooring solutions are made from recycled, or at least, renewable flooring products and materials.
Going green is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when repairing or replacing your sports floor. For that reason, if you highly-value the potential environmental impact of your sports floor, we also recommend you keep these tips in mind:
- Use only low-VOC adhesives and water-based products.
- Avoid installing closed-loop recycled products, and insist on using high post-consumer recycled content when using renewable materials.
- Seek manufacturers and contractors who take full responsibility in adhering to the most stringent labels and standards.
- Do your research to ensure you pick an indoor gym floor that meets the most rigorous indoor air quality regulation.
Getting the best Aesthetic Appearance
Sports flooring provides an easy opportunity for teams and schools to make a unique statement and show their pride. And most modern sports facilities take full advantage of this by emphasizing their sports floors’ overall aesthetic appearance.
Beautifully-designed floors with multicolored logos and artistic elements enhance your facility’s visual appeal and help attract a bigger crowd. So, don’t be shy to experiment with intricate patterns, colors, and designs, as they will only make your facility more impressive and remarkable for both the fans and the players!
Need Help Choosing a Floor?
If you’re installing a new sports floor or re-opening your gym, it’s crucial to choose a sports flooring system that best meets your needs and requirements. With so many different options available on the market, choosing the right option for your sports facility can be difficult.
When you’re ready to start your next flooring project, our flooring experts are here to help you make the best choice for your sports facility. We’ll guide you through every step of the process and make sure you get the option you’re most satisfied with for your facility.
At J&J Gym Floors, we offer you a full-service approach. You can count on us to deliver the best results on time and within budget. If you have any questions regarding your flooring project, we would love to assist you in making the right decision!
Call us now at (973) 801-7219 or fill out our online contact form to request a proposal or schedule a consultation.