Wall padding is an essential element of gym safety. Padded wall panels protect athletes, basketball players, and sports participants from potential injuries when coming into contact with walls. Additionally, custom gym wall pads can enhance your facility’s aesthetics by displaying your logo or custom designs.
Gym wall padding is a way to minimize minor and serious injuries during training, sports, or other physical activity in a gym. For example, tripping, losing balance, or being tackled could send a person crashing into a wall, post, corner, or fence. Even a minor impact with a hard surface can have serious consequences.
But is wall padding always the best option for gym safety? Are there alternative padding choices for walls, corners, columns, and other potential hazards? This article explores the pros and cons of traditional wall padding and if there are better alternatives.
Wall Padding: Pros and Cons
Wall padding consists of a thick layer of polyurethane foam attached to a wooden wall panel. Then a 14-oz vinyl covering is used to protect the foam padding. Depending on the facility, custom wall pads can highlight a brand, team logo, or other colorful design.
The benefit of padded wall panels in a gym is obvious – to protect players from contact with a hard object.
Studies show that hitting a wall or coming into contact with a hard object is a significant risk factor in gyms. And gym wall padding is one of the safety features to prevent traumatic sports injuries. A thick foam layer is enough to provide a safe absorption level.
However, the benefit of wall pads is only possible by installing the right type of foam. Although 2-inch thick foam is standard, not all types of foam pads are suitable. The correct choice of foam must have good shock absorption properties. And to increase the efficiency of shock-absorbing foam, a durable vinyl covering will trap air inside, thus increasing absorbency and protecting the foam panel.
Wall padding is the only choice compared to other solutions to minimize player impact injuries from contact with hard surfaces.
However, are there any drawbacks to installing wall mats in sports facilities?
One of the drawbacks of installing wall padding in gyms is cost. Depending on the type of padding required, a single-padded wall panel can cost several hundred dollars. Then, there is the cost of shipping, installation, and maintenance.
Alternative Safety Solutions: Pros and Cons
What are the best alternative safety solutions to installing impact-reducing gym wall pads?
Unfortunately, nothing can beat cushioned padding on walls, corners, stage fronts, and fences to minimize injury risk from coming into contact with a wall at force.
What are the alternatives if cost is an issue when planning safety features in a gymnasium or sports hall? Here are three ways to reduce the cost of padded safety solutions.
- Eliminate custom designs — You can order padded sports wall coverings without custom graphics and logos. Depending on the design, screen printing on vinyl can be three to four times the cost of a plain pad. This way, you can have high-quality, shock-absorbing wall pads for less cost.
- Install wall padding in high-impact areas — It may be possible to install safety padding in specific areas of an indoor sports arena or gym. For example, you may only need wall padding on the end walls in basketball and volleyball courts. Or you could limit the padding height to ensure good protection for players and save on costs.
- Use folding mats to create gym wall padding — The cheapest alternative to professional sports wall pads is to place folding mats along the wall. However, this alternative solution is not recommended for gymnasiums with high-impact sports or activities
Factors to Consider When Choosing Gym Safety Solutions
Sports facility owners must make gym safety a top priority. Not only do safety procedures and equipment protect players from injuries, but it also limits liability if someone gets hurt. Therefore, a comprehensive risk assessment can help determine where to install wall padding to create impact-safe zones in a sports hall.
Here are a few considerations when choosing safety solutions for a gym.
Gym size and layout
Gym size and layout are key components to consider when planning safety features. For example, you should have enough storage space for all the equipment you plan on using, including gym mats and cleaning equipment.
Types of activities performed in the gym
The type of wall padding and other safety features depend on the types of activities in the gym. For example, many basketball halls install wall padding beneath the hoops as these are high-impact areas. However, some multi-functional facilities may install padding on walls around the entire gym.
Budget and cost considerations
Installing good-quality gym equipment and safety features is not cheap. Therefore, setting aside enough money to install a high-quality gym floor, safety equipment, and other necessary safety features is vital.
Aesthetic preferences
Getting aesthetics right can help players, athletes, and other sports participants feel motivated and energized. And if a sports team uses the hall, branding on foam padding can help promote camaraderie between players and spectators.
At J&J Gym Floors, our designers can help develop solutions for wall padding that include your logos, branding, and other custom designs. These can include standard wall pads, digital print wall pads, column and corner pads, and custom stage pads.
Safety regulations and standards
Investing in wall padding or other alternative gym safety solutions, such as mats or foam blocks, give extra protection against falls and injuries. However, it’s vital to ensure the padding meets accepted standards. Therefore, you should find out what specifications for gym wall padding your state requires.
For example, wall pads must pass rigorous ASTM F2440-11 testing to ensure the shock absorption meets G-max and HIC standards. Additionally, vinyl covering must meet ASTM E-84 specifications for its fire retardant qualities.
How to Make the Right Choice
Choosing the right type of gym wall padding is vital for improving the experience of visitors and players. Therefore, it’s best to evaluate your options. These can include factors like strategic places to install vinyl-covered wall pads and having an imaginative color and design concept.
Here are a few handy tips on choosing the right gym safety solutions regarding wall padding:
- Do you need wall padding that is removable for multi-functional sports halls?
- What activities take place in the gymnasium?
- How high should safety wall padding be? Six feet is standard, but some gyms require higher padding.
- Do you require branding and customized designs on vinyl?
To get some ideas for gym wall padding, you can check out our portfolio here.
Takeaway
Gym safety solutions like wall padding are essential for providing a safe environment. However, it is important to consider your budget, the type of activities in the gym, and your aesthetic preferences before deciding on wall padding and other alternative solutions.