What Can You Do to Protect Your Hardwood Gym Floor from Damage?
The hardwood gym floor condition has a significant impact on your sports facility’s overall usability and performance. As a natural material, hardwood flooring is quickly impacted by its environment and requires specific protection and maintenance standards to sustain its features in the long term. In this post, we’ll cover the most effective actions you can take to protect your hardwood gym floor.
Have a Proper Daily Cleaning Plan
Hardwood is more susceptible to damage and deterioration from dust particles than other sports flooring solutions. When athletes run and walk on the floor, any dust that has settled on the floor will scratch the surface. This can cause the floor to age prematurely and increase the need for more frequent screening and recoating.
If your HVAC system is old, your hardwood floor will have even higher cleaning requirements because of the extra dust that’s getting pumped through the system.
The best way to remove dust and dirt from your hardwood gym floor is to clean it with a dry mop. You should do this every day, even if the floor hasn’t been used for a couple of days. If your gym floor is used heavily every day, consider sweeping it at least a couple of times per day.
If you already have a regular cleaning routine, you can quickly determine whether your cleaning plan is adequate or not. If you notice a thick buildup of dust on other fixtures in your gym, you have to step up your cleaning game.
Hardwood gym floor cleaning: A common misconception
A common misconception is that you should clean the hardwood floor with a damp mop. There are several reasons why this is a bad idea. The biggest reason you should avoid cleaning your hardwood floor with a mop and bucket is that it significantly increases water damage risk. If any water finds its way between the boards, the hardwood can become malformed and unusable.
Use a pH-Neutral Cleaner.
Regular dust mopping is essential in minimizing dust and debris on your hardwood floor. But, to prevent a hardwood gym floor from becoming a safety issue, you’ll also have to occasionally clean it with a pH-neutral cleaner. A pH-neutral solution is strong enough to get rid of all contaminants while not damaging the hardwood floor.
Lightly saturate a microfiber cloth with a pH-neutral solution and wipe the hardwood floor to clean the surface from any spilled beverages, sweat, body oils, or other contaminants.
Also, consider disinfecting your gym floor regularly to prevent the spread of viruses. Be sure to disinfect the floor with an EPA-approved disinfectant and clean the surface with a pH-neutral cleaner immediately after disinfecting. Disinfectants can damage the boards if left on for too long.
Install Walk-off Mats at the Entrance of the Gym.
Installing walk-off mats is a very effective way of minimizing dust buildup on your hardwood gym floor.
Walk-off mats have been found to directly contribute to overall indoor air quality improvement and minimize bacteria and debris. For best results, you should install walk-off mats at the entryway, between the gym floor and the door.
Over time, the walk-off mats will become filled with dust and debris, becoming an additional source of dirt finding its way onto the hardwood. If you decide to install walk-off mats, vacuum them regularly so they’ll trap dust effectively.
Monitor Changing Floor Conditions
Prevention is the most practical solution for the protection of your hardwood gym floor. One of the best things you can do is monitor your hardwood gym floor regularly and keep an eye out for any early floor damage signs. Being cautious and observant can go a long way to resolving problems in their early stages.
Rapidly changing weather conditions are a common threat to gym floors every year. From insulating water pipes to protect them from freezing to keeping your gymnasium warm inside during cold winter nights, there are many things you can do to ensure stable conditions in your gym.
During humid or wet weather, inspect the floor for any tightening or shrinkage. Also, don’t shut down the AC system in your facility for a prolonged period. Ensure that the indoor air humidity and temperature levels don’t fluctuate too much from day-to-day to prevent moisture buildup.
Get Hardwood Gym Floor Covers
If you want to protect your hardwood gym floors the best you can, consider purchasing hardwood floor covers.
Gym floor cover systems are a must if your gymnasium also serves as a multi-purpose room for various events and manifestations. Whenever your gym isn’t used for a sports event, you should shield it with floor covers.
Floor covers will protect the valuable hardwood floor from wear-and-tear caused by tables, chairs, and shoes.
At J&J Gym Floors, we offer Eco Tile Gym Floor Covers that guarantee high-performance features and are environmentally-friendly.
You don’t have to compromise on anything. Our eco tiles are durable, tear-resistant, and easy to clean. They’re also lightweight and easy to store. You can quickly lay them down or pick them up whenever the situation calls for it.
If you’re looking for the best quality hardwood gym floor protection, our Eco Tiles are an excellent choice for your sports facility. Call us today at (973) 801-7219 or fill out our online form, and we’ll get back to you right away!
