gym floor faqs

Gym Floor FAQs: Your Top 5 Questions Answered

By John Scillieri Hours Published on

Are you the proud owner or manager of a sports facility?  If so, it’s probably safe to say that the hardwood maple gym floor is most likely your biggest investment.  Not only that, but the gym floor sees the highest amount of foot traffic in the facility. Caring and maintaining a gym floor is incredibly important.  Not only will it protect your bottom line, but it will also ensure that your facility appears professional. A gym floor maintained in pristine condition also protects users from injury.   So what exactly goes into maintaining and caring for a sports floor? Find the answers to your top gym floor FAQs in the article below. 

FAQ #1: What do I do if water damages the gym floor?

Water is the number one enemy of gym floors everywhere.  But if your facility gets flooded, or otherwise experiences some form of water damage, it’s not the end of the road for your gym floor.  Wood is an incredibly porous material and will absorb excess water. When this occurs, the wood planks may buckle, crown, or cup.  Removing excess moisture is the first step. 

Be sure to clean and mop any standing water.  Turn on a dehumidifier and set fans around the perimeter of the gym floor to help dry the wood.  It can take as long as two or three weeks for the floor to thoroughly dry and any cupping or buckling to subside.  After the floor dries, it’s a good idea to contact a gym floor repair technician to assess the damage and determine if patching the damaged parts of the floor is necessary. 

FAQ #2: Can I put tape on a hardwood sports floor?

Do you have an impromptu game of pickleball coming up?  Then you might think it’s okay to put temporary lines on the gym floor with tape.  After all, It’s just tape. What could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately, applying painter’s tape to the gym floor can damage the floor and result in costly repairs. 

A hardwood sports floor must have a finishing coat applied to it before it is ready for use.  This substance not only protects the wood beneath from scrapes and scratches, but it also creates stickiness and traction to the floor.  That stickiness and traction is important for athletes to keep them from slipping and injuring themselves. 

Putting tape on the floor and then removing it will tear away the finishing coat.  This leaves the floor weak and vulnerable to damage. It also increases the risk of an athlete slipping and falling. 

There may come a time in the life of your sports facility when you’ll need to have temporary game lines drawn on the floor.  Tape may seem like the easiest product to use for game lines, but it’s not worth the risk. Instead, you can find products specifically marketed and formulated for making temporary game lines on gym floors.  White shoe polish and children’s tempera paint are also safe alternatives. 

FAQ #3: Is there a difference between sanding and refinishing a gym floor?

The average gym floor that sees a moderate level of foot traffic will need to be sanded once every decade.  When gym floors are sanded, at least three-grit sandpaper is used to remove all of the seal, paint, and finishing coats from the wood.  Repairing a gym floor also requires technicians to sand, repaint, and refinish the area to give the floor a uniform and professional appearance. 

Refinishing a sports floor is not as labor-intensive of a process.  When a gym floor is refinished, it is screened and tacked. This process removes the finishing coat but doesn’t sand down to the bare wood.  Then, a coating or two of finish is reapplied to the floor. It is possible to have new paint applied to the floor, but the process itself is not designed to remove painted lines and graphics.  Depending on how much foot traffic the facility sees, the gym floor may need refinishing once a year—sometimes more. 

Why, you ask?  Foot traffic will slowly wear down the finishing coats.  The finish that’s applied to a sports floor is the material that gives shoes their signature squeak during game time.  The squeaking indicates the athlete’s shoes are sticking to the floor, creating traction, and preventing slips and falls.  But that stickiness won’t last forever. Refinishing your gym floor returns the right amount of traction and stickiness to the sports floor for safety purposes and to protect the wood beneath from scrapes and scuffs. 

FAQ #4: How often should I clean the gym floor?

Proper and frequent cleaning will go a long way in maintaining the integrity and appearance of the sports floor while preventing users from injury.  You will need to clean the gym floor every day.  Follow these steps to ensure a clean and well-maintained gym floor:

  • Use a dust mop to sweep the floor once a day for moderate use, and up to three times daily for heavy use.
  • Promptly clean any spills, puddles, and moisture from the floor. 
  • Ensure the HVAC is working correctly and keep humidity levels set to no higher than 50% year-round. 
  • Use an approved floor cleaner with a soft cloth or a dust mop to remove scuff marks. 
  • Be sure to inspect the floor for any shrinkage or tightening of the planks.  During rainy weather, check for water ingress near doors and windows. 
  • Check the expansion voids daily for dirt and debris and clean the area. 

FAQ #5: How can I protect the floor if I need to move heavy items?

Scissor lifts are the main culprit when it comes to sports floor damage from heavy loads.  But, many facilities will need to use scissor lifts to clean and maintain ceilings, light fixtures, and other equipment.  So, what can you do?

When moving heavy equipment across the gym floor, make sure the floor is adequately protected.  Never allow equipment to be moved across the floor that has crowned wheels. Wheels that have center ridges should also be barred from access to the gym.  Crowned wheels and wheels with center ridges will create point loads and damage the wood. 

It’s critical to place protective sheathing onto the floor before a scissor lift or other heavy equipment accesses the gym.  Use sheathing that is 3/4 of an inch thick and comes with overlapping seams. Do not allow the machinery to go outside of the protective sheathing.  Also, don’t let heavy equipment sit out overnight or for days in the gym. 

Gym Floor FAQs: A Final Word

A well-maintained and well-cared for sports floor will last for many years.  Caring for your gym floor the right way will also protect users from slipping and injuring themselves.  If your sports floor has experienced water damage and looks like it’s buckling or cupping, contact us here at J&J Gym Floors at (973) 801-7219 today for a no-obligation consultation.

John Scillieri

John Scillieri is the Founder and Managing Partner of J & J Gym Floors, bringing over three decades of expertise in hardwood flooring to the sports and fitness industry. Following in the footsteps of his father, a renowned hardwood floor professional, John launched J & J Gym Floors after graduating college, combining rich family tradition with innovative approaches to gym floor installation, maintenance, and customization.

With a passion for quality craftsmanship and a commitment to customer satisfaction, John has led J & J Gym Floors to become a trusted name in the industry. His hands-on approach and deep understanding of flooring technologies ensure that every project, from local school gymnasiums to professional sports arenas, receives the highest standard of care and attention to detail. When he's not transforming gym floors, John enjoys staying active and spending time with his family, always keeping an eye out for the next big trend in sports flooring.