Gym floors can take a beating. Between dodge ball, basketball, volleyball and other indoor activities, gym floors can scratch and scuff over the course of the school year. By the time summer rolls around, waxing, polishing and sealing the planks may not be enough to get that shine back. If your gym floor is dated and scuffed beyond repair, perhaps it is time for a renovation.
Gym floors should be regularly renovated, as sports and activities to wear down wooden planks and create cracks and gouges in the surface. This can lead to minor injuries for the students, like splinters and scraps. No principal wants to see their students injured by a gym floor, so when your floor starts to look poor, it may be time for a renovation. You do have a few options with the renovation: re-sanding, repairing, or replacing.
Replacing the Floors
Summer is always the best time to repair and renovate any part of a school, particularly the gym. Students are out for the summer, and hardwood flooring installers are able to have free reign over the floor. This allows them to move items as they please and complete the job without disruption. If you are thinking about replacing the gym floor, summer is your best option.
Depending on the extent of the damage, your floor may be sanded down and refinished, to replenish that shine. Sadly, hardwood flooring can only handle, at most, one or two sandings before the entire floor needs to be replaced, but if your floor is fairly new, you may be able to renovate the gym with just a simple sanding down and re-sealing. In certain cases, if the damage is in a particular area of the floor that can be spot repaired, you can manage the renovation is to a smaller scale. This is a rarity, but a professional hardwood flooring installer can tell you for sure.
If your floor has been sanded several times or has irreparable damage, your best option is to replace the entire floor. Sanding consists of sanding off the scratches, buff them out and reapplying the sealant. Sandings are often cheaper than complete replacements, but if your budget allows and the gym needs it, it is probably wise to replace the floor, to prevent injuries.
If you are in need of repair or replacement, it is always best to seek out a hardwood flooring company with a strong track record. You want a dependable, professional team to get your gym flooring done properly, so ask around to other schools that have recently replaced their floors and get their advice. This floor will be utilized by children, so you want to make sure that a new installation is handled by trained professionals that can properly install a hardwood floor.
PJ Hart is the owner of Atlanta Hardwood Flooring, a hardwood flooring installation and refinishing company. PJ Hart was the first contractor in the state of Georgia to become certified by the NWFA. Atlanta Hardwood Flooring specializes in site-finished hardwood installation and high quality hardwood floor refinishing in Atlanta. Learn more about Atlanta hardwoods at http://www.atlantahardwoodflooring.com/
