FAQ & Releted Reading

Today's sports world is full of turnover. Accurately calculating the lifecycle cost of your sports surface depends on a combination of factors, including investment in installation and maintenance

Accurately calculating the life cycle cost of a sports floor becomes an important part of the product selection process. We know that operators of all types of sports and recreational facilities, from professional gymnasiums to collegiate stadiums, ask the question: "How much is this going to cost me in the long run?

Installation Costs

Suspended Parquet Flooring

It's popular for its quick installation, very low maintenance and ability to withstand harsh weather, making it ideal for use on outdoor basketball courts.

Hardwood floor

Wooden floors cost more to install than PVC sports floors, but the image of a gleaming hardwood court alone could make it the material of choice for most operators. The conventional wisdom is that if an organisation has enough money, it is likely to opt for a wooden floor.

PVC sports flooring

One of the biggest attractions of PVC sports flooring is its ability to mimic the aesthetics of a traditional hardwood court, but at a much lower price.

However, it's worth noting that the cost of each layer of flooring will eventually equalise over its lifetime, taking into account resurfacing and replacement. This brings us to the next factor to consider:

Maintenance

The intended use of a floor will dictate its maintenance requirements.

No one can deny the versatility of PVC sports floors. You do not need to baby a PVC sports floor as much as you would a wood floor, but it is still a floor.

For most PVC sports floors, you can use an autoscrubber or mop. This means scrubbing once a week. Quarterly or annually with a specific cleaning product.

On a wooden floor, you need to make sure you wear the right sports shoes to avoid scuff marks.

Because wood is porous and naturally absorbs and releases moisture, it requires extra care. You should never use a power scrubber on a wooden sports floor! Spills and moisture on wooden floors need to be wiped up immediately, heel marks removed and the HVAC system carefully monitored. Indoor relative humidity is between 35% and 50% all year round. Annual screening and refinishing is also required.

Life expectancy

Suspended Parquet Flooring

In general, it should be resurfaced approximately every 5 years. If your court gets a lot of use, such as on a college campus, you may need to resurface sooner, or you can extend the time frame if the court has only a few people shooting baskets.

PVC sports floors can last between 8 and 10 years. With proper maintenance, PVC sports floors can last up to 15 years.

Stands by the industry life expectancy standard of 40-60 years for solid wood sports floors.

Roughly once every 7-10 years, a maple sports floor will need to be sanded. This involves stripping the floor down to bare wood and adding new game lines and logos before sealing and finish.

It's important to bear these differences in mind when choosing between PVC sports floors and hardwood floors for your sports hall. Both are excellent options and whichever you choose will provide an excellent surface for your athletes to train and play on for years to come.