Flooring Fit for the Olympics

With the 2016 Olympics sprinting full speed ahead, and almost straight after the euros, fitness and sport is absorbing the minds of viewers all over the world.

Whilst spectators across the globe are in awe of the record breaking athletes, we forget that the stadiums, pools, and arenas have been years in the making.

Despite reported issues across the Olympic park – did you see the green diving pool? – the planning and implementation of the correct flooring has been key. And, whilst the majority of us will never make it as Olympic medallists the country has seen a gym membership increase of 5.8% throughout 2015. This now means that 13.7% of the population are registered members of a gym or health facility.

It is therefore critical to ensure that sport arenas are fitted with top quality flooring that offer the proper amount of durability, safety features and aesthetic properties. Take our advice when we say it is incredibly important to look at all of your options when choosing flooring for your commercial leisure centre. To get started, we’ve pulled together some advice and ideas to help you get your venue in top condition this summer:

For The Water Bugs

Centre’s with facilities involving wet flooring such as spas, gyms and leisure centres carry folders worth of risk assessments and health & safety regulations to ensure the utmost protection in a potentially risky environment. Slip accidents can be a common occurrence (and a huge liability) for owners of a swimming venue which is why it is imperative that the flooring is not only safe for the consumer, but defensible against the law.

The most important points to note in regards to your poolside flooring are its durability, anti-slip properties, and water tolerance, alongside other favourable benefits such as aesthetics and ease of maintenance.

Polypropylene tiles are often one of the most popular choices for poolside flooring thanks to its antibacterial features, non-slip surface and ability to fit in with the aesthetics of the room.

Many commercial swimming venues opt for pool mats which are not only excellent for safety purposes and drainage, but they will help protect your floors making their lifespan even longer.

For The Gym Fanatics

With 1 in every 8 people in the UK owning a gym membership in 2015 gym facilities are without a doubt one of the most popular sporting venues. With 6,312 fitness facilities across the country, the fitness industry is becoming a larger and more competitive market.

With all of the heavy machinery, footfall, and constant movement (and dropping!) of weights, an impact absorbent, scratch resistant, and durable floor should be at the very top of the list. With this in mind, sprung floors are commonly used for this purpose as they absorb shock and lower the impact levels. In addition both rubber and vinyl flooring are common options for such facilities.

Following the increase in memberships and rise in available facilities the fitness industry is very competitive. And whilst the gym equipment itself is a crucial decision factor, aesthetics will undoubtedly play a key role.

For aesthetic purposes, particularly in a gym hall, many people opt for vinyl flooring due to the ability to have personalised designs such as team logos, names and images incorporated.

For The Dancing Queens

Whether your members incline towards Jive, Ballet or the classic Rumba, it is vital that they can practice on top of the range flooring which, not only looks great, but supports comfort and safety. The need for a sturdy, clean base to practice rigorous routines and training regimes is fundamental to avoid injury and unnecessary accidents for dancers.

Similar to multipurpose gyms, dance floors are greatly benefited by sprung floors which allow for that extra bit of bounce and shock absorbency.

Vinyl is usually a popular choice for dancers – particularly ideal for contemporary, hip hop, jazz and aerobics due to the energetic nature of the dance. Vinyl can be known for reducing impact injuries and can be laid in both a permanent space  and  portable venues  and is therefore suitable for almost all occasions.

If tap, ballroom or Latin is the dance form of choice, we’d recommend hardwood. Often used to accommodate such dances, this is generally laid as a sprung floor to give it more of a softer feel and enhance performance.

What Floor Do You Need Help With?

Everyone wants a floor that not only looks great, but offers the highest level of safety precautions as well as durability.

From anti-slip safety flooring to a huge range of vinyl flooring, Rivendell are here to help you get the perfect flooring to renovate your commercial space. Give one of our dedicated team members a call on 0117 963 7979 to get a free, no obligation consultation.

Categorised in: Commercial Flooring

This post was written by Binks