Dance Studio Flooring Guide: Creating the Perfect Stage For Dancers
Flooring is a crucial component in any dance studio. It is important for every studio to provide the safest flooring available for their dancers to reduce the risk of injuries. It is also important that the floor performs in a way that enhances the performance. This article will serve as a guide for people who are looking to choose and maintain the best flooring for their dance studio. It is important when looking at these to know the different criteria that make a good versus a poor dance floor.
What Are Dance Studio Floors Made Of?
There are many different types of dance flooring. There are two types of dance flooring components that are important to be aware of when selecting the dance floor: the subfloor and the finished floor.
For the subfloor, there are a wide variety of options available that provide different levels of resilience depending on how you want the floor to perform. Subfloor construction ranges from a basket weave system to a padded panel system to a pad only system. Depending on the style of dance that you intend to do as well as the type of finish for each one of these, or a combination of the three might be appropriate. For you. It’s important to consult a dance flooring professional when selecting the appropriate sub floor.
For the finished floor there are also a wide variety of options available. The most commonly used types are vinyl or Marley, wood or synthetic flooring. There are costs and benefits to each type of finished floor. Consult with a flooring professional to determine which type of finished floor is best for your use. The type of use of the floor as well as facility limitations ultimately will determine what type of finished floor you should select.
What Are the Best Flooring Options for Dance Studios?
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood flooring as an option for a dance studio is one of the most traditional looks. In addition to being classic, it is also one of the most durable options. Wood flooring, if properly maintained, can be used for decades for the same purpose. Very other few types of finished flooring can claim this type of longevity. Even though a wood floor does require the facility to be shut down during maintenance comma the overall life cycle costs tend to be cheaper with wood because they last much longer than most any other finished floor.
Marley Floors
Marley floors have emerged as the modern standard for a lot of dance for uses. Marley allows for many different types of dances to be performed in the same location. It also provides a consistent play surface so that players and dancers are comfortable from one facility to the next. The non slip surface and easy maintenance that come with the use of traditional Marley are things that both dancers and facility maintenance teams are used to dealing with regularly. Comma the ability to repair or replace sections of damaged marley makes it an appealing choice for the finished floor period it allows facilities to repair and replace as needed while keeping the facility in use.
Vinyl Floors
Budget is a concern, vinyl dance floors are often the solution. Vinyl floors offer a cushion backing that provides soft finished flooring for dancers, but they tend to be less durable than the other finished floors in this category. You know, these floors may be more inexpensive to install upfront, the life cycle cost tends to be far higher with traditional cushion backed vinyl floors than just about anything else, because of their need for repair / replacement over time. For a short term lease situation or for a studio that is looking to put in their first floor on a budget, Vinyl can be a great solution. It offers great comfort for the dancers at a low cost, which is one of its best qualities.
Maintenance and Care Tips for Dance Studio Flooring
Maintenance is a critical component for any floor, especially for dance floors. The quality of the maintenance of any floor ultimately determines how long that floor will last and how long it will perform as it was originally intended. Poor maintenance, overtime, will cause any floor to fall short of its performance expectations. Conversely, proper maintenance done at the proper time will extend the life of any floor and ensure it performs as intended for as long as possible.
It is important to remove dust and debris from the floor every day. It is also important to avoid the presence of moisture, whether from spills or from sweat or any other liquid on the floor, for any prolonged amount of time. These two items alone will save untold amounts of money in the long term in repairs and replacement costs.
It’s important to use proper maintenance chemicals if a floor is to be cleaned. Damage can occur with the use of materials that are not approved by the flooring manufacturer. It is important to consult with a flooring professional about the proper maintenance routine that you should be following for your floor.
It is also a good idea to have a protection plan in place for when the dance floor is used for something other than dance purposes. Oftentimes facilities are rented out to other groups. Or even the dance group itself has other activities going on. It is critical during these times that the dance floor be protected with the proper protection. To come up with a maintenance plan, please reach out to a flooring professional who can assist you in developing one.
Installation Process of Dance Studio Flooring
Dance floor installations vary depending on the type of subfloor and type of finished floor that are selected for the dance floor construction. What is critical, regardless of the type of flooring going on top is the condition of the existing substrate. Whether it is plywood or concrete, the condition of the existing floor is critical in determining the quality of the floor that goes on top.
Generally speaking, however, the sub floor construction is completed first. Depending on its construction, the sub floor could be as simple as padding or as complicated as a basket weave sleeper system, or anything in between. The key component when selecting any sub floor for a dance floor is consistency of performance. You want to ensure that every part of the dance floor will perform the same as every other part of the dance floor. Consistency is not just important for performance, but also for player safety, and sub floor construction plays a critical part in making sure that it is addressed.
Equally as important as the subfloor is the finished floor for your dance floor. Depending on the type of finished floor that you select, installation will take a many different approaches. In each case though, the most important thing is that the finished floor be consistent. The consistency is not just important for performance but also for safety. Just as with the sub floor, the finished floor must be consistent so that the players have an expectation of consistent movement as they use the floor to dance.
It is for all of these reasons that we highly recommend the use of a flooring professional when selecting your dance floor. There is a lot of science that goes into the manufacturing and engineering of the different dance floor types. It is important to make sure that the person installing your floor as well as the manufacturer of your floor both have taken into account player safety and performance. It is also important for maintenance to make sure that you are following the guidelines issued by the manufacturer for your floor.
Receive Professional Dance Studio Flooring From Endurance Today!
The Professionals and Endurance Flooring have been working on performing arts flooring for years and partner with the best in the business. Endurance only uses the highest quality manufacturers to ensure that each of the products selected is a product suitable for the performance of a dance floor. Similarly, Endurance only uses qualified professionals to install any dance floor or any performing arts floor. Installation is a key component to ensure quality is maintained as it was intended from the manufacturer. Reach out to Endurance today for your free quote on your customized solution for your dance floor needs.