Gym floor covers can either be a carpet-based protection system or a large plastic
tarp, similar to a painters tarp, usually divided into equal sections wide each to cover up the entire
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
floor. Gym floor covers are available in roll or tile systems. These covers are often used in large venues designed for athletic events when non-athletic events are being held there such as receptions, award ceremonies, indoor track meets, gymnastic events and graduations.
History
Gym floor covers are employed to prevent floor damage and improve safety, allowing for sports venues to be used for other purposes. Covers are used to prevent
slip and fall accidents, while protecting underlying hardwood floors from foot traffic damage and heavy furniture scratches and dents. The newer carpet topcloth systems also improve acoustics in the gymnasium.
The first plastic tarp gym floor cover was invented and manufactured b
Covermaster Inc.in 1969. In 2017 Facility Armor, LLC answered environmental concerns by introducing the newest 100% recycled polyester top cloth gym floor covers made completely from recycled plastic water bottles, reusing approximately 7000 water bottles for every 10,000 sq. ft produced . The best plastic tarp gym floor covers today are made of single-layer woven polyester and the newest
polymer
A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part")
is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
materials made via the knife-coating process, which enables dyes to be deposited deep into the core of the
PVC material and prevent peeling of the layers - a side effect of
extrusion
Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex c ...
coating or
lamination process..
Modern gym floor covers are manufactured with a variety of colors, anti-slip surfaces, and weights ranging from . Custom sizing is available with most products. The following technical characteristics are used to describe and classify the covers: filament size, weave count, total weight, core weight, tear strength, tensile strength,
adhesion
Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another ( cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles/surfaces to cling to one another).
The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can ...
,
coefficient of friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:
*Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...
, slip resistance,
hydrostatic resistance, fire resistance and others.
Usage
There are several common ways to install floor coverings. For the tarp method, each section is laid down to slightly overlap adjacent sections and then secured with special adhesive tape. This fastens the individual segments together into a cohesive unit. The carpet method, by contrast, affixes the segments to the floor via reusable velcro straps. Newer tile systems allow more flexibility in installation and do not require adhesive or velcro tape, but are much more labor intensive for larger floors.
Installing and deploying large covers can be a labor-intensive task. The most efficient way involves rolling and unrolling each section separately, and storing them on the gym floor cover storage system (rack) in a rolled up state to prevent creases and dust accumulation. Advances in the newer Protex GymPro products allow for smaller storage racks, while the newer tile systems are stacked on compact platform trucks for storage and transport. Dual cleaning brush assemblies (to remove debris) and electric power winders (to reduce manual labor during cover removal) are normally used to efficiently maintain the covers. Carpet based gym covers are best cleaned using more traditional carpet cleaning techniques.
Plastic tarp gym floor covers have a typical lifetime of 10–15 years. Carpet-based covers have a lifetime of 15–20+ years.
References
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See also
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Gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
*
Flooring
Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface ...
*
Plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adapta ...
*
Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
Floors
Sports equipment