Sports flooring differs immensely from floors designed for any other purpose. Because the needs of athletes come first, performance, safety and comfort are inherent characteristics. Floor design can focus on a specific activity, say aerobics versus basketball, or on multiple purposes to suit the exact need of a facility or application: gymnasiums; handball, squash and racquetball courts; basketball courts; health and fitness clubs; international Olympic facilities; professional sports arenas; aerobic/dance exercise facilities; dance floors; auditoriums and convention centers; church and religious facilities; primary and secondary schools; colleges and universities; corporate exercise facilities; YWCA/YMCAs; family life centers; roller skating rinks; theater and performance stages; or commercial, industrial and residential applications. "We are very pleased with the athletic performance on our MFMA floors in our varsity basketball arena, intramural gym and dance studio...we have found MFMA maple to be very aesthetically pleasing." —Barbara Bickford, Associate Director of Athletics Brandeis University" Athletic performance is enhanced by its hard-but-resilient character. Subfloor systems enhance maple's natural shock absorption and area elasticity. And the surface provides dependably uniform grip and traction to athletic footwear. Safety is vastly enhanced by these same characteristics as documented in a study*** that showed that athletes were 70 percent more likely to sustain a floor-related injury on a synthetic floor than on a maple floor. Poured urethane ..................$1.10 / sq. ft. / year PVC ...................................$1.15 / sq. ft. / year Northern hard maple was first used in sports flooring nearly 150 years ago. From the beginning, it was evident, however, that even "nature's perfect flooring" needed a little help if consistently outstanding floors were to be built. Complete Grading Rules for Random Strip, Finger Jointed and Parquet flooring are published by MFMA for reference by architects and specifiers. Grading permits selection of MFMA maple flooring according to use and budget. So? What's Your Opinion on Maple vs. Synthetic's?? |