BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT Sports flooring - wood or vinyl?
initially asked for a vinyl floor hall but changed their preference to a Junckers area elastic hardwood system after exploring their options with one of Junckers’ experienced sales representatives. A solid wood floor outlasts any other surface in a sports hall as it can be sanded and re-finished eight to ten times without losing any of its performance qualities. With 12-year intervals between sandings, a typical lifespan of 60 years will comfortably be exceeded, a claim that probably no other type of sports floor can match. Compared with a typical 15-year life of a synthetic or “engineered” floor there really is no comparison in terms of life cycle cost.
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n the coming year, many schools will be applying for funding from the Education and
Skills Funding Agency to improve their sports facilities. Funding will be distributed through the Government’s Priority School Building Programme. With the ESFA’s new design standards for schools coming into effect, the rules for specifying floors for sports and multi-purpose halls have changed. The ESFA’s previous recommendation for point
elastic floors has been updated to the superior A3 and A4 category area elastic surfaces. A floor’s elasticity refers to how it handles impact. With an area elastic floor an impact force causes the floor to deflect over a relatively large area around the impact point. With a point elastic floor, the point force causes deflection only at or close to the impact point. The latter has been deemed less safe and is therefore not recommended by Sport England. This has resulted in the ESFA changing its design standards. The elasticity of a floor is mainly provided by
the sub-floor system. A well-designed area elastic floor will provide a safe surface for sports and multi-purpose use, with protection against injury, freedom of movement and optimal sports performance. Unlike some point elastic surfaces, an area elastic floor will not "trap" the foot or cause excessive drag- something that can result in sprains and tendon injuries. The optimum type of area elastic system will often have a solid hardwood surface, because of the performance it offers, its longevity and ease of maintenance. A typical point elastic floor will usually be sheet vinyl laid directly to a screed. An area elastic floor
October 2018
has a high level of shock absorption and vertical deformation to minimise risk of injuries. It also gives good ball control; the correct surface friction, and the ability to withstand rolling loads such as trolleys and retractable seating. Hardwood Area Elastic floors are also extremely durable, being suitable for truly multi-purpose events such as exams, social events, performances and exhibitions. In light of ESFA’s new design rules, Junckers
has recently developed a range of vinyl sports and activity floors, based upon the established success of its undercarriage systems. Junckers made the decision to launch its new product range after discovering that clients had only a very limited range of options available to them. With an established high-performance product, Junckers is able to offer clients and developers a range of floor systems that is a step up from those currently on the market. For many schools, solid hardwood will be the
best option because of its unbeatable life cycle costs, which is always a high priority for sports halls in the education sector. Junckers solid hardwood floors have proven and certified environmental credentials, high durability, ease of repair and versatility. However, some customers prefer vinyl floors, and this may be based upon their wish to remain with something familiar. For these clients Junckers is now offering vinyl sports floor systems, but with the benefit of Junckers experience in "sprung" batten undercarriage systems. In offering the two different finishes, Junckers has come across several instances where schools
To find out more, please contact Junckers: uTel 01376 534 700 uemail
enquiries@junckers.co.uk
www.education-today.co.uk 37
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