Project Considerations
What to Consider:
When considering which flooring system is best suited for your installation, it is important to consider different attributes of each system. These system characteristics will help you decide which system is best for the installation and may eliminate some choices.
Always consider the following characteristics: cost, appearance, elevation requirements, end uses for the facility, and performance characteristics of the floor. Here are some quick pointers for each:
Cost
Cost should be viewed in two ways: installed cost and life cycle cost. If compared solely by installed cost, wood athletic flooring can be more expensive than synthetic materials. However, wood athletic flooring systems are less expensive to maintain and last considerably longer than their synthetic counterparts.
The cost of MFMA maple floors varies from manufacturer to manufacturer depending on the subfloor system selected for the project, and the quality and type of surface maple specified for the installation. Most MFMA manufacturers' subfloor designs can be matched with a variety of MFMA maple surface materials to meet your project's budget.
Appearance (Aesthetics)
Appearance is a subjective specifying consideration. All MFMA maple floors will have different aesthetics based on the type of flooring specified (strip, finger jointed strip, parquet), the MFMA grade of flooring specified (First, Second and Better, Third and Better, Third Grade, or Utility Grade), the selection of game line paints and color schemes, and the type of finish you specify for the installation. Your client may desire a basketball court that looks like the Boston Celtics' patterned floor, or may want the look of a strip floor.
When specifying MFMA maple sports flooring, be sure to ask your client what they expect the flooring to look like when it is installed. This will help you to recommend the appropriate maple surfacing materials as well as properly choose paints and finishes to give your project the desired finished appearance. Remember, grading of maple flooring products affects aesthetics, not performance.
Slab Depression/Floor Elevation Requirements
This is an extremely important specifying consideration on a retrofit project. Some subfloor designs are low-profile, while others are higher profile. Be advised: sports flooring system profiles are not necessarily an indication of surface performance characteristics. MFMA manufacturers can provide you with slab depression requirements for all of their subfloor systems.
When specifying sports flooring in a new installation, consult with MFMA manufacturers to obtain the proper slab depression measurements for the system(s) you are considering for the project.