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FITNESS, RECREATIONAL FACILITY AND PARKS & RECRATION WEB MAGAZINE
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Introduction
This
article will concentrate on flooring for athletic school, gymnasiums
and the replacement of existing gymnasium floors in schools, not
furnished with a hardwood floor.
Background
Hardwood
floors have been the primary installation in secondary schools,
constructed by the Board. This floor is the most expensive type
of floor available and is generally preferred by physical education
instructors. Hardwood floors are designed with an intricate sub-flooring,
to provide for shock absorption, while the athlete is running
or jumping. The floor must be kept clean and free of dust at all
times, to provide proper traction for the athlete. Use of the
gymnasium must also be carefully monitored and only participants
with the proper footwear should be allowed on the floor.
After
approximately two and a half years of use, hardwood floors required
sanding down, repainting of gamelines, and the whole surface refinished,
at a cost of approximately $12,000.00. In contrast, an alternate
sports floor could last up to 20 years, requiring regular cleaning
and except for minor line painting, no major maintenance overhauls.
Many
athletic facilities currently have either a barwood floor or a
standard vinyl tile floor. The barwood floor is a concrete composite
floor which is a very hard surface and is no longer available.
Vinyl tile floors have a life expectancy of approximately 10 to
15 years, but begins to look very shabby after the first few years,
as individual tiles are damaged and replaced by ones which never
seem to match the original tiles. Vinyl tile floors are also very
hard and have very poor absorption qualities, which can result
in sports injuries to the athletes. Large water spills or high
humidity, can cause pooling of water on the floor, and results
in lifting tiles and the need to replace the floor prematurely.
Unlike other sports surfaces, which require only washing and damp
mopping, a vinyl tile floor must be stripped, sealed, and waxed
at least three times a year and damp mopped regularly. Negative
experiences with vinyl tile floors has prompted many building
and plant departments to investigate alternate floor coverings
for gymnasiums.
This
chart indicates that when maintenance costs are applied to the
initial cost and divided out by the life expectancy of the floor.
Cost comparative chart for a gymnasium of 5,000 sq. ft:
EXPLANATION
OF CHART
Life
expectancy is based on actual knowledge of vinyl tile floors in
the system. A 20-year life expectancy was used as the figure for
the synthetic floor, while wood floors can be expected to last
the life of the school, unless they are not maintained or the
floor is flooded.
Approximate
initial cost is based on $3.00 per square foot for vinyl tile,
$8.00 per square foot for synthetic, and $13.00 per square foot
for a wood floor. Initial cost/life expectancy provides a cost
per year figure for equal comparison. Maintenance cost/year is
the cost of maintaining the floor above and beyond regular scheduled
cleaning.
Vinyl
tile floors must be stripped, sealed, and waxed three times a
year, resulting in approximately 48 man hours at $20.00 per hour
= $960.00 per year, plus $250.00 per year for materials such as
stripper, sealer, and wax for a total cost of $1,210.00 per year.
Maintenance repair costs for tile replacements are not include.
Synthetic
surfaces require only regular cleaning, but may require line repainting
or touch-up every five years at approximately $1,000.00 per year
per five years = $200.00 per year.
Wood
floors also only require regular cleaning, but must be sanded
down, lines repainted, and the floor refinished approximately
every three years at a cost of approximately $8,000.00 per three
years = $2,666.00 Per year.
Total
cost/year is the initial cost and the maintenance cost divided
out on a per year basis.
Financing
cost on the incremental capital cost has not been included in
this report. Also, the cost associated with providing a safer
and superior playing surface for the Physical Education Program
is not included.
CONCLUSIONS
The
cost comparative chart illustrates that a synthetic flooring system
can be a cost effective alternative to vinyl tile flooring. The
gymnasiums size will also have an impact on costs, as a larger
school gymnasiums and will likely attract more after hours use
than a smaller gymnasiums. This increased use will increase the
cost of maintaining a vinyl tile floor in those facilities.
William
Bishop is an associate writer with Cornerstones Magazine. Research
for this article supplied by Taraflex Sports Flooring.
THE
SANDFORD GROUP 1997