Maintaining wooden court surfaces is essential to ensure safe play and the longevity of the surface.
Be sure you understand how your maintenance staff is handling this important task, and emphasize the importance of following best practices in maintenance for your specific surface.
Problem:
Is your athletic floor cupped, creating a ripple-like appearance across the floor, with the finish peeling?
Read on to find out how one team solved this problem.
During a recent sport floor inspection, a team identified significant cupping across the floor.
They discovered that the wood moisture content of the maple was 6% lower than the wood moisture content of the plywood subfloor, which caused the floor to ripple and the finish to peel.
When interviewing the facility’s maintenance personnel, the team learned that the floor was being power scrubbed twice a week. It turned out that the facility team had been approached by a salesman representing a power scrubber company shortly after the floor’s installation. He erroneously said that the scrubber would not negatively impact the floor.
Further investigation uncovered another issue: They were using the machine on concrete hallways and classrooms, as well as the gym floor.
Solution:
Once the facility stopped using wet cleaning methods and began to follow maintenance recommendations, the floor relaxed and the cupping eventually disappeared.
When the floor returned to equilibrium and the subfloor returned to an acceptable range compared to the maple surface, the floor was abraded, and an annual maintenance finish coat was applied.
Problem resolved!
For More Information
Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association
888-480-9138
www.maplefloor.org/en/daily-floor-care/