When choosing a sports floor, the list of possibilities seems endless. There are countless factors to consider—from materials and subfloor systems to lifespan, durability, sports performance, health and safety standards, and sustainability.
All things held constant, there’s one choice that rises to the top. Maple hardwood flooring is recognized as the sports floor industry’s gold standard with proven performance benefits that stand the test of time.
Measurable Performance Features
There is a reason most professional basketball courts are maple hardwood. Beyond aesthetics, maple hardwood is
flexible, durable and resilient—enhancing safety, increasing performance and reducing player fatigue.
Court surface materials have a major impact on performance factors such as shock absorption, basketball rebound, surface friction and deflection. The use of maple hardwood ensures the highest level of performance standards are met.
The MFMA provides grading standards for floor selection as well as standards for installation and maintenance. The MFMA PUR standards are recognized by the industry as the go-to resource for architects, specifiers and facility managers when choosing a sports floor.
MFMA’s PUR Standards focus on shock absorption, vertical deflection, area of deflection, ball bounce and surface friction. These standards have been designed utilizing exacting testing methodologies to ensure a reliable, well-performing, competitive sports surface.
Extended Life Span
With proper maintenance and care, a maple hardwood floor can last more than 80 years, making it the best financial and sustainable choice. If a sports floor is maintained properly by an experienced professional, the lifespan of a maple sports floor far exceeds that of any synthetic counterparts. While maple hardwoods can cost more than some synthetic options, maple’s durability and resilience make it the smarter choice over time.
Eco-Friendly & Sustainable
In the world of sports flooring, wood floors are the most environmentally friendly and sustainable option. An all-natural, plant-based product, wood is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and reusable. Unlike its synthetic counterpart, natural wood flooring can be reclaimed and used in other wood products. Moreover, there is very little waste during the production process.
The production of wood flooring does not involve the use of harmful chemicals, uses less energy and produces less waste than synthetic flooring. All byproducts resulting from hardwood floor manufacturing—from sawdust to wood chips—can be used to produce other composite materials.
Environmental responsibility has become a top priority around the globe, and the maple wood flooring industry is committed to contributing to the health of our planet. The MFMA is dedicated to preserving and protecting our forestlands while providing the highest quality, sustainably sourced maple to the sports floor industry.
Health & Safety
Maple hardwood flooring does not rely on potentially harmful chemicals, nor does its production negatively impact the environment.
Many synthetic flooring options rely on a variety of plastics, including polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which have been linked to numerous forms of cancer and other diseases. Likewise, plastic production has long been connected to environmental concerns—both the harmful chemicals they contain and their contributions to ever-expanding landfills.
Conversely, natural maple hardwood floors can contribute to improved indoor air quality. Different than synthetic alternatives, wood floors don’t harbor microorganisms or pesticides that can be tracked in from outdoors, and they minimize the accumulation of dust, mold and animal dander.
Maple flooring is made using natural wood from trees that can be regrown, and MFMA mills follow the standards for responsible forest management set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which unites individuals, businesses, governments and NGOs around the goal of protecting our forests.
Whether it’s in a high school gymnasium, a professional basketball court or a local community center, maple flooring is an integral part of our lives. MFMA is committed to providing solutions that are healthy for our communities and our planet. RM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MFMA is the leading authoritative source of information for maple sports flooring and related sports flooring systems. MFMA accomplishes its mission through the development of quality and performance standards, providing installation best practices, maintenance recommendations and educational resources. For more information, visit www.mfma.org.