Even if you are meticulous in properly maintaining your floor, gym floors need to be refinished every 8 to 10 years. There are a lot of different terms used to describe this process: sand, refinish, resurface, etc. They all involve the same process of sanding the floor down to the bare wood and applying seal, paint, and finish, and they all restore the luster of the older wood floor surface. They are also essential to ensure the long life and performance of your gym floor. Not to mention, it is a great time to rebrand a gym floor’s image with new logos or a new floor layout!
A complete refinish involves sanding all of the gamelines and finishing off the floor down to the raw wood. At this point, any boards or subfloor that are damaged can be repaired or replaced. Then the floor will be refinished with a ride-on sanding machine, with a minimum of three cuts using coarse, medium and fine sandpapers. All sanding dust and grit should be removed before applying the seal and finish.
After the floor has been properly sanded, two coats of MFMA-approved seal should be applied, and the floor should be screened between each coat. Now, the floor is ready to be painted or stained. Here at Sports Floors, we have an in-house artist who works with our clients to design a floor that both meets their needs while being aesthetically pleasing.
Once the paint is dry, the floors should be tacked with a rag again, and then two coats of finish should be applied. The floor should be closed off from traffic and air currents that could carry dust and dirt until the finish is completely dry. The temperature should be maintained at approximately 65°F in order to facilitate proper drying and curing for the seal, paint, and finish.
Always remember: NEVER use tape on a wood gym floor!