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Advertising supplement provided MFMA

Surface protection

Floor covers are not always needed in multipurpose rooms but they offer an extra layer of protection and helps to keep your multipurpose maple floor looking its best. Several manufacturers produce gymnasium floor covers for that extra protection and they come in a range of styles and thicknesses. The differences among covers include thickness of the vinyl wear coating and the strength of the fabric core. When evaluating a cover for durability, remember that the more durable covers have thicker coatings. Covers with higher strength core fabric will resist more abuse and tearing.

Specifiying a maple sports flooring surface

There are three types of wood flooring that are considered MFMA products: Northern hard maple (Acer saccharum), American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis). These species of MFMA Products produced by MFMA manufacturers are available in three basic configurations: random-length strip, finger-jointed strip, and parquet. Each of these surface materials can be installed in a single direction, and parquet can be laid in patterns such as a checkerboard, chevron, etc. Here are basic descriptions of each type of flooring:

Random-Length Strip — Consists of individual pieces of flooring, typically 11/2 inches or 21/4 inches wide, with lengths between 9 inches and 8 feet. The most common thickness specified is 25/32 inches, but 33/32 inches thick random-length strip flooring is also available. This surface material is installed like a horizontal brick wall, with each piece being overlapped with adjacent pieces and fastened into the subfloor with cleats, staples or steel clips, depending on the subfloor chosen for the project.

Finger-Jointed Strip — A number of random-length strip segments joined together at the manufacturing plant to form a consistent length board typically 11/2 inches or 21/4 inches wide. The most common thickness specified is 25/32 inches, but 33/32 inches thick finger-jointed strip flooring is also available. This surface material is also installed like a horizontal brick wall, with each consistent-length board being overlapped with adjacent boards and fastened into the subfloor with cleats, staples or steel clips, depending on the subfloor chosen for the project.

Parquet — Hard maple parquet flooring is manufactured in square and rectangular panels in a variety of dimensions. Individual picket widths range from 7/8 inch to 11/8 inches, and picket lengths range from 51/2 inches to 12 inches. Minimum thickness of MFMA parquet flooring is 5/16 inch. Individual pickets are assembled into panels and either joined together by wire, mesh, or tape on the back of the panel, or paperface on the front (or surface) of the panel. Parquet flooring is typically installed directly to the concrete substrate using adhesive/mastic, or over subfloor systems that contain continuous subfloors (plywood or similar).