Gym floor cover

Gym floor cover is a large plastic tarp, usually divided into equal sections 10 ft. wide each to cover up the entire gym floor. Each section is installed slightly overlapping adjacent ones and secured with special adhesive tape. These covers are often used in the large venues where non-athletic events are usually held. Schools and universities use gym floor covers during graduations, concerts and ceremonies; religious organizations and places of worship use them during banquettes, fundraisers and social gatherings; and government and military institutions equip their gyms with covers in order to run events organized by Morale, Welfare and Recreation committees.

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First gym floor cover was invented and manufactured by Covermaster Inc. in 1969. Since then the quality of the materials has greatly evolved. Most manufacturers have switched from vinyl and polyethylene materials to more durable polyester fabric. The best gym floor covers today are made of single layer woven polyester and the newest polymer materials with utilization of the knife-coating process, which enables dies to be deposited deep into the core of the P.V.C. material and prevent peeling of the layers - a side-effect of extrusion coating or lamination process.  

Modern gym floor covers are manufactured with the variety of colors, anti-slip surfaces, and weights ranging from 6 to 32 ounces per square yard. The following technical characteristics are used to describe the covers: filament size, weave count, total weight, core weight, tear strength, tensile strength, adhesion, coefficient of friction, slip resistance, hydrostatic resistance, fire resistance and others.

Floor damage prevention and human safety are the primary reasons why gym floor covers are employed. Covers are used to prevent Slip and Fall accidents, while protecting underlying hardwood floor from foot traffic damage and heavy furniture scratches and dents.

Installing and deploying overly large covers can be labor intense task. The most efficient way involves rolling and unrolling each section separately, and storing them on the gym floor cover storage system (rack) in a rolled up state to prevent creases and static dust accumulation. Dual cleaning brush assemblies (to remove debris) and electric power winders (to eliminate manual labor during cover removal) are normally used to efficiently maintain the covers. Gym floor covers have a typical lifetime of 10-15 years.