The New Face of Health Club Flooring

Flooring—it seems such a basic part of a club, like bricks, like windows, barely worth discussing, but that’s hardly the case. It’s a feature that unites every area of a club, and is obliged to meet specific needs, such as aesthetics, acoustics, ease of maintenance, performance, and durability.

Cardio, strength, functional, high-intensity, and sports-performance training—each activity imposes different requirements. And as clubs evolve, and new business models emerge, and programming assumes new forms, the demands made on flooring increase.

The flush of interest in functional workouts has led suppliers to revisit every aspect of their products. Typical are Mondo’s new Zone-It and MondoTurf for training offerings.

“Zone-It takes functional training to a new level, providing superior shock-absorption and durability, and making it possible for club owners to book more individual and group sessions,” says Chad Johnson, the functional fitness sales manager for Mondo USA.

Vulcanized rubber flooring, popular in functional areas, also is an appropriate solution for cardio, weight training, and other heavy-use areas, particularly when clubs are sited in congested locations.

“Today, noise and vibration in mixed-use buildings and densely populated dwellings are a serious concern for the owners of fitness facilities, because structure-borne sound travels beyond a club’s floors and walls,” says Brennan Prins, the sales manager for SofSURFACES, Inc.

SofSURFACES’ response is duraSOUND rubber acoustic tiles, which employ a layered mass and hollow core stanchions to provide serious sound attenuation.

“Thicker flooring ... is, increasingly, being recognized as essential in free weight areas,” says Steve Chase, the president of Fitness Flooring. And operators also are seeking aesthetics.

“There’s a greater demand for something other than a black background, even though solid-color floors are more expensive.”

Luxury vinyl tiles and wood flooring are morphing in response to owners’ desire for upscale options. “Some clubs are seeking a more nontraditional look to differentiate themselves,” reports Chase. Vinyl tiles have been redesigned to mimic the characteristics of wood, while wood, for its part, is being shaped to yield a high-style cachet. “Now, designer floors are being installed in clubs that are produced using liming, rough hewing, and hand scraping,” says Chase.

Learn more about flooring on Club Business Exchange.