March Madness is an annual tournament played each spring in the United States. For those unfamiliar with the tournament, it’s when the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball teams compete. This single elimination challenge has 64 college teams playing against each other for the winning title. That’s a lot of basketball and a lot of wear and tear on the courts. So how do they, or anyone in charge of a gym, maintain a basketball court?
Gyms are used for more than basketball throughout the year and these activities can have a visible impact on your floors. There are steps you and your staff can take to maintain and enhance your gym floors.
Every day, be sure that the court is dust mopped. This can help eliminate premature wearing of the coats on the floor. When people walk on courts, they tend to drag dirt and grime in with them. They track this across the floor and it sands down the coating on the floor.
Once a week it is a good idea to use a cleaner such as Prime Time WC to clean the court. When athletes are running around, they drip sweat onto the floor, causing it to become slick, making a weekly cleaning necessary.
With basketball games come black marks, usually from visitors rather than the players. This is something that only needs attention when necessary, rather than daily or weekly. The easiest way to deal with these is to place a tennis ball on the end of a broomstick. The scuff marks should come right off.
Once a year, the MFMA (Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association) recommends recoating your floor. A product like Prime Time WF, (which is MFMA certified), is a water-based oil modified urethane wood floor finish, and is the best product to meet your recoating needs. The ideal time of year for this is during the school year, not summer as you may think. This is because schools and facilities see a lot of action during the fall and winter months. If the floor has been recoated over the summer, by midyear the floor already will show wear and tear.
How often do court graphics need to be refreshed? Because logos and styles change, changing up the look every 7-10 years is a good idea. To keep your court from looking dated, sand the logos away and you can update your team’s look.
Misco offers a variety of wood floor finishes, restorers, strippers and protectants designed to be safely used on synthetic floors. Visit our website or talk to your salesperson to find the right program for you today. Start March Madness off with right way!
