Gymnasium Floors

We specialize in quality gym floor refinishing.

Richey Hardwood Floors is the trusted authority on hardwood gym floor refinishing projects across Fort Smith, eastern Oklahoma and the surrounding area. You can see our sports flooring handiwork at Southside, Northside, Kimmons, Chaffin, Ramsey, Darby, Fort Chaffee, Alma, Van Buren, Greenwood, Hackett, Lavaca, Roland, Subiaco and many other area schools. Chances are, if the school is located in the Fort Smith region, we have either constructed or repaired its gym floor.

In fact, we have completed so many court projects that we specialize in refinishing athletic flooring surfaces across the region these days. Our professionally trained staff has repaired and installed floors for racquetball, basketball and volleyball court use across five states. Currently, professionally refinishing gym floors makes up one-third of our business, and we don’t limit our work to schools. Any athletic floor at universities, churches, recreation centers and health clubs also needs regular maintenance.

Why do gym floors need to be refinished?

Gym floors need to be more durable than residential ones. Playing surfaces for sports take more of a pounding and regular, heavy traffic. They are built to withstand that wear, but also require annual refinishing to keep the flooring in peak shape and appearance. It’s simply part of the normal maintenance of a quality athletic facility’s upkeep.

Annual recoating brings back the court’s gloss and allows players to get better traction. If athletes are slipping on the gym floor, it likely needs to be refinished. A quality refinishing job creates a uniform playing surface, allowing athletes better performance, comfort and safety while on the court. We offer both oil-based and water-based finish options and complete most recoating jobs in one day, although larger floors may take two days. Oil-based finishes are typically more durable, but they often have a lingering odor and can yellow the flooring and line markings over time. Water-based finishes dry clearer and more quickly than oil-based varieties.

Does your gym floor need more than a simple resurfacing?

Richey Hardwood Floors is still the professional team to call for quality, durability and affordability. We will replace all the way down to the subflooring if necessary. Quality subflooring helps extend the life of the floor by drawing moisture away and preventing mold and warping. Maple is the most common wood used in gymnasium floors. Maple has no grain, which allows players to make 100 percent contact between their shoes and the playing surface. Maple also offers a good color and doesn’t lend itself to becoming brittle with age like some other woods.

Next, the floor needs to be sanded and sealed. Then any lines, logos or other decorations are painted on the flooring in the repaired area. All line measurements and specifications come directly from the MFMA (Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association) to ensure they are consistent. Then lastly, the finish gets applied.