RUBBER FLOORING: Benefits & Maintenance


When choosing rubber flooring, it’s important to know the differences between recycled and vulcanized rubber floorings.


by Latasha Pittman W


ITH SO MANY areas in an ice arena that need to be maintained, the flooring


should be the least of your worries. Te continuous traffic found in a typical arena makes it almost impossible to have down time — a closed floor represents lost revenues.


To provide maximum productivity,


the flooring should be easy to maintain and highly durable. Many ice arenas have installed rubber flooring for its considerable benefits.


Te most important factors to consider when choosing rubber flooring include:


• Durability • Dent resistance • Skate resistance • Nonporous surface • Number of seams required • Class 1 fire rating • Maintenance requirements


In selecting rubber flooring, it is


important to understand that differences exist between recycled rubber flooring and vulcanized rubber flooring. Flooring


14 WINT ER 2 018


choice can dramatically affect surface maintenance and overall longevity.


A textured, nonporous surface layer


allows for greater ease of maintenance. A recycled rubber floor may not offer the ease of maintenance or lifetime durability of a vulcanized rubber floor.


In an ice arena, the areas of concern


for maintenance include entrances to the ice, team benches, locker rooms and concession areas. In these high-traffic areas near the rink, rubber flooring that is highly resistant to cutting and abrasion is essential.


Recycled rubber tends to have an


“open-cell” surface, making cleaning more difficult. Vulcanized rubber floors have a closed-cell construction and physical characteristics that are not found in recycled rubber floors, making maintenance much easier.


A vulcanized rubber floor does not


require coating or waxes to maintain the finish, whereas a recycled rubber floor may require finishes and more maintenance time. A typical vulcanized


In high-traffic areas near the rink, rubber flooring that is highly resistant to cutting and abrasion is essential.


rubber floor can be simply maintained with a low pH cleaner and water. Greater ease of maintenance translates into superior lifecycle costs.


Maintenance is a huge factor in areas


subjected to moisture and humidity, such as locker rooms. One solution is interlocking rubber flooring tiles, which do not require a glue-down installation and can be removed as needed.


However, bacteria and water can be


harbored between the seams. On the other hand, a glued-down installation minimizes bacteria growth and lingering odors.


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