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UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY CHOOSES Taraflex® SPORTS FLOORING FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE AND FAST INSTALLATION
ATLANTA, GA, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006 – Student activities continued without disruption and two gymnasia remained open while new sports flooring was installed in the popular Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building (HPER) at Utah State University, thanks to careful planning by administrators, facility managers and their flooring contractor.
Usage demand for the 50,000-square-foot facility on the main campus had increased so much that administrators determined a more versatile and durable sports flooring was necessary. They wanted to replace the aged 30-year-old maintenance intensive hardwood floor with Taraflex® Sports Flooring by Gerflor. The wood sleepers underneath the maple surface had warped and the floor had an uneven bounce and lots of squeaks.
Utah State Facility Planning Director Stanley Kane says the project was challenging because of limited time and the fact that HPER gets between 2,000 and 3,000 daily visits from the 25,000 students attending the university.
“One problem we faced was that the time between classes ending in May and summer camps beginning in June left only six weeks to re-surface or replace the entire floor system in four multipurpose gymnasium rooms and six racquetball courts,” explains Kane. “The process involved getting buy-in from the facility managers who were excited to improve the quality of the playing surface. They reviewed samples of Taraflex® Sports Flooring and liked the idea the comfort of players would be enhanced.”
As soon as the spring semester ended, Taraflex® Sport M Plus in Maple Design with blue, white, red, yellow and black game lines for basketball, volleyball, badminton and racquetball was installed throughout more than half of the building. In addition to comfort, the realistic look of the floor has already been noticed plus the fact that it reflects light better than the previous dark urethane finish. The floor is used by the men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s volleyball teams for practices, and also for intramurals, physical education classes, general recreation and summer basketball camps.
“We look forward to many years of improved game quality by all of our athletes and recreational users,” says Kane.
Prior to installing the new Taraflex® floor, the contractor screened the old urethane floor finish, glued and stapled plywood on top of the maple to reduce squeaks and provide a more even playing surface. All the plywood seams, knot holes and staple heads were covered with leveling compound to create a smooth layer which was sanded before Taraflex® Sport M Plus was put into place.
“Utah State University now has a premium ‘combi’ sports floor in its Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building,” says Stephane Leudet, Gerflor national sales manager. “With a Taraflex® surface, their students have a floor excellent to play on, easy to maintain, adaptable for almost any use and forgiving when fallen on. By leaving the
sleeper system in place from the previous wood floor, they continue to have a DIN certified floor.”
Installation was completed by Comflors of Kaysville, Utah.
Since its founding in 1888, Utah State University has evolved from a small, agricultural college to one that is nationally and internationally recognized for its intellectual and technological leadership in land, water, space, and life enhancement. As Utah's land-grant and space-grant institution, the university is led by President Stan L. Albrecht and has 850 faculty who provide education for more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students, including 7,000 in its continuing education sites located throughout the state of Utah.
Taraflex’s performance capabilities are internationally recognized. In 2005, Gerflor and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) based in Lausanne, Switzerland agreed Taraflex® will be used for every FIVB-sanctioned competition and event world-wide for four years. And, Gerflor and The ATP established a three-year partnership which designates Taraflex® as the “Official ATP Court Surface.”
Taraflex® Sport M Plus is seven-millimeters thick with an enhanced shock absorption rate of 35%. It is designed to deform only around the point of impact. With this restricted area deformation, there are no vibrations, injuries or “dead spots.” Its multilayer construction includes a 100% pure vinyl wear layer, 100% pure recycled vinyl wear layer, reinforced fiberglass grid and double density foam backing. Taraflex® floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations. Gerflor Sports Flooring, LLC is the exclusive agent for Gerflor Sports Flooring.
For more information, call 800-727-7505.