May is always a big month in the leisure sector. It starts (and sometimes ends) with a bank holiday, it occurs at a time of year when the days start to get very long and light, attracting more people outside, and it is the time when the football and rugby seasons end.
All of this means that while some people’s leisure activities become more frequent, there are some settings where this month marks the end of several months of busy activity and the start of a break before it all gets busy again in August.
For those who fall in the latter category, now is the time to plan for the summer break, making the most of an opportunity when buildings are relatively idle to carry out important maintenance, repairs and redecoration. That process may also include laying new flooring.
Why Laminate Is Ideal
Laminate flooring is one of the best choices for a leisure venue, because the floor needs to be very hard-wearing for all kinds of reasons.
Buildings such as sporting clubhouses need to have areas where players can walk into from outside, which means they not only need to be hard-wearing to deal with a high volume of footfall, but also people whose clothing and footwear are wet and footwear with studs in.
The latter will be as true come September with cricket boots as it is for football boots now. That will be a time for those clubs to make their off-season maintenance plans.
We have several products in our range that meet these requirements, while still providing attractive flooring that will make any room a pleasant one to walk into.
Our Top Laminate Floors For Leisure
For example, there is the Lifestyle Floors Chelsea Laminate Plank, measuring 8mm thick and measuring 1261 x 192 mm, with an embossed wood style resembling traditional oak. This might even be laid down in a building that once had a real oak floor.
This comes with 4V bevels and a wear rating of 32 and click installation. It is suitable for underfloor heating, which might not be needed if you decide to fit it in a cricket club at the end of the current season, but will be invaluable in a football or rugby club when the sun and warmth of May or August is a fading memory on a frigid winter’s day.
It also has a commercial warranty of five years, while in a domestic setting, this would be 25, reflecting just how much more foot traffic floors in commercial or public leisure settings will get.
A second option is the Quick Step Pack Impressive Ultra 12 mm 4 groove laminate planks. These have a particularly valuable use in a setting with wet rooms as they are waterproof, making them perfect for settings such as a leisure centre with a pool. They are also compatible with underfloor heating.
The bevels and the wood look are both highly authentic, and you can choose from a wide selection of around 20 designs, varying from white to black ‘burned planks’, as well as various blonde, brown and grey shades, each coming with a realistic wood veneer. Measuring 1380 x190 mm and 12 mm thick, these planks are assembled in uniclic fashion.
All-Purpose Flooring Matters
These options provide the very best that laminate flooring can offer in leisure facilities. They cover a range of different scenarios, whether it is someone walking in wet bare feet after leaving a swimming pool, dripping sweat following a gym session, trudging across it in sports footwear, or simply using the floor regularly for social activities.
Indeed, these challenges can range from the studs of a footballer or high heels of a bridesmaid when the rooms are used for a wedding reception, getting wet, spattered with mud, having food and drinks spilled on them, or simply undergoing the regular footfall of hundreds of visitors and staff. In all these ways, such floors will take a pounding.
However, laminate is defined by its capacity to deal with wear and tear. In the home, it is well suited to kitchens and bathrooms because of its water resistance, or in hallways, as this is where shoes are still on when the heavy-footed wearers return home.
It also withstands scratches easily, whether from pets, kids’ play, or the cricket bat hurled in anger when the disappointed batsman returns to the pavilion (obviously, we cannot vouch for the state of the bat, or indeed whether he really was out).
Given the range of different uses a leisure facility may be put to, only high-quality laminate will do, ensuring that for years to come you have an all-purpose floor that looks great while doing a superb job.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the CVT Direct team via our Contact Us page or give us a ring on 0345 121 1234.
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