STM Sprung Floors
Floating Sprung Floors & solutions by STM Studio Supplies
Concrete floors and other solid surfaces are the mortal enemies of the dancer and dance teacher. Which is why we push for all studios to have a sprung floor.
With no resilience or shock absorption; they are an invitation to ankle, knee and hip injury and can permanently damage growing bodies.
Correct shock absorption reduces fatigue and significantly reduces the potential for shin splints and other common injuries. It reduces the strain that comes with turning and pivoting movements, and, with the correct top layer, increases foot stability & reduces rolling.
STM Studio Supplies has been developing, testing and gathering feedback from all sources to be able to present the most cost-effective sprung flooring system in Australia.
We have devised a system that reduces your financial outlay whilst still providing your dancers and teachers an appropriate and safe dance surface.
We start with a layer of builders plastic as a moisture barrier
Followed by a skirting of perimeter battens
EVA pads fixed to 15mm flooring grade ply
Lay 15mm flooring grade ply on the floor
We then lay 4.75mm MDF/HDF/Masonite followed by a dance floor vinyl
This is advisable if you are renting your studio and might need to move premises in the future and if you are not performing Tap, Flamenco, Irish or other hard shoe styles.
You can also use Juju® Stage & Studio Performance Floor Paint which is an industrial coating that we have adapted to resemble that of dance floor vinyl by adjusting the slip factor.
If you are renting your studio and might need to move premises in the future and if you are not performing Tap, Flamenco, Irish or other hard shoe styles it is advisable to limit the fixing of the secondary layer by using pressure sensitive adhesives such as used on carpet tiles and less fixings combined with a semi-permanent vinyl installation.
For a permanently laid dance floor it is advisable to screw fix 9.5mm Weathertex Brown Board when painting, or Engineered Hardboard HDF or Masonite underlay in place of the MDF. These should be adhered and fixed with 22mm staples or ring shanked nails according to, and then sanded and feather finished prior to vinyl being laid.
In Northern Queensland and similar tropical regions it is desirable to use a less moisture affected secondary layer such as Luan ply. Similar preparation to the above can then be applied.
We supply a number of dance floor vinyls suitable for all styles of dance or movement. Please request our Vinyl Quick Reference Guide