Flooring for the evolving fitness facilities of the hospitality and leisure industry are in good shape. It’s an evolution that international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor have been embracing for some while.
Britain seems more aware of the need to keep fit and healthy as we see an upsurge in leisure facilities like specialist gyms, health and fitness centres, aerobic studios and new concept exercise parks in open spaces. Dedicated fitness and spa breaks are as popular as ever and many more hotels are now equipped with gym and exercise spaces as the ‘norm’. In a competitive market, these facilities help to improve the guest experience by providing an opportunity to keep on top of workouts or simply enjoy gentle exercise to enhance their stay.
Nick Egan, Technical Manager, Gerflor commented, “Gerflor as a manufacturer has more than met this challenge by providing the hospitality and leisure industry with new flooring solutions that meet the wide-ranging needs of diverse fitness facilities with differing requirements”.
Clearly flooring for the sector must be welcoming, durable and fit for purpose. And, importantly it must deliver on aesthetics in an industry where looks count, brand image is vital and keeping abreast of new trends is essential.
Nick Egan goes on to further add, “0.7mm, dry-back luxury vinyl tiles (LVTs) in plank and tile format have made significant headway over the past few years in exercise areas where they are suitable for cardio equipment like running machines. Desirable for their looks, hospitality specifiers are familiar with their performance, excellent palette of designs and colours, realistic wood and mineral effects and easy maintenance for areas as wide ranging as receptions and bedrooms. As a result, they have confidently widened their use to leisure facilities.
Nick Egan further says, “It is however, easy renovation, loose-lay floorings with innovative fibre glass grid underlay technology that are the heroes in heavy load/weight bearing spaces, as they withstand indentation and provide the necessary stability where cardiovascular and similar machines generate friction”. He goes to add, “easy to handle and install, they have convenient dovetail joints, require no adhesive and can be laid directly over new concrete subfloors of up to 92 RH, permitting equipment to be installed more quickly. They are also highly suited to many hospitality and leisure installations other than fitness applications. The effortless fitting benefits of fibre glass grid system floorings generally allows premises to remain open when a new flooring is installed”.
Another significant option for hospitality and leisure specifiers wanting exercise flooring are portable, loose-lay, rubber fitness and weight room floorings that are ideal for both permanent and temporary indoor facilities. These exercise-friendly systems provide continuous shock and sound absorbency and are highly suited to free weight areas and power decks.
Nick Egan further comments, “point elastic flooring offers comfort, safety and performance and different levels - P1, P2 & P3 - of shock absorbency with P1 being suitable for general activities and P3 being an ideal sports floor”.
However, as exercise is not confined to indoors, high performing outdoor sport tile flooring systems are the ideal solution for leisure and hospitality venues with outdoor facilities. Highly sustainable, vinyl flooring solutions have most certainly got to grips with the requirements of the hospitality and leisure industry, whether it’s design-led, luxury LVTs for where visual appearance is the priority, easy, loose-lay system floorings that don’t shut down business for renovation, specialist products for wet rooms, bathrooms and service areas, low-maintenance, hygienic, impact resistant surfaces that look good for longer and comfort and sound reducing benefits.
Nick Egan concludes by saying, “Vinyl is now scoring top marks with new innovations for the needs of exercise and sport facilities right across the sector”.
Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 01926 622 600, emailing contractuk@gerflor.com, or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.
