How To Maintain A Gym Floor For The Ages

This is the fourth part of a four-part article about a partnership between the birthplace of college basketball and the founders of gym floor finish.

With the floor in place, it’s now up to Allen’s expertise and Kiger’s follow-through to keep this historic floor looking its best.

Custodians dust mop the floor at least twice daily, with additional times as needed. The utilization of proper entrance matting helps reduce excess moisture and dry soil from entering the gym. And in problem areas, such as where visitors enter with wet shoes, custodians use a damp tack cloth to clean up the mess.

To clean the floor during the week, custodians use a neutral pH floor cleaner. To distribute the solution, staff members use a flat, weighted pullbar system with tightly wrung terry towels.

Allen is adamant that there is no wet mopping on the new floor. There’s too much risk of standing water seeping into seams, cracks and joint areas, which could lead to the wood floor expanding or even cupping.

If there are any spots that require agitation to remove, custodians use tightly wrung out towels to prevent drips or standing water.

Also, for the first year or two, custodians are not allowed to use autoscrubbers because of the weight.

“You need to keep the weight off a floor that isn’t fully connected by a thick, ‘Plexiglass-like’ coating — that happens after a couple of years of an annual scrub and recoat,” says Allen.

On varsity game days, custodians use a water-based tacking cleaner that makes the floor feel like it’s fresh and new again. This allows for better grip for the athletes and enhances traction so basketball players can play the game safely and up to their full potential — just as N.S. intended nearly 100 years ago.

The entire project was a daunting task that needed to be completed within a short time frame. But, knowing the background of the school and products, all parties were excited to be involved in such a historical endeavor.

“I’m a sentimentalist,” says Allen. “I saw this as an opportunity to bring nostalgia to what, in most cases, people would consider just a regular job.”

The results were well worth the hard work. Visitors and players are amazed with the new gym that’s ready to host another 100 years of basketball. 

“It’s beautiful,” says Kiger. “It’s the nicest court in the conference right now.”