hornerflooring

Oct 09 2024

How to Clean Wood Sports Flooring

A Clean Wood Sports Floor is a Safe Floor

Perhaps the most important characteristic of a sports floor is traction, also known as coefficient of friction. In professional sports, this one quality of a floor can mean the difference between a multi-million dollar per year athlete playing or sitting out a season. So its critically important to get your cleaning program dialed in.

Floor Finish and Shoes

There a four main elements that determine the coefficient of friction between the floor and the athlete.

The floor finish
Dirt or dust on the floor
The sole of the shoe
Dirt or dust on the shoe’s sole

Floor finishes have undergone extensive testing at the professional level and there are only a handfull of approved finishes. These include both water based and oil modified polyurethane products. These approved products will occasionally change, so check with your flooring professional for current approved finishes.

Dirt, dust and sweat are a constant problem for sports floors and represent a real threat to an athlete’s safety. Loss of traction can lead to injuries and lost playing time. Keeping the floor clean and dry is an important job that is taken seriously by the league and players alike.

Known as “The Chirp”, it is the squeak that happens between a player’s shoe and the floor. The chirp is an audible indication that all is well when it comes to traction.

"The Chirp"

In this short clip from NBA Summer League, you can clearly hear the chirp coming from the player’s shoes and the Horner Sports Flooring’s ProKing® portable basketball floor. This indicates the floor is clean and dry, and the player’s shoe soles are also clean and dry.

To protect the finish and get a chirp clean floor there are a few rules, hints and tricks:

Never wax a floor. Never.
Never use harsh chemicals.
Never use abrasive cleaners or pads for routine cleanings.
Never wet mop a wood floor.
Dry mop using a clean, dry terry cloth towel or micro-fiber cloth.
If cleaning heavy dust or dirt, use a damp towel that leaves no water behind.
Dry mop the entire floor just before competition.
Always clean a portable floor after assembly and just before competition. (it is a good idea to give it a quick dusting before storing as well)

Daily

Daily dust moping is also highly recommended, as doing so won’t allow dust to settle onto the floor.

Yearly

On a yearly basis, the floor should be professionally screened and re-coated if necessary.

Long Term

Approximately every 7 to 10 years (depending on the usage of the floor) the floor should be sanded, sealed, painted, and finished by a trained professional. This will help to further protect your investment in the floor and prolong the life of your floor.

There is no substitute for a clean wood sports floor. Following these few instructions will help ensure your floor is safe for play and protected from unnecessary ware and tear.

Oct 04 2024

NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024

Horner Sports Flooring at the Abu Dhabi Games 2024

As in previous seasons, the NBA will hold two preseason games in Abu Dhabi. The games this year will be October 4th and 6th, and will feature the champion Boston Celtics and the 2023 champion, Denver Nuggets. Both games will be played at Etihad Arena on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island

Again this year, the floor chosen by the NBA is Horner Sports Flooring’s ProKing® portable basketball floor. Year after year the ProKing’s proven track record with NBA special events and its proven ruggedness, needed for inter-continental shipping, has made it the go-to floor for the NBA and multi-use arenas and venues worldwide.

The games can be watched on NBA League Pass

Additional information can be found on the NBA’s website at: https://www.nba.com/news/faq-the-nba-abu-dhabi-games-2024

Sep 26 2024

A Flooring Showdown in the WNBA Playoffs

The Minnesota Lynx vs. Connecticut Sun

September 29, 2024

As the WNBA playoffs heat up, basketball fans are buzzing with excitement for the upcoming clash between the Minnesota Lynx and the Connecticut Sun on September 29th at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. This matchup isn’t just significant for the teams and their dedicated fans—it also highlights a unique connection between them and their basketball floors. Both teams have built their seasons on floors expertly crafted by Horner Sports Flooring.

A Unique Connection: Horner Flooring and the WNBA

While the teams take center stage, it’s essential to recognize the behind-the-scenes craftsmanship that sets the stage for their performances. Both the Lynx and Sun play on a ProKing® portable basketball floor made by Horner Sports Flooring, a company based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, renowned for its high-quality sports flooring solutions. This partnership ensures that both teams have the best possible playing surface, contributing to optimal performance, player safety and fan satisfaction.

Horner Sports Flooring’s commitment to excellence is reflected in the unique artwork tailored for each team. The vibrant colors and team logos not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the courts but also create an atmosphere that energizes players and fans alike. Whether it’s the Lynx’s distinctive blue and green or the Sun’s bold orange and yellow, the floors are a canvas showcasing team spirit and pride. A floor’s artwork is also the team’s most powerful branding tool, boldly displaying the team’s logo.

The Impact of Quality Flooring

High-quality flooring is crucial in professional sports, particularly in basketball, where agility and precision are key. Horner Flooring utilizes advanced technology and materials to create surfaces that provide optimal traction and cushioning. This means players can perform at their best, making sharp cuts, explosive jumps, and quick pivots knowing the risk of injury has been minimized.

As the Lynx and Sun prepare to battle it out, their players can trust that the court beneath them will support their athletic prowess. The synergy between the players and their flooring plays a significant role in the outcome of the game. Each dribble, pass, and shot will be executed on a surface that’s designed to meet the high demands of professional competition and to meet all the specifications mandated by basketball’s governing bodies.

What to Expect on Game Day

Fans can anticipate a thrilling game filled with intense action, strategic plays, and perhaps a few highlight-reel moments. Both teams will bring their A-game, fueled not only by their competitive spirit but also by the pride of representing their respective brands on a Horner designed floor.

As the countdown to September 29th begins, the anticipation builds—not just for the game itself but for the unique story lines that intertwine the teams, their fans and the basketball courts. The Lynx and Sun will face off in an epic battle of skill and determination, all while competing on a quality floor that plays a vital role in their performance.

Aug 16 2024

5 Best Portable Basketball Floor Features

Portable basketball floors serve a very specific purpose. They are purchased for use in venues and arenas that host multiple events. There could be a Monster Truck rally on Sunday and a hockey game on Monday afternoon, and a concert Monday night. When basketball is part of the mix, it is generally a professional basketball team or special basketball tournament.

What you Should Look for in a Portable Floor

So what should you be looking for in your portable basketball floor?

Since time is money, and time purchased to use a venue is BIG money, you want your portable floor to have a fast conversion. That means it takes as little time as possible to put it down and take it up. Having lightweight panels helps make this happen.
You want your portable basketball floor to be rugged. Assembly, disassembly, moving, storing, all put stress on the floor panels. Not being able to compete due to a broken floor is a disaster and storage is expensive, so storing spares is expensive and due to art work, many panels are unique.
You want your floor to be assembled without using special tools. Special tools get lost and could prevent you from installing or removing the floor.
You want your portable floor to be intergrated, meaning there are no loose parts to get lost. Losing pins or clamps could, again, prevent the floor from going down or coming up.
Get your floor from a reliable company. If you ever need repair parts, you want your floor to come from a well established company. In addition, an experienced company will provide help learning your new floor and training install crews.

Portable Basketball Floor Compliance

It is also important that your portable basketball floor is compliant for the standards set by your governing bodies. Working with an established, reputable floor manufacturer ensures you get a floor that is tested and certified to meet the standards you need.

For 50 years - Horner ProKing®

In 1974, Horner launched the ProKing portable basketball floor. For 50 years the ProKing floor has evolved ever closer to perfection. Today, the ProKing floor is the first choice of teams and organizations needing a portable basketball floor. The ProKing’s superior build quality is instantly apparent to all who have shopped for a portable.

When an organization needs a floor for an over-seas event, they choose ProKing for its light weight yet rugged construction. ProKing can withstand the rigors of container shipping and difficult environments, and be competition ready in just 2 hrs.

Contact Horner Sports Flooring

Aug 09 2024

Gym Flooring

Gymnasiums

Historically gym flooring has been wood. Not just any wood, but hard maple or sugar maple, species: Acer saccharum. This wood has a Janka hardness of almost 1400 making one of the hardest, most dent resistant woods available.

Communities across the country see the high school gymnasium as the place where most sporting events happen. It is also a place to vote, or gather for graduation. In short it is the community’s social hub, so its important to choose the right flooring for this space.

Why Wood Gym Flooring?

Wood flooring systems for gymnasiums provide designers with an almost unlimited number of options to customize the floor and meet the exact needs of the customer. Wood floors today always include an under structure. Because of this, dozens of performance metrics can be tuned for the specific use and specific users. For instance: The floor’s resiliency can be adjusted for 180 pound collegiate athletes or 65 pound grade schoolers. Doing this provides a floor that is both safer and more enjoyable to play on. In addition, the floor can be made to handle roll-out bleachers on the perimeter, and still be optimized in the play area.

This under structure inherent with wood floors also means that wood floors can include options like volleyball post anchors, power plugs and other enhancements.

Talk to your planner about wood floors for your gym. Then have them contact us for information on how Horner Sports Flooring can make sure that your new gym flooring meets all your requirements and expectations.

Synthetic Gym Flooring

Polyurethane and Rubber Gym Flooring

a woman playing badminton on red polyurethane gym flooring. — Cushion Court, a Padded Polyurethane Floor System

There a number of synthetic floor systems used in gymnasiums, but the most common one is poured polyurethane. These systems are a more budget friendly system and in some cases provide a superior surface. For instance, polyurethane floors are great for Pickleball, as shown above. Another great use for polyurethane systems is badminton and tennis courts.

A popular design, known as a hybrid, uses both wood and rubber or polyurethane in the same space to derive the benefits of both. Here is a space that uses Horner’s Olymp-X flooting for the tack and maple for the basketball courts.