Many newbies to roller skating have trouble finding spots to have a session, so it may lead them to be looking at the what type of floor is the best. Or alternatively know which surfaces may be preferential them.
To construct the best area for roller skating, the surface of the floor is the most important aspect. Many are created from variable materials and designs to ensure that its the type of floor which is best for roller skating.
If you wish to learn more about what type of floor is best for roller skating, then check out the article down below!
Table of Contents
What Is Roller Skating?
Roller skating is the sport of traveling around on roller skates, similar to ice skating or roller blading. It is stated that it begun in the early 1930’s, however rose to popularity in the 1960’s.
Roller skating gained popularity due to the disco age, then snowballed into a huge trend and hobby in the 1980’s. Similar to rollerblading there are many benefits to your lifestyle that rollerblading can have, which can be found here.
Floor Types For Roller Skating
Hardwood Maple Floor
The best floor for roller skating by a long way is the classic hardwood maple flooring. Although they may be expensive, they do provide you with the most adequate experience.
Another great benefit of maple flooring is that they provide excellent dampening for if you fall over. Moreover it provides you with excellent traction and is much smoother than other choices.
A final benefit of using hardwood maple floor, which is extremely easy to clean with a floor brush.
Concrete Floor
Concrete flooring is by far the most common and cheapest floor for rollerskating, more over its one of the easiest to install. All that is needed is to ensure an even pour over a surface area.
Concrete is also found to be more slippery when in-compared to maple wood flooring. Many roller skaters who prefer to power skating and spins, may find that this floor surface is much more appealing.
In terms of cleaning there are many different methods that you can do this with. It’s recommended that you can use any garage cleaner such as wax, varnish or paint.
Versacourt & SkateCourt Flooring
Typically, many state that SkateCourt or VersaCourt flooring as it’s very noisy in-comparison to concrete or hard wood flooring. In addition to that the surface is bumpy and can be unpredictable.
If you had to choose between all three types of flooring, this would be the bottom contender by a long way. Moreover, many roller skaters complain about the skins burns that you can obtain from this floor surface.
Although if you’re looking to get into roller derby or hockey this may be the more preferential surface, alternatively concrete and wood is better due to slickness for power or spins.
Roller Skating Rink Floor Coatings
You may find that the most common floor coatings for roller skating rinks is called ‘Roll-On’. This is down to their vast product range which includes products for sealing, coating and cleaning your roller rink floor.
The best part about using ‘Roll-On’ is that it’s a suitable application both for concrete and hardwood floors. Moreover, it will provide you with an amazing high gloss look and provide you with a smooth roll and grip that is needed to preform well.
Alternatively you could search for a Urethane or Epoxy coating, as it acts as a high-strength coating which is extremely resistant to abrasion and even rubber burns!
Brands for roller skating rink floor coatings that you should check out include:
- Dura Seal
- Roll-On
- TITE-Tanium
- Valspar
- NovaPlay
How To Install Roller Skating Rink Wood Floor
Roller skate wooden floor installation can be a difficult task, which can take up to a week to complete. The reason to this long process can be found down below:
- Removing previous floor.
- Installation of lay plastic, foam cushioning and sub-flooring.
- Then the sub-floor needs to be covered with roofing felt.
- A new maple hardwood skating rink needs to then be installed.
- Floor then needs to be sanded numerous times for smoothness.
- Clean up operation then needs to take place to remove dust.
- Two applications of floor sealing and floor finish to take place.
After all of this has been completed, you then have a ready to roll wooden skating rink! Its important that once you’re a proud owner and keeper of a wooden roller skate rink, that you get it refinished at least once a year to keep it in good condition.
Typically, plastic, metal and Nylon wheels can ruin its finish after a long period of use. Bearing this in mind, if you’re not prepared to maintain a roller skate rink, a concrete choice maybe the better option for you.
What Square Feet Do You Need for a Roller Skating Rink?
You may discover that roller skating rinks are normally anywhere between 12,500 and 22,000 feet in dimensions. Holding that thought, most roller skate rinks that you would visit should be around 70 to 160 feet. Alternatively a roller derby rink is around 7500 square feet in size and can be 100 by 60 feet in dimensions.
However the size of your arena should ultimately be dependant on the amount of people that you’ll be having in your space, as some roller skate groups are larger than others.
What Is The Cost Of A Roller Skating Rink Floor?
Roller skating floors cost can be extremely dependant on the choice of material and size of the arena you wish to build. The average cost for a wooden roller skating rink can be anywhere from five dollars to 15 dollars for a square foot. So by using this logic, a typical rink will set you back at least $80,000 if you want a 17,000 square feet rink.
Alternatively a similarly sized concrete rink would only set you back $35,000, which makes it a much more attractive option. Whilst it may be a lot cheaper, you’ll have to factor in the various experiences between the two.
If you were to opt for VersaCourt or SkateCourt, then the cost may be a lot cheaper at around $50,000 for a similarly sized roller skate rink flooring, however many would prefer the previous two options.
How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Roller Skating Rink?
So after reading through this article, you may of discovered that the cost of a roller skating rink is far too much for the average Joe. However you are these days able to rent them out with ease and in expense. Typically they cost around $250.00 to rent per hour so definitely consider it!
Conclusion
When working in the roller skating industry, having a decent arena is the up most important aspect. Building the perfect roller skating rink can bring your big profits and a grand social experience for many in your community. Overall we hope that this article has supported your journey in creating a roller skating rink of your own, or at least answered some of your questions!
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