WAG Do you know about spring floor construction??

[Michelle Maso]

Hi there,

I feel like this post may be better in the coaches forum, but I'm new to chalk bucket and am still being verified.

Here is my issue, we did some repair work and upgrades to our spring floor and it is so stiff it is hurting ankles and wrists. We could use some advice.

Our current set up:
3/8 birch plywood 2 layers, 4x8 sheets offset of course.
Springs are only a couple of years old spaced at 1 spring every foot. (Off hand I can't remember the size, but I do know they are just a couple of years old)
2" Bonded carpet foam.

Our old set up used OSB and was cracking (previous gym owner did it) and had 30 year old carpet. The floor it self was actually pretty bouncy, but when our older girls would tumble on it the boards would crack. With our new set up I don't even see the floor depress when our young 8 year olds are doing back tucks. I did some tumbling on it, and it gave me some lift, but it also hurt my joints, something that our little ones have been complaining about. I'm growing concerned because as our kids are starting to move up in the levels, I know they are just going to wreck their joints if we don't fix this.

Any help, thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated. I tried to search the web for spring patterns and such after a coach and I were discussing at a recent meet, he though I may have too many springs, and it may be more of a collegiate pattern. I can't find anything about alternate patterns anywhere.

Thanks in advance,

Michelle

 

[Splash123]

We never had this issue with our floor - the causing of joint pain. But our older/more advanced girls complained that the floor was too stiff and not springy when we upgraded our set up.

We did a fundraiser - pay £2 to come and bounce. Open to the public, did 4 30 min sessions and basically just let the kids come in and bounce around on the floor.
Really helped to break the floor in all over rather than just in the typical landing/takeoff diagonals.

Might be an idea

 

[Splash123]

Also, I helped set up our floor in the new set up, but I have no idea what our spring set up is specifically. But probably a bit more spaced out that the set up you mentioned

 

[Sarah_the_gymnast]

We never had this issue with our floor - the causing of joint pain. But our older/more advanced girls complained that the floor was too stiff and not springy when we upgraded our set up.

We did a fundraiser - pay £2 to come and bounce. Open to the public, did 4 30 min sessions and basically just let the kids come in and bounce around on the floor.
Really helped to break the floor in all over rather than just in the typical landing/takeoff diagonals.

Might be an idea

I like that idea! That might be something. I bet a lot of parents would like that. You could play music too and make it an event

 

[Iwannabemargo]

so I knew I had a picture somewhere of our floor being laid. Its a gymnova one. You can see the spring pattern in the background

 

[Splash123]

I like that idea! That might be something. I bet a lot of parents would like that. You could play music too and make it an event

That's what we did. Raised loads of money to help fund our week away for an international invitational we played games and all sorts haha

 

[Michelle Maso]

so I knew I had a picture somewhere of our floor being laid. Its a gymnova one. You can see the spring pattern in the background

View attachment 6544

Wow that is an interesting pattern, on the floors that I've helped install for off site meets I've only seen the standard spring layout. Thanks for the pic! I'm thinking of calling a spring floor manufacturer to see what their thoughts are as well.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

that was how Gymnova did it.