Frequently Asked Questions
flooring - sprung floor
We are interested in a coloured dance surface - how can this be done?
Some vinyls are available in colours, however they are often indent only. If you have a timber floor you can paint it with primer in any colour you choose and then add 2-3 coats of our Clear Juju on top.
In the STM DIY Sprung Floor, what are the benefits of the dual layer of Ply & MDF, as compared with a single layer of 19mm Yellow tongue particle board?
Integral to the design of the STM Sprung Floor is the crosshatching of the two layers of timber material. The top layer may be MDF for cheapness, ply, masonite or Weathertex depending on how you propose to finish it and the fund available. This top layer will join more neatly than the one unerneath and reduces the need for superficial fixings.
We do not recommend particleboard flooring. Compared to plywood it has little resistance or "spring" and the floor is comparatively dead. Further, any fixings will be exposed on the top layer and can work loose over time when exposed to the desired movement in the floor.
You say Juju works with the Show Works Sprungfloor. Would Juju work with MDF in the STM DIY floor plan? Or can I use Yellow-Tongue on top of the ply?
The advantage of the show works floor is that its patented interlocking system and engineered boards create a single layer that with a good sanding and sealing is dance ready.
The MDF is a layer to be used under vinyl. For the reasons described above it takes up the imperfections of the tongue and groove boards and creates a smooth even layer free of fixings.
Where the floor is permanent and glued we recommend the use of glued and stapled masonite underfloor.
Weathertex has the advantage of being large sheets that tend to lay flat and need minimal fixings.
Masonite sheets need fixing with 22mm staples or ring shank nails at 150mm centres and professional sanding. This material also limits the ease of reuse but is a good tap surface.
Would MDF and JuJu be OK?
MDF and Juju are not a good combination as in this application the top surface need to be fixed.
Further the MDF is too soft to dance on directly and water reactive when cleaned.
Can I just use Yellow tongue screwed onto battens?
Some people do use yellow-tongue ply screwed onto battens, with pads placed at even intervals beneath the battens to give some spring to the floor. These battens are not necessary and the spring created can be uneven (less spring where the battens are placed). Also, the fixings can work their way loose over time.
flooring - relocation of Tarkett Granit on Sprung Floor
Is the Tarkett Granit portable if we moved?
The Granit IQ vinyl requires gluing (a "permanent lay"). To enable the gluing process (which creates strong demands on the floor below) a subfloor is laid. This consists of 900mm x 1200mm sheets of masonite glude and stapled at 150mm intervals to the sprung floor below. Whilst this can be removed and sacrificed it would be very labour intensive with over 100 fixings per sheet. The residual glue, if the vinyl is lifted, is uneconomical to clean off and reuse and therefore makes the vinyl useless. The sprung floor below, with a good sanding, could be relocated and reused as a starting point for a new floor.
fixed barres - the adjustable wall-bracket system
How heavy is the removable barre?
The barre weighs 7-8kg with the brackets attached. This means it's manageable by one person, although it is generally easier to adjust the height or remove the barre with two people.
Do the black knobs screw into the plate or into predrilled holes?
The knobs screw into a rather clever sprung plate which slides within the channel to lock in any position along it. This means there are no preset holes or positions yet it remains incredibly strong and is rated at 700kg!
The barre will go into a multi-purpose area. Will it be strong enough to take school children swinging on it?
Whilst it is impossible to make a guarantee against all events, essentially this is what we expect. We can supply extra fixings if you have concerns. The system can cope so it really comes down to how well it is fixed to the wall. The same consideration applies to fixed barres, of course, but with the adjustable bracket the opportunity for extra fixings is greater (although they can affect the "tracel" of the slide if placed within the area of adjustment most often wanted). Remember, too, it's a simple matter to remove the barres and brackets (from the channel) and store them away. This is often the case with Police Boys Clubs and the like where the rooms are used for many different applications.
