First: Do Your Research!

Floors

Hardwood Gymnasium

MFMA does not recommend the use of roller skates/blades on a standard gymnasium floor. Nylon, plastic, and metal wheels can cause scuff marks and scratches in the gymnasium finish. Ongoing skating activities can shorten the life of the finish and skating accidents have the potential to cause damage to the maple flooring itself.

As you may know, MFMA maple is the preferred surface for use in roller rinks. However the finish application for a roller rink differs from that of a gymnasium, and the maple is always laid in the direction of the skating (usually in a hexagonal or octagonal pattern.) These minor differences in installation procedures produce a surface much more geared to skating use than installation procedures typically employed for recreational facility and gymnasium installations.

If you have additional questions, contact MFMA’s Technical Director at 888-480-9138.

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Revised 02/05

Disclaimer: The MFMA provides general information to architects, specifiers and consumers. The MFMA, its members, officers and agents disclaim any responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy or applicability of these guidelines under all circumstances and conditions.

Why Roller Skating Doesn’t Damage Vinyl Floors (Explained)

Below, we dive into the qualities of vinyl floors that make them suitable for roller skating. Let’s get going!

Favorable Physical Properties

Vinyl floors have favorable physical properties that make them unsusceptible to damage. First, vinyl floors are synthetic, so you can use them anywhere, whether wet or dry.

They also have a UV acrylic coating to protect inner layers from scratches. So, the protective layer takes the damage instead of the vinyl floor.

More importantly, vinyl floors have a study and thicker PVC layer core. The floors are often between 1.5 mm and 5 mm thick. The base layer is often made of sturdy fiberglass for longevity.

Lastly, vinyl floors are durable, low cost, low maintenance, and easy to install. You don’t have to spend a fortune to install a vinyl floor.

Roller Skate Wheels are Relatively Soft

Roller skate wheel hardness is determined by the durometer rating. There are two roller skate wheels based on the durometer rating–hard and soft wheels.

The average roller skate wheels have a durometer rating of between 72A and 102A. Most indoor roller skate wheels have relatively hard wheels and have a rating of between 88A and 102A.

While it’s possible to assume hard wheels can damage vinyl floors, nothing can be further from the truth. Hard roller skate wheels are preferred since they’re fast and don’t grip hard like soft wheels.

Roller Skating only Leaves Black Streaks and Scratches

While roller skating doesn’t damage vinyl floors, it’s not uncommon to see scratches and some black streaks.

Roller skate wheels are made of rubber and can leave black streaks depending on skating technique and roller skating duration.

Some roller skate wheels will likely leave scratches on the UV acrylic coating. But this is also rare! The damage is pretty insignificant unless you have many skaters on the floor.

How to Roller Skate on Vinyl Floors

Roller skating on vinyl floors is fun. The best part is that vinyl floors aren’t slippery, making it safer for all types of skaters.

While you may experience little damage to the UV acrylic coating, you shouldn’t stress about significant damage. Below are ways to roller skate on vinyl floors without damaging the floor.

1. Avail Black Streak Remover

Black streaks are almost inevitable when roller skating on vinyl floors. A few black streaks shouldn’t alarm you.

But if you have many skaters using the floor, you may want to consider using a black streak remover.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t know how to find a black streak remover. You can find some at your local home depot or online store like amazon.

The Bio-Kleen M00509 Black Streak Remover is one excellent black streak remover. It’s reliable and built to remove black streaks with ease.

Spray it on the surface, then use a rag to wipe the surface clean. The black steaks should be no more. You don’t need rinsing since the surface will spark clean with no residues.

2. Minimize or avoid Performing Some Roller Skating Tricks

Performing roller skating tricks like spins is fun and fulfilling. Every beginner roller skater dreams of improving their skills to do some cool tricks on roller skates. I believe you’re no different!

The problem is that some roller skating tricks can damage or leave black streaks and scratches on vinyl floors. The best way around it is to avoid doing these tricks on the vinyl floors.

But if you must do them, it’s best to minimize the frequency. Perhaps, you can consider doing tricks once or twice a week.

3. Learn other Stopping Techniques

Stopping or slowing down is vital when roller skating. Beginner roller skating stopping techniques like t-stop and toe stops require foot-dragging, which can damage the acrylic coating on vinyl floors.

The good news is that there are alternative stopping techniques you can use that doesn’t involve dragging the foot. The snowplow stopping technique is an excellent place to start.

4. Moderate Roller skating activities

Roller skating is fun, and resisting the urge to roller skate more can be daunting. But you should consider moderating your roller skating activities if you don’t want to damage a vinyl floor.

Skating twice or thrice a week for an hour or two should be sufficient. This way, you’ll minimize the amount of pressure and impact on vinyl floors.

5. Switch to Soft Roller Wheels

As we’ve already seen, hard roller skate wheels can leave streaks and scratches on vinyl floors. You can avoid this by using soft roller skate wheels.

You can buy roller skates with specifically soft wheels. Alternatively, you can purchase soft wheels separately and set them on your roller skates whenever you want to skate on vinyl floors.

Alternative Floor Types for Roller Skating

Besides vinyl floors, there are plenty of alternative roller skating floors to consider. Below is a quick rundown!

• Hardwood Maple Flooring
• Concrete Flooring
• Interlocking Rubber Floor Tiles

Some Interlocking Rubber Floor Tiles to consider include; SUPERJARE 056“ Interlocking Rubber Floor Tiles, BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles, and Rubber King Interlocking Tiles.

Does Roller Skating Damage Vinyl Floors? | Wrapping Up

Does roller skating damage vinyl floors? No, roller skating doesn’t damage vinyl floors. Vinyl floors are sturdy, reliable, affordable, and easy to install.

This guide is for you if you want to set up a vinyl floor roller skating surface. That’s it mate. I hope you found this guide helpful!