Weiser High School gym floor updated with new graphics

Published by admin on Wed, 11/14/2018 - 11:31am

Weiser High School’s athletic department and school administrators decided a new look at Tom Falash Gym was due after the floor had not been redone in two decades. Some of the game markings were outdated and the finish was dull. The refinishing project was put on the school’s plant and facilities list and was tackled this past summer. The maple floor was sanded down to the wood by contractor Soriano Sport Floors. The lettering at both ends of the court and center court graphic were printed out on large sheets, put on the floor, painted and then removed. The result is a glossy and modern gym floor with new graphics. Photos by Steve Lyon.
By: 
Steve Lyon
Fans of Weiser High School basketball will notice the floor in Tom Falash Gym was redone and now features a big Wolverine logo in center court. 
 The work was requested by high school administrators as part of the school’s 10-year plant and facilities plan. It had been more than 20 years since the wood floor was refinished.
 The school district hired Meridian-based Soriano Sport Floors as the contractor for the $21,000 project. The company specializes in gym floors and did the work over three weeks during the summer, starting right after fiddle week and wrapping up in July.
 Owner Pablo Soriano said the gym floor is made of maple wood and was starting to get dark from the many years of use and the aging of the finish. Some of the game markings on the basketball courts were outdated and needed updating. The basketball court was still playable and complied with game regulations.
 The process started with the sanding. The company uses two 12-inch sanders that are attached to a machine that is literally driven up and down the court taking off the old finish and paint down to the bare wood. After that two coats of sealant were applied to the wood and then the striping and artwork were done.
 The large red Wolverine logo at center court was supplied by school officials. The flooring contractor used a computer to scan the image and print out large sheets to create a template, kind of like a decal. The image was painted over using a special oil-based and durable paint that is made for gym floors. 
 “It’s all done by computer, so it’s pretty precise,” he said. 
 The basketbal courts were measured and a laser was used to get the game lines in the right place and the right distance using the baskets as the reference point.
 The final step of the refinishing job was to apply two more coats of oil-based gym floor coating to protect the paint and give the floor a glossy look to it, along with the desired traction.
 Weiser varsity basketball coach Brad Adolfson said the gym floor design was all new, including the Weiser Wolverines spelled out on the baseline and the center court Wolverines.
 WHS athletic director Tyler Grant said school officials were happy with how the floor turned out.
 “It really gives the gymnasium an updated, 21st century feel,” he said.
 Soriano said he’s been doing gym floors for more than two decades, both installing new athletic floors and refinishing old ones. It’s a job that takes him all over Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Washington. The Meridian-based company does about 20 floors a year.
 “It is a specialty so not many people do it,” he said. 
 Soriano said the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association provides the technical and general information that contractors follow when it comes to working on maple flooring and related sports flooring systems.  
 The MFMA establishes product quality, performance and installation guidelines, educates end users about safety, performance and maintenance issues, and promotes the use of maple flooring products worldwide. 
 He said the recomendation by the MFMA is to take it down to the original wood and restripe it every eight to 10 years. The suggested maintenance of the refinished floor includes a new coat of finish every year. 

Category:

Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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