Performance flooring has come a long way. In addition to typical rubber sports flooring, wood-look rubber flooring fulfills a variety of fitness facility needs. With its durable surface and ease of maintenance, Ecore’s Bounce 2 Motivate Class I wood-look flooring is ideal for basketball courts, group fitness spaces and functional training areas. Bounce 2 features a synthetic wood-grain surface that is fusion bonded to a 5mm base layer. The result is flooring that looks like real wood but is more economical and durable, features less surface noise and is easier to clean. Let’s take a look at some real-world applications.

“It was imperative we install the right flooring in the right areas of the facility,” said Erik Palmer, hotel manager for the Gaylord Opryland Resort, a Marriott International property. Photo: Ecore.

Fitness Center Facelift

The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville sought to update its 2,000-square-foot fitness center to create a more user-friendly, open, state-of-the-art fitness center for its guests. Installing ergonomic athletic flooring from Ecore helped the fitness center get back into shape. 

“Our old fitness center was due for an update,” said Erik Palmer, hotel manager for the Gaylord Opryland Resort, a Marriott International property. “The exercise equipment sat on a carpeted floor, and it didn’t feel like a wellness center. We also wanted to improve our guest satisfaction scores for the area.” 

Palmer wanted a true facelift of the fitness area that included updating both the look and feel of the room, adding new equipment and replacing the floor. He hired a local architect to design an open concept for the space that included removing an office and revising the room footprint. 

For flooring design and selection, Palmer envisioned a two-tone look to break up the room and give it a sense of dimension. He sought a product designed and built specifically for athletic areas that could absorb heavy weights and foot traffic. 

“It was imperative we install the right flooring in the right areas of the facility,” said Palmer. “I asked for recommendations from corporate for some of the better flooring manufacturers known for durability, aesthetics and color variety. Ecore’s name came up first.” 

Based on the recommendation, two types of Ecore flooring were installed – the EcoFit and Bounce 2 flooring products. EcoFit was placed below the free weights and CrossFit area, and Bounce 2 was installed throughout the rest of the fitness area. 

“The floor makes a huge difference with how the fitness center looks and feels,” said Palmer. “If I had just installed new equipment on the old flooring there wouldn’t be that ‘wow’ factor.

The floor gives it a sense of fresh and clean and openness; wellness comes to mind when you walk in. You really feel like you are in a state-of-the-art fitness center with a durable floor that will hold up well.”

The multipurpose sport courts feature Bounce 2 Motivate Class I flooring in a faux graphite color that provides the look and feel of real wood visuals but with more durability. Photo: Ecore.

Indoor Sports Complex Expansion 

Located in Hamilton, Ohio, Spooky Nook Champion Mill is the largest indoor sports complex in North America with nearly 700,000 square feet of space for fitness and personal training, youth programs and summer camps, recreational sports leagues and other athletic events. 

Following the success of the original Spooky Nook complex, owners Sam and Melody Beiler envisioned a larger second location in Hamilton that would cater to the growing popularity of functional training, youth programs and adult sports leagues in the area. The new Spooky Nook Champion Mill was designed to host dozens of games and sporting events simultaneously, featuring a sports complex with a full-size outdoor turf field, 14 hardwood courts and 14 sport courts that span more than 200,000 square feet, and an athletic center equipped with additional workout space. 

“Our decision to specify Ecore flooring into our Hamilton facility was influenced by the positive feedback received from our Pennsylvania location,” said Alicia Cook, director of membership and operations at Spooky Nook Champion Mill. “Members there consistently praised the floors for their exceptional performance, safety features and the added advantages of comfort and durability. Plus, Ecore has proven to be an outstanding partner and is always accessible and responsive, so specifying its surfaces for our Hamilton location was an obvious choice.” 

At the sports complex, also known as Mill 1, the multipurpose sport courts feature Bounce 2 Motivate Class I flooring in a faux graphite color that provides the look and feel of real wood visuals but with more durability. With superior energy restitution, Bounce 2 Motivate offers next generation results for residual indentation recovery and rolling loads, while returning energy to the athlete. 

“Safety, ergonomics and acoustics are all qualities we look for in flooring for our facility,” explained Cook. “In the gym, I don’t have rules about dropping weights from specific heights because I know the Ecore floors can handle the impact. Plus, they absorb noise quite well, which is another key benefit when managing a space as large as ours.”

“We considered wood flooring, but we felt the upkeep and maintenance requirements would be too demanding,” said Tim Wang, a church member responsible for facilitating the construction of the project. Photo: Ecore.

Youth Center Supports Community Growth

From modest beginnings in 1982 with a small congregation of just 30 members, the Church in Cerritos has grown steadily through the years to establish a strong foothold in the Southern California community. The congregation purchased a lot and built a meeting hall to accommodate its then 200+ members just three years later.  

In 2012, they moved to a new location in the Cerritos neighborhood better suited to accommodate the Church’s continuous growth. Most recently, the Church enhanced its facilities even further, adding a recreational youth center for sports such as basketball, volleyball, and other youth activities.  

To optimize the useability of the space, the project team sought surfacing solutions that offered multi-functional performance, along with safety and acoustic properties. They were able to find a single-source solution for their surfacing needs in Ecore’s resilient flooring selections.  

“The vision for the youth center was conceived many years ago,” said Tim Wang, a church member responsible for facilitating the construction of the project. “We envisioned a space that could be enjoyed by people of all ages for a range of activities, so we had very specific priorities when it came to our flooring selections, including ease of maintenance, safety, durability, function, and aesthetics. The noise level was also a concern for our neighbors.” 

“We considered wood flooring, but we felt the upkeep and maintenance requirements would be too demanding. We also wanted shock absorbing surfaces that could mitigate impact and the risk of injury while also providing good traction,” Wang said. 

The new construction build, totaling nearly 9,000 square feet, spans two floors with a multi-purpose space on the main level and a running track upstairs. To meet all of the performance requirements, two Ecore surfaces were specified for the center, including Bounce 2 and Performance Rally.  

More than 5,150 square feet of Bounce 2 flooring in two different color schemes was installed throughout the multi-purpose area of the center.  

“We are very happy with how smooth the installation process was and the overall completed project,” said Wang. “Ecore was able to provide us with attractive and functional surface solutions that met all our needs perfectly.”