Polymers, plastics, laminates, oh my! The materials that go into modern dance floors make them more portable, durable and user-friendly than ever before. But which floor is right for your event? The industry's top floor-makers weigh in.
THIN IS IN
The technology used to create it may be borrowed from the automotive industry, but Palmer Snyder's new Revolution dance floor is pure party to its core.
George Gula, vice president of product development and quality control for Conneautville, Pa.-based Palmer Snyder, says a proprietary composite that includes polyurethane and fiberglass allows for “an extremely strong lightweight panel.” Top that with a “general-purpose, high-pressure decorative laminate with increased surface-wear resistance,” he adds, and you've got a floor that's ready for event action.
While the Revolution may act tough, it's really a lightweight, Gula notes. The waterproof, indoor-outdoor, interlocking panels, available in Biltmore Cherry and Northern Birch laminates, are each 6 inches high and 48 by 48 inches yet weigh a mere 38 pounds. That's “significantly lighter” than other floor panels, Gula says.
TOPS FOR TENTS
Although they can be used indoors, California Portable Dance Floors Co.'s outdoor options give the company's floors an edge.
According to company president Ernie DiGennaro, the Camarillo, Calif., company “invented the original outdoor portable dance floor over 50 years ago.”
California Portable's newest nod to alfresco events is the tent-pole floor section, introduced last year. The sections, which eliminate “inverted edging needs,” are “the perfect solution for dance floors installed outdoors under tents,” DiGennaro says.
“These sections not only give you more dance area on your floors,” he adds, “but help protect you and your customers from accidents that can cause liability problems.”
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
For the budget-minded, New York's Signature Flooring offers the DanceDeck, priced lower than traditional floors, says company president Arnon Rosan.
The floor's injection-molded plastic base and simulated wood or solid-color vinyl tile inserts not only keep cost down but enhance the floor's versatility: “It is water- and weather-resistant and can be placed indoors on carpet or outdoors on a variety of surfaces,” Rosan says.
The recent introduction of the DanceDeck Delux means that clients with higher-end needs still can enjoy the product's advantages. “DanceDeck Delux is similar to our DanceDeck in that is uses the same base technology, but a real wood laminate is inserted into the base rather than simulated wood,” Rosan explains.
STICK TO IT
Westlake Village, Calif.-based Holo-Walls is cutting in on dance floor action with its cool new Holo-Floor 2.
Company president Kevin McCarthy describes the product as a “holo-graphic polyester vinyl film pattern with a light-tack removable floor adhesive.” Available in 38-inch-wide rolls of 50 or 100 feet and in more than 14 eye-catching patterns, Holo-Floor 2 can be applied over “any existing dance floor or other smooth, solid floor surface,” McCarthy notes. Once in place, the film reacts to lighting, “creating a myriad of colors and effects depending on which pattern is used.”
IT'S A SNAP
Why mess with a good thing? That's what SnapLock Industries figures. The Salt Lake City-based company, which introduced its first dance floor in 1985, continues to find success with its popular snap-together floors.
While it plans to debut two new floor styles and a new subfloor later this year, for now SnapLock is focusing on manufacturing and filling orders for its signature co-polymer, epoxy-laminate, indoor-outdoor floors.
RESOURCES
DANCE FLOORS
California Portable
Dance Floor Co.
800/641-9960
www.cpdfc.com
Holo-Walls
818/735-3565
www.holowalls.com
Palmer Snyder
800/762-0415
www.palmersnyder.com
Signature Flooring
212/953-1116
www.eventdeck.com
SnapLock Industries
801/746-0143
www.snaplock.com
