If you are considering the purchase of a Spring Floor for gymnastics, cheer, aerobics or martial arts, there is some basic information you need to know to make sense of the assembly processes and terminology you will find. A great place to start is studying the diagram to the right.

Most spring floors are composed of some combination of four separate parts - Springs (and hardware for attachment), Plywood, Foam and Carpet (or the combination of them). Each of these choices will dramatically affect the price and performance of your floor.

There is a difference in Springs generally offered. When you compare flooring systems, be sure you take note of the type of spring you will receive. The American Power Spring™ (at left) is our preference. It features a durable, oil-tempered 2" x 4" coil with plastic retainer caps (top and bottom) that assure vertical alignment. The top and Bottom Caps are identical. We feel that the American Spring's coil has a preferrable coating and the caps have a more robust retention system. It is sold with the t-nut, washer and screw for attachment. The t-nuts are applied to drilled 1/4" holes in the top of the bottom boards. With American Power Springs, the Caps, Springs and Hardware all ship together within a week, if you are getting another brand find out if this is how they will ship and how soon. The top caps are attached to the 3/8" (or 9mm) to 1/2" Baltic Birch Plywood with a washer and screw secured into the t-nut. The Springs fit snugly in the caps that are attached to the boards. The Spring's bottom caps are put in place - these sit directly on the concrete. There is generally one spring per square foot. Some vendors offer floors with foam blocks instead of springs, or a combination of both. Remember that foam block will wear out (lose its height) far quicker over time under that constant weight, than springs. So, for longevity, consider springs. Attached to this (usually with hook and loop fasteners) is the top layer - generally 3/8" (or 9mm) Baltic Birch. These two layers are staggered so that your floor's response is uniform. The wood part of your floor is not always sold with kits, so be sure you know what you are getting. The wood decking is the most important aspect in the life expectancy and performance of your floor.

You then cover the decking with foam and carpet. There are two routes to choose from here. You can get the Foam separately and then purchase carpet to place over it. The much less expensive and simplest route is to get what is known as Carpet Bonded Foam (or Flexi-Rolls®). This is a carpet that is flame laminated to (usually) a Trocellen Foam making the top two layers one piece (see right). It is a remarkably durable product. Learn more about Carpet Bonded Foam or Flexi-Rolls®. They are currently available in eight colors. This is by far the most common spring floor covering in the US today. Many gyms and schools use it without a spring floor as well. It normally comes in 1 3/8" or 2" thicknesses. EVA Enhanced versions of these rolls are also available.

If you go the route of foam and separate carpet, this is a more expensive way but makes for a more beautiful floor. The foam (usually Trocellen) is available in the same 1 1/4" or 1 7/8" thicknesses. There is also a EVA Enhanced Trocellen which is more expensive but has a better response. It usually comes in 1.5" or 2" thicknesses. There are many different colors of carpet available. The most readily available and least expensive is Royal Blue. The carpet is shipped in usually 3 or 4 segments (depending on the size of your floor). You will need the velcro belts to attach to the carpet segments. These join the segments under the carpet.

If you choose the foam with a separate carpet option, tapered foam borders are an option for completing your floor. They allow a gradual transition to floor level (see right). Usually the angled border extends about 12" from the decking. This is the sharpest (and most expensive) of your options. This is top-of-the-line and is what you will see at all the major gymnastics competitions. If you top off your floor with Carpet Bonded Foam, there is Angled Borders available for this also. See the Border Option page.

All spring floors are not created equal. Though many manufacturers use the same or similar materials, the difference can be dramatic.

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