Sprung floor

A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best available for dance and indoor sports and physical education. They enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Modern sprung floors are supported by foam backing or rubber feet, while traditional floors provide their spring through bending woven wooden battens. Many dance halls with sprung hard wood floors date back to the early 20th century, such as the Willowbrook Ballroom in Chicago (1921), the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR (1914), and the Carrillo Ballroom in Santa Barbara, CA (1914). The sprung floor at Blackpool Tower Ballroom dates from 1894. The UK's largest Conservative Club, Accrington Conservative Club, built in 1890, also has a sprung floor located in the Grand Ballroom that holds up to 1,000 guests.

This article deals mainly with the basic requirements and construction of sprung floors. See: Performance surface, for more on customization for different activities.

Modern sprung floors are designed to dampen bounce and so are sometimes called semi-sprung. A spring floor on the other hand is a type of floor designed to provide bounce; they are used for floor exercises in gymnastics or for cheerleading.

A sprung floor is also sometimes referred to as a floating floor. That term, though, more often refers to a floor that insulates against noise or a raised floor with ducts and wires underneath, as in computer facilities.

The top layer of a sprung floor is a performance surface. This can be either a natural material such as solid wood or engineered wood, or it can be a synthetic surface such as Vinyl, Linoleum, Polyurethane or Rubber.

A sprung floor excluding the surface is often referred to as the sub-floor. Most sprung floors require a level sub-floor to be installed.

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