South Devon College — a Gerflor Taraflex AE85 undercarriage beneath a Taraflex top surface

• Uplift and disposal of the existing floor
• Supply and fit of the AE85 elastic substructure, 23.1m x 32.1m
• Off-loading, trimming, gluing and mechanical welding of the Taraflex top surface
• 75mm sit-on flexible PVC skirting for a clean, durable finish

It is easy to assume a sports floor’s job is simply to be soft. It is not. A floor that only absorbs impact is a dead floor — players sink into it, lose their push-off, and find it heavy going within twenty minutes.

An elastic substructure like AE85 has to do two opposing things at once. It takes the impact out of a landing, protecting joints and muscles through intensive play, and it returns energy on the push-off so the floor still feels quick underfoot.

That balance is what AE85 is engineered for, and it is why it is specified for competitive multi-sport use rather than general recreational halls. A college running fixtures as well as timetabled sessions needs a floor that performs for both.

The undercarriage protects the Taraflex above it as well as the players on it.

Impact that a substructure absorbs is impact the top surface does not take. An elastic system beneath therefore extends the working life of the sheet above, which changes the economics — the undercarriage is not only a performance decision but one that delays the next replacement.

The top surface was mechanically welded into a single continuous sheet, with 75mm sit-on flexible PVC skirting around the perimeter to close the edges cleanly.

AE85 and Subflex AE are both Taraflex undercarriages, and the choice between them comes down to what the hall is for.

AE85 is the competitive multi-sport specification, built around energy return as much as absorption. Subflex AE, which we installed beneath a Taraflex Evolution SL surface at Stamford Endowed School, uses a cushioning foam and precision-cut board build-up suited to a school hall carrying a broad timetable.

Tell us what will be played on the floor and how often, and we will tell you which undercarriage the hall actually needs.

You can specify your own Gerflor sports floor online with our floor builder, and see the system and colour options before you speak to anyone: gerflorfloorbuilder.durantsports.co.uk

Every installation we have completed is plotted on our map. Tick Gerflor to see the rest: installations.durantcricket.co.uk