How to Build a Portable Dance Floor
Dancing on a proper floor will help prevent injury, and help you build your dance skills in the safest environment possible. While it is tempting to dance on an improper surface, it is vitally important to dance on a proper surface. Building your own dance floor is a big project, but it is worth it, and not as hard as you might think.
Things You'll Need
- Enough one-inch plywood to cover the entire surface twice
- EVA foam blocks
- Table saw
- Tar Paper
- Liquid Glue
- Sand Paper
- Whatever you are going to use to cover the floor
Instructions
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1
It is important to put something between the concrete base that is already in place, and the floor above, to prevent moisture from getting under the floor. You could use plastic for this, but I recommend tar paper, as it is much easier to work with.
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2
Lay the first layer of plywood. This will be the base of your floor, so it is important that it is perfectly level. It does not have to be pretty, since it will be covered, but it must be secure, as the rest of the floor will be placed on top of this layer.
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3
Place the Foam squares on the floor. This commonly comes in bricks, but it may be cheaper to buy large sheets of the foam. If you buy sheets of foam, you should cut it into 2 foot square blocks. Place the blocks in a grid, several inches apart, and attach them firmly to the plywood. It is important that they are attached firmly, so that they do not become loose over time.
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4
Place the final layer of plywood on top of the foam blocks. Once you have insured that the surface is level, attach the plywood to the foam blocks. Again, the surface must be perfectly level, and securely attached. It is important that the floor not shift from side to side, so be sure that this layer is securely attached to the foam blocks.
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5
Carefully sand the edges of the plywood so that the surface is perfectly smooth and level. This is important because any splinters could cause injury to the dancers, or damage the dance surface. Once the surface is perfectly smooth you can add the final layer. This can be wood or marley, whichever is necessary for the type of dance to be performed on the floor.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful to add adequate cushion to the floor, as there is nothing worse than dancing on a hard floor. An inadequate floor will lead to injuries over time, so it is important not to take shortcuts in building your floor.
