Ballet Flooring for Kids Rooms

Professional ballet is performed on sprung floors.

Installing ballet flooring in your child's bedroom is a more difficult proposition than you might expect. Ballet floors and other hardwood fitness/exercise floors are actually sprung floors that help to reduce injuries and make walking and dancing on the floors more comfortable. This may not be the best option for a room that also has to contend with the weight of a bedroom set as well as the dancer. Still, you can install a ballet floor or a look-alike hardwood floor in your little one's bedroom if you use the right technique.

Hardwood Flooring

Standard hardwood flooring can be used in a child's room to replicate the appearance of a ballet studio, and it could even be used for light practice sessions or exercises such as toe raises or knee bends. Hardwood flooring in a bedroom is also unlikely to decrease the overall value of your home or require removal prior to your selling the house. The single greatest benefit of hardwood floors, however, is that the furniture inside the bedroom can remain without damaging the floor.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring used to replicate ballet flooring in a child's room has the same benefits that you find in hardwood flooring, primarily because the laminate is constructed with plywood that has a hardwood surface suitable for staining and finishing. High-end laminates may already have been stained and finished, making them ready for installation out of the box.

Ballet Flooring

True ballet flooring consists of three layers. The first layer is the spring, which is a rubber square glued to the floor in a grid pattern. The second layer is a plywood substrate glued to the rubber squares. The third and final layer is the actual hardwood surface of the floor. This style of flooring gives the floor a springy feel, helping to absorb the shock of a dancer's jumps. The protection afforded to dancers by this style of flooring comes at a price. Not only does it raise the level of the floor, but it is considerably more expensive to install than standard hardwood or laminate. In addition, if you intend to use true ballet flooring in a child's bedroom, the weight of the child's dresser and bed will eventually cause the floor to sag and deform. This means that the floor will likely require removal if you ever sell the house.

Hybrid Flooring

A hybrid floor works best if you don't want a full ballet floor in your child's room, but you do want the child to be able to fully practice routines. This can be accomplished by building a 5-by-5-foot section of raised dance floor in one corner of the room and then installing hardwood floors at a slightly lower level in the remainder of the room. By installing a block of hardwood trim around the base of the raised dance floor, you'll maintain the overall look of the wood floor while providing a place for your child to practice safely.

References

• "Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation & Finishing"; Charles Peterson; 2010
• "Building Type Basics for Performing Arts Facilities"; Hugh Hardy; 2006
• "Room for Children: Stylish Spaces for Sleep and Play"; Susanna Salk; 2010