Those who maintain buildings that they rent out for events and add more value by installing a wood dance floor. A professionally-made ballroom dance floor adds versatility to a large room and provide comfort for dancers (not to mention the fact that it's an excellent surface for other activities, including tap, ballet and even yoga and other types of exercise), expanding the number of potential clients willing to pay higher rental fees for a better venue. You should be aware however that not all wooden dance floors are created equal; here's some useful information about what makes for a top-quality wood dance floor.

Good Materials

Any type of wooden dance floor, whether it's a general ballroom dance floor, ballet dance floor, tap dance floor or exercise surface needs to be made of good, solid hardwood. Maple coated with urethane is the most expensive but also the best surface for a wood dance floor, most able to stand up to the constant pounding of dancing feet while providing adequate "speed," or slipperiness. Other options include ash and birch.

If the room is to be used as a studio for repetitive or percussive dance (for example, a tap dance floor), it might be better to have what is known as a "sprung" floor. This is a multi-layered dance surface that has a layer of spongy material. This provides some "give," which makes the surface easier on bones and joints than an unyielding solid dance floor over a concrete surface - and is definitely something that dancers will appreciate!

Speed

There is a balancing act when it comes to a ballroom dance floor in particular. This is known as "speed," or slip; essentially, the ease with which dancers' feet can slide over the surface. Most ballet dance floors and other surfaces have a protective coating of urethane over them, which either adds or takes away from the surfaces "speed" (it's how these coatings are rated). If a urethane coating has too much speed, a wood dance floor may be too slippery, creating an injury risk. On the other hand, urethane coating that has too little speed will make a wooden dance floor too sticky, detracting from the enjoyment of ballroom and other forms of dance. Generally, for ballroom dancing purposes, a medium-speed coating is best.

Versatility

You'll be happy to know that wood dance flooring is available in sections that can be laid down in numerous configurations to fit a wide variety of rooms. These type of dance flooring can also be put away and stored when not in use.