What should you use to protect the
floor of a hired hall?

Ideally you need to have something to cover the floor with, that eliminates the chance of any marks.

1. The cheapest solution
Many schools use an off-cut of kitchen floor covering, either vinyl or linoleum. If you have a good relationship the hall will usually allow you to store the roll at the hall between classes. The flooring is fairly lightweight, so is ideal for a class of younger children to handle.It is possible that a local store might donate a partially used roll of an end of line stock but even if purchased this can be a reasonably priced solution, as it is reasonably hard wearing.

A major drawback is that this type of flooring usually needs to be laid flat for several hours before it loses the curl of the roll, making the floor a little uneven. Using Duct tape along the edge can help, pull the flooring tight and tape all around. This will also minimise any potential movement. If using 2 pieces laid side by side then you will need to tape the joints to avoid the edges lifting. Sound quality is usually reasonable, and the surface gives a reasonable level of grip.

2. Buy a dance floor
There are several proprietary brands of "proper" dance flooring (e.g. Jubilee Floors USA, Harlequin Floors USA/UK). Many of these have wooden look or vinyl surfaces, with a rubberised backing to allow a little "give" in the floor for dancers. Most brands are modular, allowing pieces to be locked together to form any size or shape (within reason) of floor. Some are supplied as loose stiff tiles, and some are supplied on a roll. . Because of its size it tends to need a lot of storage space, and in roll form is also very heavy, so is more suited to handling by adults. Sound quality is exceptional due to the hard surface, and this gives a reasonable level of grip.

Feis organisers may find this ideal for their feis, but it would entail a major investment, and may cause storage problems. It would also be ideal for taking to venues when doing displays. Depending on the brand, and the type of flooring chosen, this can be a very expensive option, so would be unsuitable for smaller schools, although it should last for a very long time.

Typical cost of a 6ft x 6ft (2m x 2m approx) floor
Jubilee panels would be about £180 which is equivalent to £45 per square metre

3. Vinyl dance floors
Generally speaking the most practical solution is likely to be to buy a proper Vinyl dance floor as used by major ballet companies and theatres etc. This can be supplied by companies such as Harlequin Floors and Gerriets, and is sold as either rolls or lengths cut from the roll) This is similar to the cheap option but the vinyl is far more resilient. When rolled out it lays flat almost immediately, and simply needs securing at the edges with tape. Any joints are made with a proper vinyl tape. Unlike option 1 it is usually double sided, with the sides in contrasting colours, which might suit for displays etc.

Storage is easy as a roll is usually about 6ft (2m approx.) wide, and the vinyl is also very thin. However it is also very dense making a full roll very heavy, and before cutting would definitely need to be handled by two persons. Sound quality is excellent, and there is a good level of grip. Ideal for dance classes and for use by feis organisers. This type of flooring is very cost effective as it is usually guaranteed for 5 years of use by dancers!

Typical cost of a 5m x 4m floor
Gerriets Vario Vinyl flooring would be £280 which is equivalent to £14 per square metre

We have tried Gerriets Vario flooring and are happy to recommend its use for Irish Dancing. The company has divisions in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Austria, the United States and the UK so you should find a source near you.

Our flooring was supplied by Gerriets Great Britain whose offices are situated at
18 Verney Road, London SE16 3DH.
If you'd like further information on their products contact Roz on 0207 639 7704. We found her and her colleagues to be very helpful.

Gerriets Vario dance floor is available in two widths (1.6m & 2m). It is 1.2mm thick and weighs 1.6kg per square metre. Vario is one colour on its upper surface and a different colour on its lower surface, and is totally reversible.
Colours available are as follows:
Black/White
Black/Grey
Yellow/Blue
Grey/Brown
Blue/Green
Red/Beige