With point-elastic and mix-elastic floors, the floor lies directly on the substrate. There is no supporting structure. Therefore, you will not hear a hollow sound when you jump on the floor.

It is different with area-elastic and combi-elastic floors. These floors do have a supporting structure. You often hear a hollow sound when you jump on them. This construction provides more spring and thus higher shock absorption.

Point-elastic floors are most commonly seen in the Netherlands. They are cheaper because no supporting structure is needed. The damping, however, is less than with a planar elastic floor.

A point-elastic floor usually consists of a cushioning layer of 7 mm and a molded top layer of 2 mm. On top of that comes the sports technical coating. This ensures the right level of skid resistance.

Note that the surface must be level. Unevenness can damage the top layer. This can lead to cracking or wear, especially with a thin cast layer.

A mix-elastic floor is similar to a point-elastic floor, but has a thicker carpet pad of foam or rubber. This provides a wider indentation under load.

You can feel the difference with the thumb test: press your thumb into the floor. The point-elastic floor springs only directly under your thumb. The mix-elastic floor springs more widely.

The mix-elastic floor is more expensive, but offers more comfort. However, you do lose a little more energy when moving because the floor is softer.

A planar elastic floor has a springy support structure. This makes the floor stable and gives good energy return to the athlete. This floor scores high on shock absorption.

Finishes often include wood with an oil or varnish. Wood is sensitive to moisture, but with proper maintenance it lasts a long time. The top layer can be sanded and re-finished several times.

In the long run, a planar elastic floor is a smart choice.

The combi-elastic floor is a planar elastic floor with an additional elastic intermediate layer. That layer usually consists of PVC, linoleum or a PU cast layer.

You get the comfort of a point-elastic floor as well as the stability of a planar elastic floor. This type of floor is more expensive, but combines many advantages:

• good cushioning
• no seams at casting layers
• easy to clean

Well-known Dutch brands are Pulastic, Herculan and Interline. They mainly make PU molding floors in point, mix and combi-elastic varieties.

Gerflor and Tarkett are major European brands. They make sports floors from PVC and linoleum. These are produced in the factory and welded together on site. The advantage is consistent quality. A disadvantage is that these floors are not seamless like a cast floor.

Standards for sports floors

Sports floors in Europe must comply with standard EN-14904. In the Netherlands, stricter requirements apply: the NOCNSF-US1-15 standard. Upon delivery, recognized bodies can test the floor. Examples are Kiwa ISA Sport and SGS Intron.

A point-elastic cast floor lasts an average of 25 to 30 years. Halfway through its life, it is smart to replace the top layer. Poor maintenance can shorten the lifespan.

A wood sports floor can be renovated more often. You can sand and refinish the top layer several times. After each treatment, the top layer does become slightly thinner.