The Top 9 Myths About Gerriets Dancefloors – And the End of the Legend

Umkirch, 04. December 2015

Myth #1 – The name “Marley Floor”

The vinyl top-surface that dancers perform on is often referred to as a “Marley Floor.” In fact Marley Floors are no longer available.
Marley Flooring was founded in 1948 in Kent, United Kingdom. It offered a range of floor coverings – including a rolled vinyl floor that ballet dancers like the feel of.
The company stopped offering the floors in the late seventies. The term “Marley Floor” is now a general term that refers to any vinyl top surface for dance, including the Gerriets Dance Floors.

Myth #2 – Gerriets dance floors can be laid directly onto concrete

While it won’t hurt the Marley, not having a sprung surface under your dance surface it might hurt the dancers. Dancing on unsprung surfaces is hard on the body. It takes a toll on tendons, joints and bones causing fatigue that could lead to stress fractures in as little as 3-4 hours. It’s highly recommended to lay the Marley floor on top of a proper sprung floor – such as the VARIO ERGODANCE.

Myth #3 – Carpet padding and other foams can be used underneath the Gerriets floors in place of a sprung floor

Sprung floors do much more than absorb impact. They provide resilience by spreading the impact of leaps and jumps over a wide area rather than just the area where the foot lands. They also rebound quickly where other materials will compress in a small area and take time to recover, creating soft spots. Keeping your subfloor level is important because areas of your floor that are not properly supported underneath could cause your VARIO floor to tear over time.

Myth #4 – Gerriets VARIO floors need rosin

All Gerriets dance floors are designed to provide a specific amount of controlled slip without any additional materials, such as rosin. Each floor allows a different amount slip, which should be one of the factors a studio considers when choosing the floor.
Using rosin can actually make Marley floors more slippery over time.

Myth #5 – Mopping VARIO with cola is an effective way to add grip

It is actually true that the sticky cola residue will add some grip to the floor. But at the same time it will also attract dust, dirt and bugs. Cleaning the floor with a neutral pH cleaner, such as Gerriets VARIO Cleaning kit, will help restore the factory finish and return the floor to its original state of grip/slip.

Myth #6 – Gerriets dance floors are only for soft shoes

It’s true – many of our softer floors are not durable enough for hard-soled dancing, like tap or flamenco. Plus, these softer floors will muffle the sound desired by those styles of dance. However, new technology in vinyl production allows us to offer different flooring surfaces for a variety of disciplines. We also offer dense floors without a great deal of limited slip – making them an excellent choice for hard shoes like tap, clogging or Irish dance.

Myth #7 – My store-bought cleaner is good to clean my VARIO

While some household cleaners might do a decent job at cleaning your floor; many of them will do more harm than good. Ammonia based cleaners will make your floor very slippery, while abrasive cleaners may cause irreparable scratching. Gerriets manufactures concentrated pH neutral cleaners that clean up dirt, dust and body oil – ask for Gerriets VARIO Cleaning kit.

Myth #8 – VARIO floors are difficult to install

All of Gerriets’ most popular dance floors can be cut to order. This eliminates waste and results in a lighter, easier-to-handle roll for transport and installation. Permanent installation of our floors should be handled by a professional flooring contractor. However, most customers install their floors themselves with tape, which is much easier.

Myth # 9 – Gerriets Dance Floors are expensive

In fact, we are pretty sure that you would appreciate the affordability of Gerriets dance floors. They are a lot more affordable than you think. And they are available anywhere in the world.