[Organizers] Re: Community building floor

Rob Matson mentioned marley floor coverings. I don't know about whatever different versions of marley may exist, but the one instance that I've ever encountered of something described as a "marley" floor overing seemed, in my opinion, to give far too much horizontal friction for contra dancing. The idea of "a sneaker dance on a concrete floor" also strikes me as a situation with far too much horizontal friction for comfortable contra dancing. Rob also mentioned "portable and temporary sprung dance floors". I've danced on portable spring dance floors at several multi-day dance events. Setting up and removing such a temporary floor (at least any of the kinds I've encountered) seem like far too much work for a 3-hour dance. Don Veino mentioned Bona "Traffic" finish. I've danced on floors finished with this product and found the amount of friction to be right in the sweet spot for contra dancing. The friction isn't so high as to keep dancers feet from sliding at all, this stressing their knees and ankles during buzz-step swings and under-arm twirls (and during waltzes), but it's not so low as to create ta slipping hazard for figures that require a quick change of direction. And as Don said, it seem to work well in a multi-use environment. One hall that used it (no longer available for unrelated reasons) was also used for youth basketball games, and the "Traffic" finish, which (as I said) had low enough friction for contra dancing when participants were wearing dance shoes, also had high enough friction for basketball when participants were wearing sneakers. Of course having a finish that gives a not-too-sticky-but-not-too-slippery level of (horizontal) friction doesn't address concern Jim Thaxter raised about (vertical) give and springiness. A couple other points about Bona "Traffic" finish. 1) Bona "Traffic" is a specific product, not to be mistake for any product that some other manufacturer may describe as, for example, "a high-traffic floor finish" and that might or might not have similar performance. 2) Don wrote: On a floor we use that has a Bona "Traffic" finish, we've been advised not to damp mop with plain water but to use a particular Bona cleaning solution, appropriately diluted with water. I don't know how much difference that really makes, but we follow the advice, and I believe our landlord's custodian does, too. A final thought for Jim Thaxter: Perhaps this is just stating the obvious, but I think it would be good if you can identify someone from within your community who knows something about architecture/construction/carpentry (enough to sensibly assess claims about the costs of various flooring construction options, their susceptibility to long term effects of humidity, etc.) and who also really, truly understands what makes a surface comfortable or uncomfortable for contra dancing. --Jim Santa CLara, CA