Dance Subfloors

Although the dance floor is the star of the show, pay attention to the supporting dance floor subfloor that you will select as well. This underlayment provides cushion, support, and noise reduction, while enhancing the safety of the surface layer for dancing.

Whether creating a dance floor subfloor at home or at a studio setting, Greatmats provides a wide range of suitable materials. They will go over concrete, hardwood, vinyl, or carpet subflooring.

Size and Shape Options

Our dance floor subfloor models are available in a wide range of sizes, giving installers the opportunity to find a product that will cover the exact amount of space required.

The most common type of subflooring will appear in a roll format. This option will fit nicely in a cheap budget, as it carries a lower cost per square foot than individual tiles.

Many of the foam or rubber rolls are available in 4-foot widths with custom cut lengths. This gives customers the ability to order the exact coverage space they want to fill a wide-open studio setting.

For creating a practice space at home, a smaller coverage space is desirable. We offer subfloor pad models that cover a space of about 10 by 10 feet, so the entire layout will fit in a spare bedroom, for example.

With individual interlocking tiles, you can create an even smaller space for a single person to practice, if desired.

Material Options

It is important for dance floor subfloor models to provide cushioning, anti fatigue properties, and a no-slip capability, so the upper dance flooring layer does not slide around as the dancer is using it.

Rubber and foam rolls are common for this use case. They are easy to use, and they have the cushioning required to better protect the lower body joints of the dancers from repetitive stress injuries.

To create a firmer subfloor, which is ideal when going over carpet, polypropylene plastic tiles are better. You then could add a roll of foam over the tile layout for cushion, if desired.

One final option in a subfloor for dance practice is to use sprung floor panels that interlock. This is a floating floor package that delivers bounce back for dance styles like ballet, tap, modern, folk, and Irish dancing.

Pattern and Texture Options

Because you will be covering the marley dance floor subfloor with another type of dance flooring, the look of the flooring is not as important. No one will see the materials.

Focus more on the color, texture, and style of the actual dance flooring that will go over the top.

Common Use Options

The majority of our products in this category will work only as subflooring options for dance practice. However, a few options may have dual-use cases.

Some of the rubber rolls are suitable for use as either a dance floor underlayment or as an athletic floor. For example, we offer rubber rolls that can serve as a flooring layer for plyometric workouts or as dance underlayment.

Firm polypropylene plastic interlocking tiles can work as a top-layer athletic floor too. Some people use these to create a volleyball or basketball floor, as well as a dance practice subfloor.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the thickness of the dance floor subfloor. Thicker models using foam or rubber will provide the maximum level of cushioning, but they also will be heavier to move around. Storing thicker rolls could be a hassle as well.

Rolls of this material typically range in thickness from about 1/4 to 1/2 inches.

If using sprung floor panels instead, expect to have a thickness measurement of 1 to 2 inches.

You then will have to add another layer for the dance vinyl floor itself, which may add around 1/8 inches of thickness to the layout.

Installation Options

When placing a roll of flooring down as the subflooring for dance practice, you can use tape to hold it in place, if desired. Over a large space, though, you may not need to tape it, as its weight may hold it in place.

For interlocking tiles, just connect enough of them to create the desired coverage space. For the plastic tiles, align the tabs on one tile to the loop on the adjacent tile and pop them together.

With the interlocking sprung floor panels, you will need to align and connect the tabs between each panel before screwing the exterior panels into a frame that goes around the perimeter of the layout.

Cleaning and Maintenance Requirements

Because this flooring sits underneath a dance floor layer, cleaning and maintenance requirements are minimal. They shouldn’t receive much exposure to foot traffic or soils, which reduces the amount of time required for cleaning.

If necessary, you can sweep the flooring with a broom, run a vacuum over the top, or use a dry microfiber mop.

For stubborn soils, it is possible to wet mop the flooring with a neutral pH cleaner, but this should not have to occur very often. Always allow the material to dry fully before placing it in storage.