Stage Padding

Options for Stage Padding

When your school or church gymnasium has a stage that hosts concerts, plays, and other non-sports activities, finding the right stage padding is an important consideration. Cushioned pads mounted along the stage protect areas where athletes could crash or fall.

At Greatmats, we offer several different types of foam and vinyl stage padding that look great. The pads can even contain a custom logo or graphical branding for the school or athletic teams. Padding for stages makes the performance possible while keeping the area safe for athletics at other times.

About Stage Padding

This style of padding is L-shaped. The top return sits on top of the edge of the stage, while the main section of the pad hangs downward over the front of the stage structure, providing protection. At Greatmats, we offer custom lengths up to 4ft per panel for the padding on the front of the stage.

We also offer custom options if you need curved padding to match the construction of your facility's stage area.

Types of Stage Mats

We offer four types of stage pad options.

Removable
If you have storage areas underneath the stage, removable pads are available that use hook and loop systems to pull the padding loose when you don’t need it. 

• Hook and Loop - One side of the velcro is sewn to the mats and the other side comes in a rail that is fastened to the stage.
  
• Grommets - A vinyl flange with grommets every 12'' is sewn to the mats at the very top of the stage pad and it is optional to have another vinyl flange with grommets along the bottom.
  

Fixed
This option of stage padding will be a wood-backed style product and is not flexible. These work well if you do not have storage under your stage and if you intend to keep the pads up permanently.

• Direct Screw - These will have a 1'' attachment lip at the very top of the top return and the bottom of the pads. They can be fastened directly to the stage.
  
• Z Clip - This style of pads will come with a z-clip to mount to the front or top of the stage and smaller clips to mount of the back of the pads. The pads will slide down into the z-clip track system.
  

Features and Benefits of Stage Pads

Our stage mats offer multiple features and benefits for schools and other locations.

Foam Materials

The padding core consists of high-density, cross-linked polyethylene foam. This foam has enough firmness to allow the pad to hold its shape. It also has enough cushioning to compress under the impact of someone crashing into it. The pad then returns immediately to its original shape.

This design allows the foam to take on the force of the impact, transferring it away from the athlete.

Vinyl Covering

The foam covers consist of either a leather-embossed 18.5-ounce vinyl-coated polyester covering. Depending on the cover ordered, it offers tear resistance, UV resistance, an anti-mildew coating, and a flame-retardant coating.

Color and Logo Options

The vinyl covering is available in more than a dozen different color choices. Match the color of the vinyl to the school's team colors, if desired. You can order the entire length of the padding in one color, or you can alternate colors in adjacent segments. Custom graphics can be added to the surface of the vinyl on some of the pad segments.

Ease of Installation

Depending on the model of padding that you select, you have a few different options for the installation process. With one option, you’ll attach a rail to the stage before sliding hook-and-loop fabric into the rail. The opposite segment of the hook-and-loop fabric would be attached to the underside of the foam padding. When you press the two fabric strips together, it holds the matting in place.

Another option involves attaching a segment of hook-and-loop fabric to the stage wall, facing the gymnasium. You’d then attach the other segment of fabric to the back of the pads, pressing the two hook-and-loop fabrics together to hold the padding in place.

Where to Use Stage Padding

Placing these pads along the hard edge of the stage provides protection when basketball players or volleyball players are running to try to save a ball near the stage.

If the athlete crashes into the pad with an elbow or knee, the padding will help prevent a painful bruise or worse. Should a player stumble near the stage and fall, the length of padding hanging near the gym floor can protect the player’s head from a dangerous collision with the wooden stage. Custom cutouts are available to accommodate electrical outlets that may be on the wall.

Places you can use the safety padding for stages include:

• Athletic gymnasium
  
• High school
  
• Middle school
  
• Elementary school
  
• College
  
• Church
  
• YMCA
  
• Auditorium
  
• Theater

Stage Padding Q&A

What are the differences among stage padding styles?

At Greatmats, we offer different stage padding styles to match your needs. We have pads that use different connection systems to remain tight to the stage. We offer various shapes and dimensions to match your facility’s size. Various colors with the addition of custom graphics or lettering are available. 

What are some safety stage pads and mats for schools and gymnasiums?

A stage pad is the ideal selection in a space at a school or church where more than one activity occurs. Some of the safety stage pads and mats work in areas where you may have a practice or performance space for a band, choir, or drama group, while also holding athletic practices in the gym space. These pads provide safety benefits by allowing the 2-inch thick foam to absorb the impact of someone running into them.