Choosing a tap floor that serves your needs can be a tricky endeavor. Below are some tips to help you choose a floor that’s just right for you.
Tip #1
Don’t tap on cement.
Tapping on cement can damage your ankles, knees, and back. A piece of wood, or tiles laid directly on top of cement is no better. So all cement floors are out. Period.
Tip #2
Think twice before using your hardwood floors.
You can tap on hardwood floors but you will also ruin that floor. If you really want to use that floor I recommend putting a layer of linoleum on top of it to protect the hardwood. Just make sure the linoleum is thick enough so that you can’t dent the hardwood through it. Your tap sounds on linoleum will be a little quieter, but you’ll still be able to hear them just fine. In fact that can be a good thing if you don’t want someone at the other end of the house to hear you tapping.
Tip #3
Know what you want and need.
Think about the following:
How many people will be tapping (just you, or friends too)?
Do you want a loud, quiet, or in between floor?
How many hours a week will you be tapping on it?
What is your budget?
Tip #4
Determine how much space you have and where to put your floor.
Some of you may have an entire spare bedroom all to yourself, whereas others only have a little 3ft by 3ft square in their closet to use. Right off the bat knowing how much space you have will help you decide if you want a portable floor or a more permanent/semi-permanent installation.
I also recommend you take time to think about the space you are choosing. Does it have good ventilation? Is there plenty of room to move around? Does it have access to a video screen or music player (in case you want to tap to music or with a video)? Is it on the second floor above a baby’s room? How far is the noise going to travel through the house? Is it in a place people will be constantly walking by and distracting you? These are all things to consider when choosing where to put your floor.
Also, keep in mind you are most likely going to be sweating. A lot. So putting that tap floor in your clothes closet is not a great idea unless that’s your only option. If you can put the floor in a room with an open window, that’s ideal so it can air out after you work out. A ceiling fan is also a bonus. If you need to do some soundproofing check out sound absorption sheets at audimute.com. I use them and they definitely help. Make no mistake though you can still hear my taps in the next room, just not as loud.
Tip #5
Decide between a portable and a permanent/semi-permanent floor.
Once you know how much space you have and where you’re going to put your floor, decide if you want a permanent/semi-permanent floor or a portable one you can stow under your bed or in a closet. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of each. If possible I recommend choosing a permanent/semi-permanent option. The little bit of added convenience of having the floor already laid out and ready to go will make you much more likely to practice. Seeing that floor laid out will be like having a personal invitation to go tap on it the same way someone putting a plate of cookies right next to you (hungry or not) makes you want to eat one! Of course the downside is that if you ever have to move the floor it can be a time consuming endeavor.
A portable floor is great in that it can be stored out of sight and it’s also great for traveling (maybe you have a tap buddy and want to tap at their house). The downside is that they are usually small. Some are expandable but some are not, so they can limit you in your ability to move traveling steps. In terms of cost, your initial instinct may be that a portable tap floor is cheaper, but I can tell you that’s not always the case.
Tip #6
Know your options for a permanent/semi-permanent floor.
There are a hundred different ways to approach putting down a permanent/semi-permanent floor. On the high end you have harlequinfloors.com and stagestep.com which both offer complete packages that will give you a proper subfloor to absorb impacts and a choice of finishes on top. Expect to pay between $500 and $2000 for a complete set up ranging in size from 6ft by 6ft to 8ft by 10ft. Those on a tight budget may want to make their own tap floor.
– DIY FLOORING OPTIONS
Let me outline the general idea of what you need. Let’s start with the bottom layer which should be some type of cushioning material. If your carpet has really thick padding you can use it as your bottom cushioning layer, but if not you’ll need to purchase something. There are many different options for this layer from carpet padding (pretty cheap and easy to find, but make sure it’s thick enough to absorb your impacts) to interlocking exercise mats (I no longer recommend these) to foam (I now use slices of pool noodles).
You want to make sure you have the right balance between absorption and support. If your cushioning is too soft it will allow your floor to sink down when you tap on it. That’s not comfortable and decreases the accuracy of your tapping. If you get cushioning that is too thin or too hard it won’t give you the absorption your body needs and you could end up with sore ankles or knees and an aching back. The cushioning should give a little but not too much.
I used to use interlocking exercise mats but switched to slices of pool noodles and I find the noodle slices to be far superior (I cut them about 1 to 1.5 inches thick and glue them 1 foot apart from each other on the underside of my sub-floor).
From here you have two different directions you can go. Your first option is to just put a layer of wood on top of your cushioning layer and tap on that. Your second option is to put a layer of wood (this is the sub-floor) on top of the cushioning layer then put another layer of either linoleum, laminate, or finished hardwood on top of that.
Let’s discuss the first option in further detail. The first question is what type of wood should you choose? Each kind has its advantages and disadvantages.
Particle Board
Let’s start with particle board since it’s generally the cheapest. Particle board can work but is more prone to cracking (especially if you don’t get a thick enough piece) and to breaking down (chipping and gouging) than some other options. Many people find it to be a bit slick as well. If you are still set on using particle board, just make sure you get a thick piece (I recommend ¾ inch or thicker) and that the piece is not bowed. Particle board also tends to be a little quieter than some other types of wood such as plywood.
Plywood
Speaking of plywood let’s talk about its pros and cons. Plywood tends to be loud and sturdy but the top layer will eventually chip away (this depends on how hard and how often you tap – some people will get years of use out of a piece of plywood whereas others might get 6 months). If you are going to use plywood I recommend you get ¾ inch thick and again make sure it’s not bowed.
OSB
There is one other option which in some ways is a hybrid of particle board and plywood. It’s called oriented strand board or OSB for short. Like plywood this will break down over time – I find it breaks down faster than plywood and it’s messier as well when little chips and chunks come off. It is cheaper than plywood though. As with the other types of wood I recommend ¾ inch or thicker.
You can add several coats of polyurethane to any of the above options and that will increase their durability over time especially the OSB. Of the 3 above options, my overall recommendation is for plywood.
Linoleum/Vinyl Tile
You can buy cheap rolls of linoleum or cheap vinyl tiles to place on the surface of any of the woods listed above. This can greatly extend the life of the wood and if the linoleum wears out you can replace it cheaply and easily. This will reduce the volume of your tapping (possibly a good thing inside the house) – and it can extend the life of your floor. Note some linoleum/tiles are slippery so choose wisely!
So those are your cheapest options to put on top of the cushioning layer, but what if you want something a little nicer?
Laminate Flooring
One option is laminate flooring (that’s what I currently use). It certainly looks nicer and the finish layer on top is usually pretty durable. However it’s usually not particularly thick because it’s meant to be laid on top of a subfloor, not directly on a cushioning layer. So if you use laminate I recommend you have a sub-floor underneath it (I have an OSB sub-floor under my laminate).
Be careful when choosing laminate – it can be slippery! Getting textured laminate can reduce the slipperiness but may increase your chances of getting scraping sounds when tapping instead of clean sounds. The laminate I use was VERY slippery at first – in fact I was worried I made a huge mistake in purchasing it. However after putting some careful tap time on it – the slipperiness went away and I feel very safe on it now.
Your laminate may wear out! Mine does! It’s cheap enough though that I just replace the worn out planks with new ones (I buy extra). Laminate tends to be much quieter than plywood and even a bit tinny. For me I’m okay with that trade off as it lasts longer than plywood for me and prevents my tap sounds from traveling as far through my house.
Real Hardwood
The last option is real hardwood. You’re going to need some type of subfloor for this – you can’t lay it directly on concrete. If it starts to get beat up you can just sand it down since it’s real hardwood – but keep in mind it WILL get beaten up! Real hardwood is also likely to be loud.
Tip #7
Know your options for a portable tap floor.
The first thing to figure out is if you want a floor with the cushioning built in or if you’ll be putting it on a cushioned surface at home. If you need a floor with built in cushioning you can get one from portabletapfloor.com. They have different options from a cheaper OSB board to a more expensive plywood board (their floors have a coating on them to make them last longer than bare wood). Also on the cheaper end of the price spectrum is the IncStores modular floor (at amazon.com). The basic version comes with 9 “1ft by 1ft” plastic/resin tiles (they are elevated but not cushioned) and runs less than $100. You have to connect the tiles yourself, but they do have a locking mechanism that keeps them in place. The nice thing about this floor is that it’s expandable, meaning you can get 2 of these floors and connect them together. I have a student who put it on top of carpet. The carpet gave her good cushioning but the floor really seemed to sink down when she stepped or jumped on it. It didn’t bother her but I recommended she put a piece of particle board or plywood underneath it.
Next up you have various tap boards that are just slabs of wood, some with handles or carrying bags, at all different price points. These include the Fasfoot board at fasfoot.com (no letter “t” intentionally), the Stagestep tap board at stagestep.com, and the Jubilee floor at jubileedancefloor.com. I’m sure there are more on the market if you do a search – there are always newcomers to this space. The Fasfoot and Jubilee boards allow you to connect multiple boards together which is great if you want a larger tapping surface. Another option which consists of an elevated board on top of thinner strips of wood is the Tappin’ Floor at tappinfloor.com.
Another approach to the portable floor is the roll-out floor. It’s a bunch of thin strips of wood connected together allowing you to literally roll up the floor. To be honest I’ve never tried one of these before so I can’t say if they’re a good option or not. They are very easy to transport though and you can find these at stagestep.com and harlequinfloors.com.
Tip #8
Taking care of your floor.
As I mentioned before you always have the option of putting linoleum or stick-on vinyl tiles over any floor you get. Again, the advantages to doing so are how easy it is to replace that top layer if it starts to wear and that it deadens the sound a bit (good for inside a house). While tapping on your new floor, you may find you get a lot of what looks like black dust as you tap. This is oxidation from the aluminum taps on your shoes. There’s no real way to prevent this at this time so you just have to clean it up as you go. I recommend doing so every once in a while so it doesn’t get ground into the finish of your floor. Also make sure your screws are always tight on your taps. A loose screw will cut a big gouge in your floor. If that does happen just get some wood filler and fill the hole. Don’t expect to fill it completely on the first try though. Put a layer of filler in the hole and let it dry and harden. Usually it will shrink a bit as it dries making it not quite level with the surface of the floor. That’s normal so just put another layer on top of that until it’s finally level. Some people like to put a polyurethane finish on top of their floor to protect the wood. You can do this if you like but keep in mind it will chip away eventually.
With those 8 tips for choosing a tap floor you should be able to find a good surface to tap on!