Viking Gym Floor Receives Repairs and Renovations

The playing surface inside Viking Gymnasium on the campus of Avery High School is undergoing renovation during the summer recess. The playing surface itself is being replaced, along with portions of the sub-flooring that was in disrepair.

“There were a number of dead spots and chipping occurring on the playing surface that necessitated the repairs,” Avery High School Principal Mark Garrett stated in an interview on the renovation site last week. “The seams in areas of the floor system below the playing surface where the sleepers met had some joint damage.”

The project of replacing and renovating the playing surface was a 2-3 year process. Funds allocated for the repairs were approved almost a year ago from county commissioners, according to Principal Garrett, but because a repair last summer would have affected fall sports, the school elected to delay the renovation until this summer, a move which allowed the school to look at several options in flooring renovation and shop the best value for the work.

“There was a good portion of the original flooring that was still intact and in good condition. About two-thirds of the sub-floor toward the concession stand half of the court was replaced due to water damage around 20 years ago. A lot of the original flooring below the surface will still be there as part of the two-ply sub-floor, with the playing surface over it,” Principal Garrett added.

While much of the old wood playing surface was primarily torn out and disposed of in a dumpster above the school, Avery officials elected to cut out into one piece the original center jump circle with the Avery “A”.

“The old “A” cutout will be integrated in the gym in a way I believe people will like,” said Avery Athletic Director Matthew Bentley earlier this week.

Although the playing surface will be repaired and new, officials are hesitant to divulge exactly what will be painted on the new Viking Gym floor. They did state that it would be a mix of familiar and modern.

“Once everything is sanded together we will add the design, with everything hopefully completed by mid-July,” Principal Garrett stated. “We hope that the new design will marry the current building style and other recent renovations on campus with some of the older, traditional designs.”

Because of renovations, several of the summer camps normally reserved for the Avery High School Gym have been relocated. The school blocked off the Cranberry Middle School gymnasium for high school open gym and sports camps usage for the rest of the month of June.