****BUYER BEWARE****

Very important things to know regarding processes and products when hiring
a gym floor contractor or purchasing product.

Gym Floor work is governed in the United States by the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA).  You can
visit their website at www.maplefloor.org.  This Association manages many of the processes that will be done on your
gym floor as well as dictating what is acceptable on your gym floor.  The purpose of this notice is to let you, the customer,
know that although many things are considered “acceptable” in the wood floor industry, this many times becomes
very deceiving.  There are many processes and products that can be used that are well above “acceptable” which
will ultimately play a role in the final quality and performance of your wood floor.  The following is a brief description
of many products and processes that may help you in your endeavor.  We sincerely hope that you consider this info
when choosing a gym floor contractor to do the work.  We at Jason Thomas Flooring, Inc. also want to inform you
that we consider our processes and products to be well above standard, which may or may not influence your
decision when considering low bid on your project(s). 

Facts when considering the sanding process to be done for re-coating vs. re-sanding completely
  
• Standard MFMA sanding techniques require a coarse, medium and fine cut sanding system (3 cuts)
• Jason Thomas Flooring Sands using a minimum four (4) cut sanding system that is above MFMA Standards.

Facts when considering types, brands and coat sequence of sealer and finish
 
• Seal and Finish used should be on the MFMA website under “Literature, Finish List”.  This is
   important because these finishes are tested specifically for this use and are not the same as any
   janitorial supply companies seal and finish.
• Understand the basic differences between Oil Modified and Waterbased seal and finish as follows:
• Jason Thomas Flooring Inc. only uses MFMA products and follows the specifications at or above
   standard requirements by each manufacturer for preparation and application.

Facts when considering game lines, logos, letters, etc..  

• It is very typical, for a contractor to save money, to use an overhead projector and hand eye
  coordination when taping out letters and logos for painting.  This process tends to leave uneven
  letters (disproportionate to each other) and crooked lines.  To combat this problem, Jason Thomas
  Flooring, Inc. only uses computer generated letters and logos to your exact specification, including
  exact font, size, placement, etc.. This enhances the look of the floor and gives you the type of quality
  you should expect in a finished floor.  We provide proofs for your acceptance before beginning the work.
• It is common for a gym floor installer to paint game lines that are not within standard sizes.  Jason
  Thomas Flooring, Inc. is well within standard allowances for being exact as listed by the NFHS
  (National Federation of H.S. Sports) and the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association)
  To combat this typical problem, please work with the contractor as preparation for painting is being
  done, as well as measure for yourself and check to make sure lines are painted in order of precedence
  (Such as main basketball takes precedence over main volleyball) to insure the appropriate work is
   being done. 

Facts when considering Game Line Paints  

• It is suggested that paints used are made specifically for gym floor use such as “Hillyard”, “Bona”, 
  “PoloPlaz” to minimize potential problems that typically arise from other paints.  Typical problems  
  are listed under “Position Statements” on the MFMA website.  Examples of problems are finish
  peeling over the painted surface, paint chipping away from the seams, and phenomenon’s such as
  an orange peel affect when the paint is applied (paint looks like the peel of an orange).  These
  problems and more are very common in paints that are not made specifically for gym floors such as
  Sherwin Williams, Mautz, Diamond Vogel, etc.. Jason Thomas Flooring, Inc. uses paints made for
  gym floor paint.

Facts when considering floor tape for painting graphics or use after the floor is finished.
• It is also typical for contractors to use cheap masking tape (typical tan color) when taping game
  lines.  Again, although acceptable, it is very common for these tapes to leave adhesive residue
  behind when pulled after painting; therefore, when the paint is abraded (prepped for finish or buffed
  for finish) the little amount of dust tends to stick to this residue, leaving behind a shadow or
  silhouette of colored dust that cannot be removed (even with commercial chemical removers) and
  will remain in the finished floor.  Jason Thomas Flooring, Inc. only uses the best quality blue tape to
  help eliminate this common problem.  

Other Basic (IMPORTANT) Facts Regarding your floor work.  

• It is important to make sure your gym floor contractor tapes off any floor inserts that you may have
  before applying sealer or finish.  If not applied, seal or finish will bleed into the cracks and sometimes glue the
  insert shut.  This may result in damage to the insert when opened (such as for
  volleyball) and may become expensive to replace.  Jason Thomas Flooring, Inc. makes sure to do
  this process.
• Please call with any other questions.  Thank you. 
 
Hopefully this informative list will help you when considering who will do your gym floor work. You will most likely see
many proposals that will be given to you that do not consider many of the things as noted above.  **PLEASE NOTE
THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO COMPARE  “APPLES TO APPLES” WHEN CONSIDERING THE PROCESS AND
PRODUCTS USED BY WHO WILL DO YOUR WORK.  For more information regarding the importance of any of the
above or any other information you wish to discuss, please feel free to give us a call at your convenience.  
We appreciate your consideration and interest in Jason Thomas Flooring, Inc.  All best wishes,
 

Jason J. Heiman                       
President