Those who want to play volleyball, basketball, badminton and other fitness and club activities should find somewhere other than the Upper Gym in the RPAC for about a month.

Starting today, the gymnasium space will take a month-long hiatus from activity as it undergoes floor repairs.

Diane Jensen, associate director of facilities for recreational sports, said the floor finish in the Upper Gym is peeling, leaving sections of the wood underneath exposed.

“In order to return the wood floor to its original performance standard, the entire floor must be sanded down to bare wood, sport lines repainted and finish re-applied,” she said.

Cincinnati Floors is doing the repairs, which will cost about $24,665, to fix the 24,166-square foot gym’s floor, Jensen said.

Greg Smith, a second-year in communications, was surprised to learn of the Upper Gym’s temporary closure. Smith, who plays basketball in the gym about twice a week, said he never noticed any peeling on the court. He said he’d feel an impact on not being able to use it for a month. 

“This is my favorite court; it’s the most popular,” Smith said.

Jensen said an expedited timeline is a necessity because the repairs must be completed before the scheduled summer usage begins.

“The company will work double shifts during the sanding portion of the project in order to shorten the timeline required to complete the project,” Jensen said.

Jensen said she is unsure why the current floor finish failed, but it could be because of incorrect application or a change in product.

“It’s all speculation at this point, what was important to us was to get it fixed,” she said.

Jensen said it’s normal for wood floors to be maintained annually and undergo extensive repairs multiple times in their lifetimes.

“It’s typically done every 10 to 12 years so it’s not unusual we would do that, it just is to do it in this short of time,” she said, adding that the Upper Gym floor has gone 6 years since its last sand, paint and finish.

While the Upper Gym is closed, its normally-scheduled usage has been canceled or moved to different locations, Jensen said.

“All activities from May 12 through the duration of the project have been relocated to other gymnasium space in the RPAC, with a reduction in some informal recreation opportunities,” she said.

Jamie Fox, a second-year in engineering, said problems with the flooring were not obvious.

“I didn’t notice the floor, but I haven’t been there in a while,” he said.

Fox used to play volleyball in the gymnasium Winter Quarter but has now set his sights on another sport.

“The racquetball courts are where it’s at,” Fox said.