Aquatic Safety Surfacing

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Life Floor Announces Major Expansion of U.S. Partner Network

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Life Floor is thrilled to welcome seven new partners to our Registered Aquatic Partner program and Installer Network. This significant expansion enables us to better serve our customers through improved mobilization, tailored customer support, and reduced overall installation costs for our products.

In addition to our already established partnerships with Baynum Amusement Solutions and Fischer Brothers, LLC., we’d like to extend a warm welcome to Concrete Science, Full Sail Marine, Headwater Construction Group, Horizon Commercial Pools, Landmark Aquatic, Norberto Construction, and Safe Slide Restoration. Continue reading to learn more about each of our new partners.

Concrete Science

Concrete Science is a 120 person Concrete and Coatings Construction company based out of Minneapolis MN. They were started in 1973 and are a family owned start up, formerly Hicks Concrete. They have 4 Divisions: Commercial Concrete, Decorative Concrete, Industrial/ Residential Coatings, and Aquatics. They are highly diverse, but also highly specialized. They have crews that travel year-round as well specializing in waterpark flooring. Their second office is in Fort Myers, Florida.

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FULL SAIL MARINE

Founded in 2017, Full Sail Marine, LLC is a leading maritime maintenance service provider of specialized services to the marine industry. Their comprehensive offerings include turnkey solutions for waterpark structure & finish repair and refurbishment and repair, whirlpool supply & repair, and ADA access equipment supply, installation, and maintenance. Catering primarily to major cruise lines, they specialize in the supply of repelling teams for high-risk access work areas. With an overriding commitment to excellence, innovation and safety, Full Sail Marine, LLC continues to be a trusted partner in enhancing onboard maintenance standards.

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Headwater Construction Group

Founded in 1993 as Air-Tech Systems, Inc., Headwater Construction Group began its journey as a specialized gunite and pool construction company under the leadership of Steven Jones. Originating with residential projects in New Jersey, the company steadily expanded its expertise and geographical reach, evolving into a nationwide commercial builder with services including commercial construction, renovation, service, design, consultation, and equipment sales. Over the years, Headwater Construction Group has become renowned for its excellence in the aquatic recreation industry, undertaking diverse projects ranging from small-scale municipal splash pads to design-build of multi-million-dollar waterparks across the United States.

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HORIZON COMMERCIAL POOLS

Horizon Commercial Pools is a leading provider of commercial swimming pool service, equipment, chemicals, and renovations. Founded in 1991, Horizon maintains local operations across Minnesota and Wisconsin while serving the broader Midwest market. The company prides itself on delivering aquatic joy and education to customers by supplying the industry’s highest-quality products and solutions.

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LANDMARK AQUATIC

By leveraging the experience and history of three commercial aquatics industry leaders – Progressive Commercial Aquatics, Westport Pools, and Spear Corporation – Landmark Aquatic offers a comprehensive range of aquatic facility services, including design and engineering, construction, maintenance, renovation, and chemical supply to customers across the country. The combination has created a full-service aquatic services provider with the unique ability to work with engineers, architects, general contractors, and owners to provide the “wow factor” that guests expect while balancing cost, function, form, efficiency, and ease of operations. Going forward, Landmark Aquatic will continue to serve municipal, education, and private club clients, and the consolidated enterprise is supported by a workforce of highly skilled, well-trained professionals committed to safety and best-in-class service.

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NORBERTO CONSTRUCTION

The Norberto Family is a leader in the commercial and residential pool building industry, working with the owners, engineers, architects, general contractors and sub-contractors in all aspects of swimming pool design, construction and services.  They cater to all aquatic needs, large or small. Norberto Construction is based out of New York and is fully licensed and bonded in Nassau and Suffolk counties and New York City.

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SAFE SLIDE RESTORATION

With over 30 years in fiberglass repair, and 15 years of expertise in the aquatics industry, Safe Slide Restoration is a trusted partner for comprehensive aquatic solutions. Their goal is to protect their partners' guests and investments, and they are now excited to offer Life Floor surfacing solutions for increased safety in every park. From waterslide installation to specialty coatings, they’ve been trusted to deliver consistent restoration and protected partnerships, making aquatic adventures worry-free for all.

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Thank you to each of our new partners for believing in our mission and joining us to make all aquatic spaces safe, beautiful, and accessible. We’ll be sharing more as each of these partners complete training and become Certified Life Floor Installers.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our team.

Storytelling in Aquatics

When people think of themed entertainment and attractions that tell strong stories, they often picture immersive lands and the iconic dark rides of traditional theme parks. Aquatic attractions are occasionally designed with themed elements in the foreground, but they're usually treated as spaces to gather rather than to explore.

Some of the most successful waterparks function like theme parks with flowing narratives and creative details that spark imagination and bring stories to life.

Photo Credit: Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Take Disney’s Blizzard Beach for example where an unexpected snowstorm landed in central Florida leading to the state’s first ski resort. Or Universal’s Volcano Bay with its backstory rooted in the Waturi discovering a new island to call home. Similar to traditional theme parks, these aquatic spaces benefit greatly from imaginative storytelling and cohesive design elements. 

Photo Credit: Universal’s Runamukka Reef

While Life Floor functions primarily as an aquatic surfacing solution, our projects are often featured within a broader context and designed to match specific themes, stories, or aesthetics. These installations are found on cruise ships, within water parks, at resorts, and at municipal facilities worldwide.

As each of these projects come to life, we consider the stories our floors tell. We think about how they contribute to theming, how they can add dimensionality to create a more immersive environment, and how specialty elements add play opportunities for guests. Throughout each of these design exercises, we contemplate the overarching role of storytelling in aquatic environments.

Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Adding a story or a theme to a space creates an immersive experience that transports guests to a different world. While the vast majority of aquatic spaces trend toward underwater or beach themes, the diversity of design potential is endless. From forest-themed splash pads to outer space-inspired waterparks, we’ve witnessed spectacular ideas come to life.

Themed elements inspire imaginative play and create engaging experiences for guests. Starting with an overarching narrative, intentional design decisions can be made to truly create an environment that aligns with any vision.  

So how exactly do designers of aquatic spaces execute on a story or a theme? Large 3D elements are often the main focal points. Spray features, play structures, slides, and sculptures draw guests’ attention immediately. Curated considerations like furniture, landscaping, and rockwork tie into these elements as well. Surface designers craft the appearance of signage, vertical panels on play structures, themed walls, and artwork around facilities to create enhanced visuals throughout. Sound and lighting bring an environment to life by creating an ambiance keyed into the senses to illuminate storytelling details. Setting the scene with the right tone is critical to completing an atmosphere and achieving the right effect.

From a flooring perspective, stories are told through themed Inlays, life-sized objects, game boards, and even character IP. Sometimes it involves including a certain color palette or geometric element that ties a design together or evokes a certain environment. We always look for ways to create a thematic scene or blend our floor into the rest of the aquatic setting. Together, all of these design considerations have the potential to tell a story at each facility, no matter the scale. 

Throughout the coming year, we look forward to exploring these elements in further detail. We’ll feature stories that take a peek behind the curtain to describe the design and engineering processes of iconic projects. We’ll also illuminate the ways that other suppliers and designers consider storytelling when specifying certain components to craft these themed spaces. Exploring this topic within the aquatics industry wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the actual stories of many of the key leaders within this space. Overall, we look forward to engaging with the larger community and sharing more about how our partners continue to innovate as they design these themed aquatic attractions. 

We’d love to hear from other creatives within the industry. If you’d like to join in on the conversation, please email our VP of Design, Kelsi Goss, to get involved!

Life Floor's Top 13 projects of 2023

2023 was filled with incredible projects ranging in complexity, size, and theme. Collaboration and excellence from some of our top partners, installers, and customers made all of these facilities possible. To celebrate 2023 as we enter into our 13th year in business, we’ve chosen to highlight these 13 installations that stood out among the hundreds of projects installed across the year.

MOST UNIQUE GEOMETRIC DESIGN

Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre

Location: Northcote, Victoria, Australia
Install Date: August 2023
Area: 3,281 sq ft (355 m²)
Main Colors: Seafoam, Limelight, Lilypad, Sandbar
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Architect: Warren and Mahoney Architects
Partner: Waterplay
Installer: Mauer Construction Tiling

With a unique palette and layout of colored bands, the creative approach for the flooring design of this project was a highlight for our team.

FIRST AQUAFORMS12 SPLASH PAD

Island Waterpark at Showboat Resort

Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Install Date: June 2023
Area: 13,308 sq ft (1,236 m²)
Main Colors: Gobi, Sandstone, Aviator, Bluebird, Sunshine
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designers: WhiteWater + Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

Island Waterpark at Showboat Resort received a 2023 Leading Edge Award from WWA and was the host facility for WhiteWater’s new AquaForms12 structure which won the 2023 IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best New Product under $2 Million.

MOST ACCESSIBLE AQUATIC AMENITIES

Camp Barnabas

Location: Purdy, Missouri, USA
Install Date: June 2023
Area: 2,983 sq ft (277 m²) across 3 areas
Main Colors: Ocean, Kingfisher (discontinued), Iceberg, Turquoise, Aqua, Ivory, Heron, Evergreen, Olive, and Limelight
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Specifier: Sunbelt Pools
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Baynum Solutions
Photo Credit: Splashtacular, LLC.

Given the facility’s mission, Camp Barnabas stands out as a project designed to create even more accessible aquatics for all guests. This facility received a 2023 Leading Edge Award from WWA.

best interactive theming

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas/Fort Worth, Pirate Beach

Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Install Date: June 2023
Area: 3,900 sq ft (363 m²)
Main Colors: Bluebird, Aviator, Aqua, Sandbar
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

With islands, LEGO features, and themed structures on site, this splash pad really stood out for its pirate theming.

Most Uniquely Themed Facility

Studio City Water Park

Location: Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau, China
Install Date: April 2023
Area: 5,479 sq ft (509 m²)
Main Colors: Gobi, Mojave, Sandbar, Tiki
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: WhiteWater and WTI

This flowing curve design is custom cut from Life Floor tiles and provides subtle visual paths leading from one attraction to the next. These custom elements perfectly tailor to Studio City’s space travel theme. The combination of WTI's design and engineering, WhiteWater’s industry-leading features, and the comfort, safety, and durability of Life Floor’s surfacing creates a world-class indoor facility at the Studio City Water Park.

Studio City Water Park received a 2023 Leading Edge Award from WWA and was named a 2023 Dream Design by Aquatics International.

MOST PLAY VALUE OPPORTUNITIES

Forest Park Aquatic Center

Location: Forest Park, Illinois, USA
Install Date: January 2023
Area: 3,268 sq ft (304 m²)
Main Colors: Aviator, Pomegranate, Goldfish, Sunshine, Limelight, Ocean, Sandbar
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Hitchcock Design Group (Naperville)
Drains: Daldorado
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces
Photography Credit: The Park District of Forest Park and Bridget Deatrick with Hitchcock Design Group

Designed as a giant game board, Forest Park Aquatic Center brought play value to a large scale at their splash pad.

BEST ZERO-DEPTH ENTRY POOL THEME

Camp Margaritaville, Northgate Property

Location: Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA
Install Date: June 2023
Area: 3,900 sq ft (363 m²)
Main Colors: Turquoise, Seafoam, Aqua, Sandstone, Gobi
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces
Partner: Daldorado Drains
Fixture Manufacturer and Photo Credit: InterActive Play

With a beach-themed triangle gradient and integrated Daldorado DALlux drains, Camp Margaritaville brought the tropics to this zero-depth entry pool.

FIRST LIFE FLOOR PROJECT IN CROATIA

Maistra Rovinj Croatia Resort

Location: Rovinj, Croatia
Install Date: May 2023
Area: 1,034 sq ft (96 m²)
Main Colors: Ocean, Bluebird, Aqua
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Amica

Bright diagonals of blue really make this splash pad pop at our first installation in Croatia.

NEWEST CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP

Carnival Jubilee Waterworks

Location: Carnival Cruise Ship
Install Date: December 2023
Area: 5,324 ft² (495 m²)
Main Colors: Ocean, Aviator, Iceberg
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: WhiteWater + Carnival Cruise Line
Installer: FMC Design

Life Floor surfaces every ship in the Carnival Fleet so the installation on Jubilee in several areas, including Waterworks shown above, is exciting to see.

2022 MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER

Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park

Location: Danielsville, Georgia, USA
Install Date: March 2023
Area: 2,055 sq ft (191 m²)
Main Colors: Ocean, Bluebird, Aviator, Turquoise, Seafoam
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

In 2022, we co-hosted our third annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent with this contest is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents. Our 2022 winner, Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, was installed in March 2023.

FACILITY MOST FULLY SURFACED WITH LIFE FLOOR

Rapid River Lodge

Location: Baxter, Minnesota, USA
Install Date: January 2023
Area: 9,408 sq ft (874 m²)
Main Colors: Gobi, Sandstone, Sandbar, Iceberg, Pomegranate, Lilypad, Iris, Sepia
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Waterplay
Partner: Waterplay
Installer: Fischer Brothers, LLC

With Life Floor surfacing the pool deck, stairs, zero-depth entry, and pool coping, almost all of Rapid River Lodge is covered with our tiles! We always love to see such a comprehensive safety surface approach.

FIRST LIFE FLOOR PROJECT IN EGYPT

Marassi Water World

Location: El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt
Install Date: May 2023
Area: 6,426 sq ft (597 m²)
Main Colors: Lilypad, Limelight, Sandbar, Porcelain, Iceberg, Aviator, and Bluebird
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: WhiteWater
Installer: Raymond Sport, LLC

Island and beach theming designed by WhiteWater added an immersive backdrop to their interactive AquaPlay structure on this expansive splash pad.

MOST CREATIVE USE OF PIXEL THEMING IN A DESIGN

Imperial Meadows Park

Location: Coalhurst, Alberta, Canada
Install Date: May 2023
Area: 3,367 sq ft (313 m²)
Main Colors: Evergreen, Lilypad, Ocean, Turquoise, Iceberg, Bluebird, Iris, Platypus, Goldfish, Ivory, Sunshine Transition Strips
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Prairie Surfaces

A vibrant color palette of square tiles brought a bright design to this splash pad in Canada.

Thank you to all of our partners and customers for making these projects possible. We look forward to all of the unique installations to come in 2024!

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2022 MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER'S INSTALLATION: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park

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In 2022, we co-hosted our third annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent with this contest is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

We received a record number of submissions and there were many deserving entries, but one of the applications we received stood out:

“‘Is there any place in the county that I can take my toddler to allow them to be comfortable in the water?’ is a frequent question posed to the Chamber of Commerce, Recreation Department, and anyone working with young children. This rural county in northeast Georgia has no public pools, splash pads, or similar venues closer than 30 – 60 minutes of its residents. However, water safety and early experiences are the focus of pediatrician’s guidance and health department PSAs due to statistics about children drowning. Enter the members of the county’s Rotary Club in 2020 who determined the need for a safe, affordable venue to meet the needs of young families and the large number of grandparents who are rearing grandchildren. The Rotary Club partnered with the Madison County Recreation Department to fund the construction of a splash pad at Sammy Haggard Park. Over an 18-month period, the entities worked together on location, design, color scheme to blend with the colors used internationally by Rotary Clubs. Concurrently, the Rotary Club met their goal of $125,000 to bring their dream to reality at the grand opening Memorial Day weekend 2021.

Folks were ecstatic, use far exceeded expectations, and then reality set in. OOPS! The concrete surface gets hot, sunscreen washes off and makes the surface slick, and the rough surface and toddlers’ toes are not compatible. Ensuring the facility is properly sanitized is hampered by the concrete surface’s porosity. It has become clear that specifications were short-sighted when planning an achievable funding campaign for a small group that immediately faced “Covid shutdowns.” The Recreation Department manages the facility well, having developed sanitizing schedules, put in temporary surfaces for walkways to eliminate slips from sunscreen overspray, and ensuring preventive maintenance is prioritized. Revenue loss for the department during the Covid shutdown and, now, the increase in price for supplies and materials required to run the department and rebuild programs eliminates budgeting for a surface for the splash pad in the next several years. A Life Floor surface will resolve the concerns of parents and caregivers who find flip-flops and toddlers playing on a wet surface creates unnecessary bruises and scrapes. A proper surface will, for years to come, preserve the efforts of the Rotary Club and their many donors to provide a much needed and welcomed venue. Without this grant, only stop-gap measures can be used. That reality will undoubtedly result in the deterioration of this one-of-a kind facility at our Department. Our research had concluded that Life Floor met our needs. This grant for the proper surface will ensure our children have the safest and best venue possible.”

- Shelley Parham, Madison County Recreation Director

Before: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Concrete Substrate

After: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Life Floor Safety Surfacing

This entry resonated with members of the Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces teams who reviewed entries and collaboratively chose this facility as the winner.

Our 2022 Grant Contest entrants chose from 6 unique pre-designed themes that would be custom fit to their project scope. Madison County chose the Under The Sea option which features a beautiful triangle gradient Pattern in our Lagoon Theme. Sea Life and Marine Inlays can be seen across the splash pad in bright contrasting colors such as Limelight, Sunshine, Goldfish, Platypus, and Aqua.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest’s co-host as well as Life Floor’s North American Preferred Installation Partner, Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, completed installation of the new surface in March of 2023. The crew worked with a high degree of professionalism and expertise to create a beautiful final result.

We hope this new safety surface will uplift and transform the way kids play at Rotary Splash Island in Danielsville, Georgia. We can't wait to hear the stories of how this installation will continue to benefit the community for years to come!

We’re thankful for the opportunity to give this deserving community a new Life Floor safety surface and hope for many seasons of fun to come! Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for co-hosting this contest with us and for the expert installation.

THE 4TH ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST

The next contest will go live on August 30th. Sign up for notifications so you don’t miss this short entry period and enter for a chance to win an all-expenses paid Life Floor surface for your splash pad.

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LIFE FLOOR NAMED 2023 DREAM DESIGN SUPPLIER BY AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL

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We're honored to be named as the Floor Covering Supplier by Aquatics International for three Dream Design Award-winning waterparks in 2023. These three facilities use our surfacing in distinctly different ways to serve their guests across the world. Congratulations to these aquatic centers and to all of our partners who collaborated to bring them to life!

2023 DREAM DESIGNS

Studio City Waterpark

Macau, China

The iconic Studio City Water Park is the largest aquatic attraction in Macau. It expanded in 2022 to feature an indoor area with over 5,000 sq ft of Life Floor under WhiteWater’s AquaPlay structure and around spray features. WTI and WhiteWater collaborated closely with Melco Development and Construction Group to create the vision for this amenity with a unique modern interpretation of Art Deco. This waterpark expansion is housed within an iconic new structure designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

The University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute chose Life Floor for their aquatic center due to its slip-resistance, cushioning, and inherent non-snagging properties for clothing. These key features allow for better patient experience in a more sensory-friendly environment. The surface design created by our in-house Studio team features a three-color triangle gradient Pattern with our fully integrated depth markers and no-diving symbols. Thank you to Altus Architectural Studios and JEO Consulting Group for your collaboration.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Fins Up Waterpark

Nassau, The Bahamas

The Margaritaville Beach Resort Fins Up Waterpark was designed in a Seashore Theme with Marine Inlays placed throughout the amenity beneath the WhiteWater play structure. These serene colors and beach-inspired structures evoke the surrounding environment of the Bahamas and blend into the rest of the resort. Thank you to Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering, WhiteWater, and MSLA, Inc. for your collaboration.

We celebrate these awards with all of the fellow teams who worked diligently to create these iconic facilities and elevate guest experiences worldwide.

Beyond the winners above, Life Floor contributed to the following projects and was awarded Dream Design Supplier designations by Aquatics International in previous years:

2022 DREAM DESIGNS

Baha Bay at Baha Mar

Nassau, Bahamas

Life Floor is featured on Kid’s Island at Turtle Beach and Stingray Cove.

Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark

Dubai, UAE

Life Floor surfaces multiple areas of Splasher’s Island including the newest Splasher’s Cove.

2021 DREAM DESIGNS

The St. James of Springfield, VA

Springfield, Virginia, USA

Life Floor’s blue surfacing creates a colorful backdrop in the play structure area of the facility.

2020 DREAM DESIGNS

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay

Little Stirrup, Bahamas

Bold, custom graphics energize Splashaway Bay while a beach design completes the theming at Captain Jill’s Galleon.

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Cushioned and slip-resistant tiles brighten up the splash pad at Splash Island Waterpark.

We love working with all of our customers and partnering with other companies to create gorgeous aquatic facility designs. For more information about these projects or to learn how you can purchase our award-winning surfacing for your facility, contact us today.

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Replacing Pour-in-Place with Life Floor at Yawa Aquatic Centre

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Yawa Aquatic Centre in Victoria, Australia is an indoor, $37M, state-of-the-art recreation centre that opened in 2021 and offers a wide range of year-round aquatic, leisure, and wellness programs for people of all ages.

After: Life Floor

Before: Pour-in-Place Bonded Rubber

Prior to the installation of Life Floor, keeping the floor clean throughout the Aqua Play Zone proved difficult for facility staff. The pour-in-place surface contributed to significant health concerns for patrons due to extensive mold growth permeating the porous material. Exhaustive efforts to remove the mold were not successful, so Yawa Aquatic Centre decided to remove the entire pour-in-place surface and install Life Floor due to our product’s impervious, easy to clean nature.

Yawa Aquatic Centre boasts a playful beach theme complete with Waterplay spray fixtures, palm tree structures, and side wall graphics that reinforce this design. The customer selected our Montauk Theme to emulate a sandy beach.

Within the gradient of square tiles, Mojave paths weave around the space to subtly guide circulation and avoid slide runouts. Inlays from our Marine and Sea Life sets provide pops of color and theming, tying into the designs of the Waterplay structure and features. A thicker area of Life Floor was installed around the slide runout to increase cushioning and safety for this high-impact area.

Life Floor Australia and New Zealand contracted an accredited installer, Maurer Construction Tiling, to adjust the concrete sub-base to improve drainage, reduce water pooling, and install Life Floor at this beautiful centre.

Thank you to Life Floor Australia and New Zealand for your continued collaboration and dedication to serving the greater Oceania region.

Learn more about Life Floor

REDUCING SLIP AND FALLS AT ZERO-DEPTH ENTRIES

Having the right surfacing on zero-depth entry applications is often overlooked when renovating existing facilities or building new ones. This commonly slippery area presents a hydroplaning challenge for operators, staff, and guests alike due to the sloping surface leading into the water. Adding cushioned and slip-resistant materials at these entry points can enhance safety, design, and accessibility at any aquatic center.

What is a Zero-Depth Entry?

Zero-depth entries provide a gradually sloped surface leading from a dry deck into a shallow depth of water that progressively gets deeper. Occasionally, spray features, jets, and toys will be installed where there is no depth of water present or in shallower areas, essentially functioning as small splash pads.

Customizable surfacing options, such as Life Floor, can integrate games, shapes, or activities into these areas before the depth of water increases to add additional engagement, create themed designs, and provide improved safety.

SURFACE Design of ZERO-DEPTH ENTRIES

Sometimes, it’s difficult for guests to visualize how deep water is becoming and how quickly. Gradients and colors that symbolize shorelines and water depth can be a good visual indicator of zones. For example, a walkway or lounge chair area can have tan colors that resemble sandy beaches while light blues can represent shallow water, gradually developing into darker colors as water depth increases.

In some states within the USA, pool codes require specific surfacing color options under certain depths of water. Internationally, restrictions are often less limiting, allowing for colorful designs that can extend deep underwater.

Wave Pools

Wave pools are a popular example of zero-depth entries and include the added challenge of active waves and currents.

Children often linger and play in the shallow depths of wave pools. This can be dangerous when inner tubes float towards the shore either empty or with guests in them since they can knock small children over and cause impacts with the surface. The youngest of guests may require extra balance to stand confidently in these dynamic areas. Older children and adults may also drift into shallow depths or recline on the surface while partially submerged.

Safety surfacing such as Life Floor that is slip-resistant and cushioned helps to increase comfort while adding safety to avoid incidents. Harder or more abrasive surfacing options can limit the types of play and interaction that happen within these areas.

Zero-Depth Entry Play Areas

Zero-depth entries for younger children have gained in popularity at indoor aquatic centers as alternatives to kiddie pools. These areas complement larger pool decks, hot tubs, slides, and other amenities for older guests that are offered.

These spaces are often a hybrid of small-scale elevated structures and spray toys tailored to small children. Toddler slides, collaborative activities, and safety surfaces all contribute to longer visits, increased play value, and overall comfort.

By increasing the surrounding comfort of these areas, caretakers and parents can have greater peace of mind and enjoy these experiences alongside their children and families for a full day of fun.

SMALL SPACES

Having an accessible, comfortable, and fun aquatic amenity regardless of size will contribute to positive guest memories and return visits. Small zero-depth entries can utilize safety surfacing in unique ways.

Some of our municipal clients choose to bundle surfacing for multiple small areas across their city to improve multiple small spaces such as zero-depth entries, splash pads, and landing pads for water slide exits.

Regardless of size, use, or design, adding safety surfacing to zero-depth entries helps to reduce slip and fall incidents while also improving aesthetics and overall guest experience. Keeping these zones in mind when designing aquatic facilities can completely transform the way visitors experience these accessible entry points.

To learn more about how you can improve the safety and design of your zero-depth entry, contact us and find out how you can receive a complementary design rendering tailored to your facility.

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Aquatic Surfacing Design Trends for 2023

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With vibrant colors and limitless theming possibilities, aquatic surfacing designs continue to gain in popularity as a way to enhance splash pads, pool decks, and water parks. As this application evolves year after year, the Life Floor Studio takes note of the most popular design requests at different facilities worldwide. Curious to know where things stand in 2023? Explore these top aquatic surfacing trends we've been seeing so far! 

Detailed, Custom Imagery 

Since just about anything can be cut into our floors, we're seeing an increase in requests for custom design work. Some customers use this technique to illustrate a theme across a whole splash pad whereas others selectively add a few custom images as fun accent graphics. 

Bold Bands of Color 

As an alternate way to design with square tiles, several customers have resonated with large striped designs that showcase vibrant patterns or gradients of color. This application demonstrates a budget-friendly way to achieve a distinct and colorful effect.

More Complex Triangle Gradients 

Ever since our earliest triangle gradient designs debuted at locations like Cedarcrest Splash Pad and Atlantis the Palm Dubai, these continue to be some of our most popular styles. An evolution we've seen recently has been the request for more complex gradients. These include bright swirls of color, multiple islands across a splash pad, and more varied, artistic designs.

Unconventional Themes 

Manor Field Park

We've seen limitless creativity when it comes to designing aquatic spaces. Looking beyond typical water-based themes, some more recent splash pad designs have featured unique design ideas inspired by motifs like sports, winter, the forest, parks, and the desert. 

REFINED Geometric Designs 

For pool decks, country clubs, and high-end resorts, we've seen an increased interest in understated geometric designs. These patterns often use our triangle or rectangle tiles as well as our more muted or neutral color options. 

LOGOS THAT CELEBRATe BRANDS AND DESTINATIONS

Since 2022, we’ve featured add-on packages that allow customers and designers to more easily include and price Logos and Inlays. As a result, we've seen an uptick in requests for custom branding. Municipalities and theme parks often choose to include logos as a powerful way to make their aquatic facilities more unique and memorable. 

Paths and Play Opportunities 

With themed Inlays that can be laid out to create a treasure hunt trail or a path of lily pads for hopping, customers are delighted to add activities to their floors. Beyond the increase in requests we're seeing here, classic play features in the Life Floor portfolio, like hopscotch, continue to stand the test of time. 

Elevated Aquatic Themes 

Since we're designing for areas with water, splash pads that feature aquatic theming will never fade in popularity. As an evolution of these designs, we've noticed facilities leaning into more turquoise and aqua tones over more traditional blues. As noted in some of the trends above, we've also seen more requests for custom imagery and the use of our Inlays to add theming and play value. 

The Life Floor Studio continues to push the limits with our tile designs and can't wait to see how these trends keep evolving over time. Witnessing how surfacing completely transforms and brightens up facilities worldwide while creating positive experiences and memories for guests makes our work endlessly rewarding. 

Interested in exploring any of these options on a splash pad or pool deck? The Life Floor Studio offers complimentary design services and can't wait to help bring your project to life!  

Pre-Season Checklist for Aquatic Centers

As the upcoming season approaches, be sure you’re ready to curate positive experiences and memories all summer long! Keep reading for some recommendations as you prepare your aquatic center for the year.

Intentionally Evaluate Spaces

To begin any pre-season checklist, we recommend intentionally evaluating amenities for potential improvements and making a plan centered around those aspects. Some common areas of improvement that can have a significant impact on guest experience and facility management include:

  1. Shade and seating options

  2. Multi-generational engagement opportunities

  3. Accessible features and amenities

  4. Areas prone to incident reports

  5. Drinking fountains, bathrooms, and locker rooms

  6. Surface and fixture maintenance

Improve Aquatic Center Safety

Improving safety at aquatic centers often begins with adding safety surfacing to directly influence positive play value. Hazards such as slip-and-fall incidents are reduced and guests are more likely to engage in good risky play such as hopping, skipping, and playing in water.

Resolving Slippery, Failing Surfaces

Some of the most common pain points we hear involve slippery or abrasive surfaces that are difficult to maintain. These issues often lead to increased risk at facilities.

We're often contacted by parks and recreation professionals who have tried other surfacing solutions at their aquatic facilities which have failed. Rubberized or aggregate materials are often designed for dry playgrounds and aren't engineered to withstand the unique aquatic combination of UV and chemicals common at splash pads or pool decks.

To resolve these surfacing issues, choose an NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 Certified product that is slip-resistant, cushioned, impermeable, cleanable, UV resistant, and chemical resistant.

Cleaning and Hygiene

Others have looked to improve cleanability or have struggled with microbe growth on the surfacing at their facilities. Unlike porous options, Life Floor features a closed-cell technology, which doesn’t foster growth of bacteria, mold, and algae. Our tiles have been third-party tested for cleanability and offer a solution for anyone who has experienced similar issues.

Water Slide Landings

An easy, low cost way to improve safety at any facility is to install bolt-free landing pads for water slide exits and landings. These landing pads are cushioned and slip-resistant without being abrasive. Made from the same material as Life Floor tiles, they are also more durable than some multi-layered options.

Elevate the Appearance of Aquatic Amenities

If you are considering refreshing the overall design aesthetic of a facility, there are several components to consider.

Surface Updates

Surfacing can completely transform the look and feel of a facility since it is typically the largest feature present. Utilize this opportunity to create an engaging pattern under and around play fixtures, incorporate games such as hopscotch, or include thematic Inlays that add visual interest and function as a subtle search-and-find activity.

When planning for a surfacing update, consider using safety surfacing and including the overspray area to improve the overall safety of guests.

Before: Concrete Surface

After: Life Floor Surface

Fixture Updates

Fixture updates can be as simple as repainting or repairing existing features. If you want to increase play value for guests, consider upgrading fixtures to new models that facilitate collaborative play.

Before

Maintenance Updates

As you continue to evaluate updates for the season, check to ensure pumps, filtration, and systems are operating within manufacturer specifications. Fixture manufacturers have specific flow rate recommendations for their features and operating outside of those recommendations can result in weak flows that are boring or overly strong flows which can dissuade play.

Restoring slides, stairs, and other fiberglass materials can ensure operational success. Restoration experts can do site evaluations that will help you determine the areas of facilities that need attention.

Refer to manufacturer’s specifications for proper flow rates and maintenance procedures.

Image Credit: Fischer Brothers, LLC.

REFRESH Existing Aquatic Centers

Existing aquatic centers are valued as key amenities by communities and resorts across the world. Keeping them in good operating status is important for guest enjoyment and returning visitors.

Consider what elements of your existing aquatic center could benefit from a refresh and prioritize based on your unique needs. Often, guest feedback is an ideal way to better understand the pulse of how visitors are perceiving amenities. Use this feedback to help inform what would be the most appreciated updates and have the greatest positive results.

Before: Concrete and Fading Fixtures

After: Life Floor and Refreshed Fixtures

Overall, as you continue to evaluate facilities for the upcoming season, have fun! Bright pops of color, imaginative designs, and new features have the potential to transform a space. Even small improvements transform the way splash pads, pool decks, and aquatic centers look and function. Thoughtful design contributes meaningfully to guest experience and creating positive memories to keep them coming back all season long.

To learn more about how Life Floor’s surfacing solutions can help get your facility ready for the upcoming season, contact us today! We can connect you to our partners who specialize in spray and play fixtures, water slides, multi-level play structures, fiberglass restoration, and more.

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FISCHER BROTHERS, LLC. PARTNERS WITH LIFE FLOOR AND WATERPLAY AT RAPID RIVER LODGE

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Located near the picturesque Brainerd Lakes area, Rapid River Lodge is an ideal destination for exploring over 400 lakes, biking trails, and our favorite: a newly renovated waterpark! The lodge is making a positive impression with the upgrade of spray features from Waterplay and a beautiful Life Floor surface installed by Fischer Brothers, LLC.

BEFORE

AFTER

The refresh brightened the space with lighter colors, vibrant features, and improved safety facility-wide. The installation expertise of Fischer Brothers led to a smooth renovation with a high level of customer service, producing a final attraction sure to impress visitors.

INCLUSIVE DESIGN + SAFETY = MORE PLAY VALUE 

One of the most important goals of the partnership between Waterplay and Life Floor is to bring even more free play and accessibility to aquatic spaces. Rapid River Lodge prioritized inclusive design in every spray feature and surfacing decision, using play zones to accommodate a wide variety of play styles and the needs of different waterplayers.

With a wide range of play opportunities, from the calmer zero depth entry area with pint-sized character sprays perfect for smaller kids, to the more adventurous activity tower with elevated platforms, water cannons, and slides, this play space invites all to have fun within their ability level and comfort zone. Along with the guidance of Fischer Brothers’ restoration expertise, the waterpark at Rapid River Lodge is beautifully reimagined.

River Rapid Lodge is the first facility to debut Fischer Brothers’ new Double Lane Toddler Slide. With its modern, two-lane structure, the Double Lane Toddler Slide was designed to produce double the fun. Thoughtfully engineered materials and the intentional inclusion of Life Floor's cushioned Landing Pads make these slides beautiful, fun, and safer for the littlest water park goer. 

Life Floor safety surfacing covers every walkable surface in the waterpark. Bands of Pomegranate-colored tile offer contrasting visual cues that signal guests to exercise caution around each body of water. Visual signals are an important safety feature to show depth changes, the presence of features, and represent a changing landscape when paired with zoning for different stages of childhood development.

Thank you to Fischer Brothers and Waterplay for a collaboration filled with fun! Our team loves working on projects that focus on retrofitting facilities with inclusivity, safety, and play in mind. 

To learn more about revitalizing your attractions with inclusive design and safety, we’d love to begin a conversation with you! 

We’re thrilled to announce that Fischer Brothers, LLC has officially joined Life Floor’s Installation Network as our newest Certified Installation Partner.

Andrew Fischer accepting Life Floor’s Certified Installation Certificate on behalf of Fischer Brothers LLC

Waterplay by MAKR

Waterplay creates playful, inventive, and inclusive splash pad equipment for people from all walks of life, of all ages, and with diverse abilities. Everyone should have access to amazing, inviting, playable, enjoyable and ‘go-backable’ aquatic recreation places. With thousands of installations, millions of happy waterplayers splashing around on six continents, Waterplay is here to support you from concept, to installation, maintenance, future planning, and revitalizations. Splash pads for the win!  

Learn more about Waterplay

Fischer Brothers, LLC

Fischer Brothers, LLC got their start in 2007 restoring waterslides, and eventually moved on to other parts of the waterpark. From waterslide towers, aquatic play structures, spray features and more, Fischer Brothers has led the charge in pioneering innovative solutions for the aquatics restoration industry.

Learn more about Fischer Brothers, LLC

Life Floor

Life Floor was founded upon a vision to create safer, more memorable experiences at aquatic facilities. Since 2011, our mission has expanded to include innovative design, increased play value, and inclusivity wherever our surfacing is installed.

Across all of our unique projects, one thing remains the same: improving aquatic environments for all people will always be at the heart of our purpose.

TOP 10 Life Floor Installations from 2022

2022 was filled with a variety of design projects ranging in complexity, size, and theming. As we look back at the year in review, there are certainly some installations that stand out. The following highlight our top 10 unique Life Floor projects that were installed in 2022.

most TROPICAL FACILITY THEME

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa

Location: Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Install Date: April 2022
Area: 4,500 ft² (418 m²)
Main Colors: Sandstone, Sandbar, Gobi, and Porcelain
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: WhiteWater
Engineering Consultant: Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering
Installer: Elegance Interior Solutions
Photography Credit: Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa

FIRST PROJECT TO FEATURE AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND INLAYS

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre

Location: 90 Taylors Rd, Keilor Downs, Victoria, Australia
Install Date: July 2022
Area: 4,630 ft² (430 m²)
Colors: Terra Cotta, Pomegranate, Goldfish, Sunshine, Sandbar, Sandstone, Ivory, Seafoam, Turquoise, Iceberg, Aviator, and Ocean
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8” (7/8” at slide runout)
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Architect: Williams Ross Architects
Installer: Mauer Construction Tiling

OUR SECOND ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER

Wells Park Splash Pad

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Install Date: July 2022
Area: 1,360 ft² (126 m²)
Colors: Turquoise, Seafoam, Goldfish, and Sunshine
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

MOST REMOTELY LOCATED PROJECT

Dimond Park Aquatic Center

Location: Juneau, Alaska, USA
Install Date: May 2022
Area: 6,000 ft² (557 m²)
Colors: Bluebird, Iceberg, Boulevard, River Rock, and Foghorn
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

BEST ATHLETIC THEMING

Manor Park

Location: Huntington, New York, USA
Install Date: June 2022
Area: 2,520 ft² (234 m²)
Colors: Evergreen, Limelight, and Ivory
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

MOST CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT

Kununurra Splash Park

Location: Kununurra, Australia
Install Date: May 2022
Area: 5,380 ft² (500 m²)
Colors: Olive, Sunshine, Kestrel, Ivory, Terra Cotta, Sepia
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Installer: Grassports Australia (QLD)

MOST UNIQUE APPLICATION OF LIFE FLOOR

Ka'ana Pop-Up Surf Park

Location: British Columbia, Canada
Install Date: Summer 2022
Area: 350 ft² (33 m²)
Colors: Porcelain, Tiki, Evergreen, Olive, and Goldfish
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces
Partner: Daldorado

FIRST INSTALLATION IN SWITZERLAND

Red Whale Swim School

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Install Date: September 2022
Area: 1,600 ft² (150 m²)
Colors: Ocean and Aviator
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: CreateScape Ltd.

MOST COLOR VARIETY

Madison Community Center

Location: Madison, South Dakota, USA
Install Date: January 2022
Area: 6,624 ft² (615 m²)
Colors: Limelight, Seafoam, Turquoise, Aviator, Bluebird, Ocean, Kestrel, Heron, Foghorn, River Rock, and Boulevard
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

BEST OVERLOOK

Hervey Bay Waterpark

Location: 267 Esplanade Pialba, Queensland, 4655, Australia
Install Date: August 2022
Area: 11,000 ft² (1,022 m²)
Colors: Ocean, Aviator, Bluebird, Boulevard, Sandbar, and Porcelain
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: WhiteWater

Thank you to all of our partners and customers who trusted us to make aquatic facilities safer, more beautiful, and more accessible in 2022.

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NEW: 30 Unique Thematic Shapes for Aquatic Design

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We’re excited to announce three new sets of Inlays that can be used to enhance the design, theming, and imaginative play opportunities on any splash pad or pool deck. These new additions complement our growing library of options that have helped to reimagine the potential of aquatic play through surfacing design. Check out our new additions below!

Outer Space

These Outer Space Inlays are out of this world! Teleport your guests’ imagination beyond the stars and spark daring space-themed adventures. Pair with Inlays from other collections such as our Geometric set to expand the possibilities of design .

Desert

From cacti to desert creatures, this Inlay set can set the scene for a unique landscape! For extra design potential, try pairing it with our Montauk Theme.

SPORTS

Encourage an active mindset by combining aquatics and sports! This Inlay set is inspired by some of the most popular sports in the United States. Pair with any theme or create your own from our wide range of colors. Some customers have even created soccer and football field designs out of Life Floor!

If you’re interested in including some of these fun new Inlays in your upcoming project, please contact your regional sales manager. For projects outside of the U.S., please contact our international team.

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Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest 2021 Winner: Wells Park, Albuquerque, NM

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In 2021, we co-hosted our second annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent in initiating this contest was to be able to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

One of the applications we received stood out.

“The Wells Park Splash Pad is located in front of the Johnny Tapia Community Center. This community center serves a large population of low-income households and provides a full day child development program in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. The Wells Park Splash pad has a relatively small footprint but serves as an oasis for families trying to beat the heat and cool off during those hot summer months. The community center heavily utilizes the splash pad to give children an unforgettable experience when those experiences are very rare for these children.

With a new Life Floor, we will be able to elevate the experience of all those who utilize the facility. We currently have a brushed concrete surface around the interactive play features. This surface can become somewhat slick over the years of heavy traffic and repeated cleaning throughout the seasons...Staff will arrive early in the morning and disinfect the splash pad surface to provide a sanitary environment for our users. With the Life Floor material, we can breathe a bit easier when we are cleaning each morning. Life Floor will also significantly reduce the amount of slip and fall injuries we see on a regular basis. Lastly, with the many diverse designs of the Life Floor, we will be able to provide a very unique feature to an underserved population.

Thank you for your consideration.”
— Josh Herbert, Aquatics Division Manager, City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation

BEFORE: Wells Park Splash Pad, concrete surfacing

AFTER: Wells Park Splash Pad, Life Floor

This entry resonated with members of the Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces teams who reviewed entries and collaboratively chose this facility as the winner.

Our 2021 Grant Contest entrants chose from 6 unique pre-designed themes that would be custom fit to their project scope. The City of Albuquerque chose a vibrant 4-color banded pattern created from our square shaped tile featuring our Turquoise, Seafoam, Goldfish, and Sunshine colors. We included a custom-designed logo for the city as well.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest’s co-host as well as Life Floor’s North American Preferred Installation Partner, Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, completed installation of the new surface in July of 2022. The crew worked with a high degree of professionalism and expertise to create a beautiful final result. Once they were finished, the splash pad was officially ready for the grand reopening celebration to commemorate the new surface.

We're excited to showcase a stunningly bright and cheerful Life Floor surface to uplift and transform the Wells Park Splash Pad in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque takes great pride in the city's logo calling out the One Albuquerque motto and we are thrilled to be able to showcase that logo custom cut into the Life Floor surface. We can't wait to hear the stories of how this installation will continue to benefit the community for years to come!

We’re thankful for the opportunity to give this deserving community a new Life Floor splash pad surface and hope that it’s enjoyed for many seasons to come. Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for co-hosting this contest with us and for installation.

Enter our Third Annual Make a SPLASH! Contest for 2022 by clicking the button below or visit our contest page for more information.

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Is Concrete Surfacing the Right Choice for Splash Pads?

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Using concrete as the surface for an aquatic play area is like building a house, putting down plywood and calling it a home. Sure, it functions, but it’s not going to be comfortable or add any design value. And that’s the reality of concrete. It functions fine as a foundation, but is that all we want out of surfacing?

Before: Concrete
After: Life Floor

Life Floor Activates the Entire Splash Pad

At Life Floor, we believe safety surfacing dramatically improves the user experience. It completes the immersive experience you’ve planned and budgeted for, combining safety, playfulness, and utility all in one. In fact, because of the way Life Floor performs with water, it’s actually an additional play feature that activates the entire splash pad.

Child standing on a custom Life Floor surfboard Inlay

The Surface is a Canvas for Play

Life Floor is a feature because it encourages different kinds of play. The entire splash zone is energized when Life Floor is the surface. Kids cartwheel, jump, somersault, crawl, and tumble their way through spray features. In other words, users play in more ways with Life Floor. By equipping the surface for play, designers can engage 90% more of the aquatic facility.

Child jumping over a spray jet on a splash pad.

Investing in Safety and Play Value

The added safety and play benefits of Life Floor are a worthwhile investment. Explore some of the ways we’ve transformed facilities and see what our customers have to say about Life Floor.

Historically, aquatic surfacing has been disastrous. Everything has failed. But with Life Floor, that’s all changed. You can now specify durable surfacing that doubles as a feature. Life Floor's performance and durability have been third-party tested through NSF, which is why we can confidently say we are the only aquatic safety surface that does exactly what it should do.

Want to learn about how our tiles are third-party tested for durability?
Read about how we met the criteria for NSF Standard 50:26 here.

HAVE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS LIFE FLOOR?

Contact us below and tell us about your project. Our Studio Team provides custom design concepts free of charge. We look forward to designing with you soon!

BEACHSIDE FUN AT MOREY’S PIERS

Morey’s Piers overlooks the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wildwood, New Jersey and is perfectly located for guests who are looking for an elevated beach experience. Our partner, WhiteWater, designed these two oceanside attractions with over 10,000 square feet of Life Floor at Morey’s Piers’ Bonsai Beach and Camp KidTastrophe splash pads.

Bonsai Beach

Bonsai Beach features a beach inspired Life Floor design complete with Marine Inlays, custom surfboards and a custom logo. The outer edges of the splash pad replicate the sandy beaches just beyond the pier and the brilliant turquoise colors leading towards the center of the play area resemble crashing waves.

Bonsai Beach is a fully submerged splash pad located on Surfside Pier as part of Ocean Oasis Water Park.

Did you know Life Floor can be installed both above and below water?

Installing Life Floor on the bottom of fully submerged splash pads, pools, zero-depth entries, and waterparks is an easy way to add more visual interest to a space or signal to guests that the depth of water is changing by including gradients that get darker as the depth increases. Including visual signals for guests is an important aspect of accessible design.

Camp KidTastrophe

Camp KidTastrophe showcases a unique pattern centered around the main elevated play structure. Marine Inlays complement the space and add play value as kids run and splash around the structures. This energetic splash pad is located on Mariner’s Pier as part of Raging Waters Water Park.

“Life Floor requires way less annual maintenance than other surfaces we’ve had in the past. We would definitely recommend Life Floor to other facilities.”
— Will Morey, Director of Waterpark Operations

Thank you to WhiteWater for the collaboration on this project and to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for installation services. If you want to learn more about Life Floor, contact us today.

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LIFE FLOOR NAMED 2022 DREAM DESIGN SUPPLIER

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We're honored to be named as the Floor Covering Supplier by Aquatics International for two Dream Design Award-winning waterparks in 2022! At Baha Bay at Baha Mar and Atlantis Dubai Aquaventure, our brightly colored tiles activate these play areas and create immersive, fun environments for all guests. Congratulations to these waterparks and to all of our partners who collaborated to bring them to life!

2022 DREAM DESIGNS

Baha Bay at Baha Mar

Nassau, Bahamas

Life Floor is featured on Kid’s Island at Turtle Beach and Stingray Cove. In both areas, custom cut waves of our Aviator and Aqua tiles brighten up the surfacing at this waterpark. At Stingray Cove, Life Floor Landing Pads blend seamlessly with the surfacing design and offer enhanced cushioning at slide run-outs.

Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark

Dubai, UAE

Life Floor surfaces multiple areas of Splasher’s Island including the newest Splasher’s Cove. In the two kids areas, triangle gradients create vibrant beach and island effects. Life Floor sea creature Inlays add theming and play value to complement the overall design.

We celebrate these awards with all of the fellow teams who worked to make these projects a reality. A special congratulations to our partners WhiteWater and Waterplay for also being named 2022 Dream Design Suppliers!

Beyond the winners above, Life Floor contributed to the following projects awarded Dream Design designations by Aquatics International in previous years.

2021 DREAM DESIGNS

The St. James of Springfield, VA

Springfield, Virginia, USA

Life Floor’s blue surfacing creates a colorful backdrop in the play structure area of the facility.

2020 DREAM DESIGNS

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay

Little Stirrup, Bahamas

Bold, custom graphics energize Splashaway Bay while a beach design completes the theming at Captain Jill’s Galleon.

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Cushioned and slip-resistant tiles brighten up the splash pad at Splash Island Waterpark.

We love working with all of our customers around the world and partnering with other companies to create stunning aquatic facility designs. For more information about these projects or to learn how you can purchase our award-winning surfacing for your facility, contact us today.

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New Inlay Themes to Celebrate Summer

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We’re excited to announce three new sets of Inlays that can be used to enhance the design, theming, and imaginative play opportunities on any splash pad or pool deck. These new additions complement our growing library of options that have helped to reimagine the potential of aquatic play through surfacing design. Check out our new additions below!

SEA LIFE

As an expansion of our Marine collection of Inlays, we can’t wait to see these new Sea Life Inlays sprinkled across designs that emulate underwater landscapes. We expect these to join our other sea creatures as some of our most popular thematic additions.

OUTDOOR EXPLORATION

Inspired by summer camping, we’ve created this set of Outdoor Exploration Inlays to complement our Forest Inlays. These designs will help to create unique, woodland themed splash pads that inspire adventure!

GEOMETRIC

We’ve already seen the limitless design possibilities when it comes to our different tile shapes so we wanted to expand those options to our Inlays. These shapes are sure to inspire countless numbers of new patterns and graphic elements. The vibrant design below gives just a glimpse at their potential!

The addition of these new Inlays to our library is just the continuation of a year-long expansion of theming options we’re making available to customers and designers. If you’re interested in including one or more of these new Inlays in your upcoming project, please contact your regional sales manager. For projects outside of the U.S., please contact our international team.

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New Inlay Themes for Spring

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We’re excited to announce the latest expansion of our Life Floor Inlay library. These three new sets of Inlays can be easily integrated into any design to add increased play value, theming, and visual interest. Keep an eye out for even more Inlay releases throughout the year!

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

Transport guests down under with these new wildlife Inlays! This Australia & New Zealand themed set is inspired by Life Floor Australia and New Zealand and the magnificent projects that have been installed there. A few of our favorites include Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast, the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Center, and Australia Zoo.

TROPICAL

Design a vibrant jungle landscape with these colorful Tropical Inlays or complement the existing scenery with the Hibiscus and Monstera accents. This set pairs nicely with our Rainforest, Wildflower, or Oasis Themes.

GARDEN

Create some fun outdoor theming with this Garden Inlay set. Count all the Ladybugs as an impromptu scavenger hunt or follow the Bees to their hive! This set pairs well with our Wilderness or Rainforest Themes. The Bee Inlay is sized to fit within one of our Hexagon Tile Shapes which makes it well-suited for a honeycomb-themed environment.

Design Tips

Use Rocks Inlays in a repeating pattern to mimic a stone pathway for added play value and theming.

Combine our new Bee Inlays with our hexagon tiles to create a buzzing hive!

 

The addition of these new Inlays to our library is just the continuation of a year-long expansion of theming options we’re making available to customers and designers. If you’re interested in including one or more of these new Inlays in your upcoming project, please contact your regional sales manager. For projects outside of the U.S., please contact our international team.

ALL ABOARD! CRUISES FILLED WITH AQUATIC FUN

Guest experience is essential aboard any cruise ship to ensure a fun and unique vacation for passengers. Among the numerous amenities available, water features have become increasingly popular attractions. Flowriders by WhiteWater Industries, waterslides, splash pads, and beautiful pools have become staples for many vessels. As a result, patrons have come to expect bigger and brighter aquatic experiences as new vessels are built. 

LARGE AQUATIC PLAY STRUCTURES

Elevated structures such as multi-level interactive water play structures or waterslide towers create an immediate presence that cruisers are often amazed by. These types of amenities serve as a focal point for the ship as a whole and create lasting memories.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Surf machines such as Flowrider by WhiteWater Industries are compact attractions, but they have a large onboard impact. For many guests, exposure to surf machines like these might happen for the first time on a cruise. Some ships have chosen to reinforce branding alongside the surrounding walkways and reduce risk with Life Floor’s custom logos and safety surfacing benefits.

POOL DECKS

Pool decks are popular amenities on cruise ships. Having a comfortable pool deck where guests feel at ease improves guest experience at these amenity types. Because these features are central to recreation on the upper decks of ships, vibrant designs that match the ship’s theming have become increasingly popular.

Cruise Ship Pool Deck

Beyond the focus on great looking pool decks, it’s essential that these areas are designed with safety and cleanability in mind. Certain elements can provide visual signals to guests regarding critical elements such as a pool edge, step down, or depth of water. Slip resistance can help maintain guests’ footing in these wet areas especially when paired with motion at sea. Surfaces that resist the growth of harmful bacteria help to protect the health of guests, especially since ships are heavily occupied with little downtime between voyages. 

By keeping these elements in mind, the upper decks of cruise ships provide the ultimate zones for aquatic relaxation and fun for their guests as they voyage across the seas. 

SPLASH PADS

Splash pads have become a popular amenity onboard cruise ships for families with young children or guests looking for aquatic play outside a pool setting.

Splash pads provide a variety of play options from dump buckets to water spray features. Generally, free play is more widely available on splash pads due to play requiring a level of imagination and creativity. Encouraging free play by having a highly themed splash pad can help guests who may not know one another play with a similar theme in mind. For example, a pirate themed splash pad can lend a story arc option to guests and create memories that may not have otherwise happened. 

Including all aspects of a splash pad’s construction in theming allows for greater customization and control of the greater cruise experience. From water jets to surfacing, utilizing all the aspects of splash pad design can curate experiences for guests.

#choosefun Carnival Cruise

Image Credit: eatsleepcruise.com

KIDS’ PLAY AREAS

Kids’ play areas are perfect for onboard daycares and family zones. Both indoor and outdoor dry play areas on cruise ships often feature various playground equipment that require a fall attenuating, cushioned surface to protect against accidental falls when equipment is elevated. An IMO-certified surface like Life Floor has been popular in these applications. 

Fun, vibrant flooring designs can help brighten up a play area by incorporating colors and themes that complement the rest of the space. Inlaid designs can provide another layer of play engagement with surface games or scavenger hunts. Life Floor’s custom cutting capabilities can also reinforce branding with cruise line logos or iconography. 

See our standard Inlay Library here.

PRIVATE ISLANDS

Beyond all of the fun on board, cruise lines that stop at their own private islands allow for all-inclusive theming in a secluded locale. Building an island environment is incredibly complex and requires a wide scope of considerations which centers around guest experience and enjoyment. Aquatic amenities are often the main features on private islands as guests seek to cool off and enjoy warm weather.

Life Floor is featured at two splash pads that can be enjoyed whenever passengers spend a Perfect Day® at CocoCay® courtesy of Royal Caribbean. Guests can cool off, run and play, or relax on the sidelines at both Splashaway Bay designed by Martin Aquatic Design & Engineering or at Captain Jill’s Galleon designed by the Life Floor Studio. These two projects at CocoCay are quintessential examples of Life Floor’s ability to match any aquatic feature’s theming and support risk reduction. 

The graphic elements of these two installations extend the scope of theming to provide immersive engagement for guests.  At Splashaway Bay, the designs on the slide tower panels were integrated into the surface design. Similarly, Captain Jill’s Galleon features a massive vessel with the surfacing surrounding it designed to mimic a body of water. 

Guest experience at an island vista requires comprehensive planning and safety parameters to ensure a low-risk environment while providing ample options for adrenaline-pumping adventures mixed with relaxing opportunities. To minimize interruptions to play, reducing overall risk is critical. One way to reduce risk in aquatic features specifically is to invest in safety surfacing that has increased slip-resistance and cushioning to better protect guests. 

Life Floor’s IMO Certified safety surfacing is both lightweight and durable for all types of wet or dry amenities.

We have so much fun working on these projects and serving the unique needs of our cruise partners such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, MSC, and Norwegian Cruise Lines among others. To specify Life Floor for your cruise ship, please contact Lindsay Fetzer here.

Unique Aquatic Designs at Vacation Destinations Worldwide

Some of our favorite projects include installations at sunny vacation destinations around the world. These locations chose Life Floor surfacing to add theming and design to their aquatic facilities and play areas with the added benefits of cushioning and slip-resistance that comes with our flooring. 

To give a sampling of some of the top projects on our travel bucket lists, we've compiled a list below. Many of these featured splash pads and pool decks are customized to look like seascapes, while others feature vibrant graphic elements. We've loved partnering with each of these resorts and travel destinations as we continue to provide a fun aquatic design solution to customers worldwide.

DUBAI

Jungle Bay Waterpark

“Inspired by the islands of Greece, the waterpark was designed intentionally with a clean, minimalist style. The park features rides and attractions for all ages… all surfaced with Life Floor for the whole family.” - WhiteWater Industries

Jungle Bay Waterpark is accessible through both The Westin Dubai and Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort in Dubai, UAE.

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Atlantis The Palm Dubai

As one of the world’s leading resorts, Atlantis The Palm Dubai boasts a complete resort experience. The submerged splash pad at Aquaventure Waterpark, which features a beach theme, was created for maximum entertainment and superior guest experience complete with Life Floor safety surfacing. 

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The Beach Jumeirah

Located between the panoramic backdrop of the Dubai skyline and the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf, The Beach splash pad delights families residing in the luxurious Jumeriah residential area.

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CARIBBEAN

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Cruisers of Royal Caribbean can truly have a Perfect Day at CocoCay. There’s something for everyone with numerous water play features to choose from and enjoy. From the Tallest Waterslide in North America to the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas, this experience is a fun-filled getaway for the whole family. Life Floor is featured at two splash pads on the island with colorful surfacing that brightens up both Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon.

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Lopesan’s Costa Bavaro Resort

Splash Island Waterpark is a picturesque family vacation destination in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic located at Lopesan’s Costa Bavaro Resort. This 27-acre themed resort pairs luxury with fun and has zoned areas for even the youngest guests.

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Jungala Aqua Experience

Jungala Aqua Experience is internationally known as a leader in guest experience. By placing capacity limits on accommodations, this luxury resort is able to provide guests with an experience that truly feels unique. This location features a RainFortress 5 structure by WhiteWater Industries paired with vibrant Life Floor surfacing to create an action-packed aquatic play environment.

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AUSTRALIA

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo created a beautiful splash pad at the center of their Laughing Lolly Shop and Water Park - a place where kids can play and cool off in the blazing Queensland sun while exploring beautiful sculptures of Australian animals, designed by the Zoo’s artist team. True to their environmental mission, they use water recycling components to reduce waste and give back to the wild.

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Sugarworld Adventure Park

As a central place for the community to connect and for local kids to cool off in the Queensland heat, the park features a 7,000 square foot play pool, complete with a play structure. Located near the site of an old sugar mill, this council-owned waterpark is the centerpiece of the community of Edmonton outside Cairns, Australia.

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ULTIQA Beach Haven Resort

“ULTIQA Beach Haven on Broadbeach is the perfect Gold Coast getaway. Views of the Pacific Ocean, Gold Coast Coastline and Hinterland views combine with relaxed apartments, creating a family friendly coastal destination.”

- ULTIQA Beach Haven on Broadbeach 

The unique wave patterning on this resort's pool deck can be seen from rooms above and adds comfortable surfacing for all guests who use this amenity.

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United States

LEGOLAND Surfer’s Cove

Surfer’s Cove is inspired by the beaches of Southern California and features its own surrounding artificial beach. It is a unique, enclosed area of LEGOLAND California, perfect for parents to relax within sight of their children playing on the splash pad.

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Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Excited travelers looking to experience the best of Southern California look to the Anaheim Courtyard by Marriott. This hotel is located near Disneyland and other popular attractions. In addition to spacious accommodations, the hotel is proud to offer guests access to the 20,000 sq ft Surfside Waterpark. Many rooms overlook this central attraction that features theming that carries through from the WhiteWater AquaPlay structure to the Life Floor surfacing.

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Dolphin Bay Resort

Framed by the Pacific Ocean and tropical palm trees, Dolphin Bay Resort is ideal for a California beach getaway. Guests are welcome to lounge in the sun on the resort's pool deck while listening to the waves crash against the shoreline a short walk away from the resort.  

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Fun Spot America, Orlando

Fun Spot Orlando is a vibrant family-owned theme park with a beautiful splash pad located in the heart of Orlando, FL. Fun Spot decided to expand on their mission of “Safe-Clean-Fun” and showcase their logo on a larger-than-life scale on the park’s splash pad where guests can cool off after a full day of fun.

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While this list features just some of our favorite vacation destinations around the world, there are countless others. To view more of our projects, head to our Portfolio page. 

If you'd like to see how Life Floor surfacing could enhance a resort or attraction you have in mind, contact us to start the design process!