How Does Wall Padding Work?

We've all seen the Major League Baseball player crashing into the outfield fence in a last ditch effort to make a catch. Sometimes they make the catch, other time they get injured. It's no secret that sports can get rough. Sports injuries range from people falling on their own to players running into each other, as well as into walls, floor, and fences of the arena. There are multiple sport floors to make an indoor or outdoor sports facility more safe. To protect people from posts, walls, bleachers, and more, wall padding is a great option.

Wall padding is installed for the purpose of providing a safe level of impact absorption for the person that is hitting the object. Often these objects are walls (hence ''wall padding''), but these pads also protect against impact with bleachers, stage fronts, I-Beams, goal posts, columns and fences.

How does wall padding work

Wall Pad Sizing

Typical indoor wall panels are 24 inches wide by 72 inches (2x6 feet) high. More recently though, many new basketball facilities have made the move to installing 84-inch-high (7 feet) padding because athletes are often elevated in motion. In grappling and wrestling facilities, pads are regularly 60 inches (5 feet), since most movement occurs on the ground.

Outdoor stadium padding is 48 inches wide by 96 inches (4x8 feet) high. However, when ordering and working with a premium manufacturer, every dimension of the wall pads can be customized satisfy the unique needs of a facility.

Foam Padding

The standard thickness for indoor wall padding panels is 2 inches. The type of foam varies, but specialty flooring retailer Greatmats uses 2-inch thick cross-linked polyethylene foam. The wall pad features a vinyl cover that is over the face and back of the wall pad to increase the durability and lifespan of product. Sturdier pads, containing a wood backing board (typically oriented strand board) are also available.

Foam used in manufacturing wall padding is typically a polyurethane based foam, but can vary based on a specification written, or simply customer preference.

garage wall padding

Vinyl Covers

Vinyl ranges from 14 oz. to 18 oz. in weight, and typically has a light leather emboss pattern ingrained into the good side of the material. This product features phthalate-free vinyl. Greatmats offers a wide range of vibrant color options, and can even custom print team or school logos on the wall pads. Vinyl is often treated to be anti-fungal and antibacterial. Vinyl should also be expected to meet fire retardant test NFPA-701 and ASTM E84 [2].

Installation Methods

A couple common installation methods are using a nailing margin, lip top and bottom pads, or z-clips. Lip top and bottom or nailing margin is a process in which the manufacturer will intentionally leave 1 inch of foam off the top and bottom of the panel. This 1-inch area is left to allow for the back panel to be drilled into without damaging the pad itself. If the surface the pads are being installed on is capable of being screwed into, pads will often be mounted directly to that surface. If the wall is not able to be drilled into, as is often the case with cinder block walls, furring strips can first be mounted and then the wall pads can be mounted on the furring strips.

Z-clip is a process in which the panels are hung with male/female aluminum channeling. First, the female side of the slip is mounted to the wall, most commonly in 6-foot lengths. The installer will then mount the male side of the clip to the panel (typically 22-inch lengths). To hang the panels, the installer will drop the panel with the male clip into the female clip on the wall. From head on the pads will appear the same as standard wall pads, but they are able to be removed from the wall because of the z-clips.

foam wall padding

What's different about outdoor versions?

A basic stadium pad, will spend most of its life outdoors, and should always begin with a 1/2- to 3/4-inch weather durable backer board. Moisture resistant composite wood is commonly used in outdoor wall pads, and then a layer of foam is laminated to that wood back board.  For outdoor stadium panels the standard thickness of foam is 3 inches. After these steps, an 18 oz. UV-protected vinyl fabric will be secured over the face of the pad. A wide variety of outdoor pads are available, some with Z clips, and some with grommets. Please call us to speak with an expert customer service representative at Greatmats who can help find the perfect product for any space and budget.

Padding that is designed specifically to be installed on chain link fences can also be used for ball field fences as well as gates and outdoor track arenas. Composed of 3-inch thick foam, these pads are attached with a bolt and plate method. Z-Clip attachments are also available. Printing your pads with a custom logo gives a professional look to any field or sport facility, and also helps bolster team spirit!

gym wall padding installation

Pole Pads

Column or pole pads are also available in a range of colors, in a standard height of 72 inches. Three sizes are available to fit 4-, 5- or 6-inch diameter poles. If the facility has I-Beams, Greatmats offers four standard sizes of 72-inch high wall pads that are designed to wrap around the beams. The padding attaches with hook and loop fastening strips.

Budget and Temporary Wall Padding

Perhaps your budget is tight or you don't need full-time cushioning. Another option that some customers choose is to use gym mats, which are commonly used for gymnastics, wrestling, or martial arts.These have an external flange on the long side that can be screwed into a furring strip on the wall. Some home gym and fitness studio owners even use foam puzzle mats on their walls. Using puzzle mats on the walls can add color to the wall and carry a pattern from the floor onto the wall.

Regardless of what type of padding you chose, work with a reliable company like Greatmats to help you through the ordering process. Working around outlets, doors, and windows present unique considerations, so consulting with an expert at Greatmats is a perfect way to make the process as simple as possible.

wall foam padding