In our experience, a trained crew of 6-7 can install a complete EventDeck Ice conversion system in about 1.5 hours. Truly experienced crews can install a system in under 1.5 hours, as they are familiar with the proper staging of material for an efficient installation. The ArmorDeck Ice system can be installed even faster because of its extra large panels. Smaller or larger crew sizes can be used depending on each facilities staff size.

Tip: Installation times for any portable rink flooring system can be improved with proper pre-planning and pre-positioning of material. As with any large scale project, minimizing the amount of time spent walking from the material staging area to the work area will dramatically improve installation times. See installation instructions.

We generally send a company supervisor to your facility for your first install. This first flooring installation can be scheduled to coincide with your first event, or simply be a test run. It generally takes about 2.5 hours for the initial install - which includes the cutting of radiuses and unpacking of the system. Our supervisor instructs your team on the best way to speed changeovers at your facility and will assist in the marking and cutting of radiuses. See installation instructions.

Yes. Both the EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice systems are specifically designed to accommodate forklift traffic and other moving equipment. They can support the weight of cars, light trucks, glass carts and other heavy loads. For truly heavy-duty applications we recommend the ArmorDeck Ice system, as it can support up to 45,000 lbs static weight per square foot.

Unlike other ice rink covers, EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice can handle turns, stops, and other natural forklift movements. This makes them ideal for concerts, tradeshows, and other heavy traffic events.

Experts suggest that without an ice cover system, buildings should keep the skating surface at between 24 and 26 F (about -4 C) and the building temperature at about 63 F (17 C). It is generally accepted that humidity be kept at about 30 percent.

With EventDeck Ice or ArmorDeck Ice installed, it is possible to raise ice surface temperatures a couple of degrees over normal (26 F – 27 F) as the systems provide a level of insulation and as such ambient air temperatures have less of a direct affect on the ice. We suggest that humidity levels be kept as low as is practically possible or below 20 percent.

During the installation of an EventDeck Ice or ArmorDeck Ice system, buildings often find that their electric usage is reduced as a result of lower building heating costs and lower ice refrigeration costs.

There are no limitations to the duration of time that EventDeck Ice or ArmorDeck Ice may be left in place. Some facilities choose to leave their systems down for months at a time during peak off-ice event seasons. Unlike fibrous systems that are affected by moisture and can get stuck to the ice, EventDeck Ice is manufactured using a specially formulated polypropylene and ArmorDeck Ice is made from High-Density Polyethylene, both of which are impervious to water and moisture and are unaffected by humidity or condensation. They will not stick to the ice or get moldy, dusty, or damaged.

Yes. EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are specifically designed to bear the weight of portable basketball courts, staging, tables, chairs, speaker towers, mixers, and other equipment that would likely be used during sporting and other events. We suggest that building humidity be brought down a day or two before installing your portable basketball court, whether on our flooring or any other ice rink conversion system.

Yes. Our products have seen all types of traffic, including large dasher board carts transported by forklift, tempered glass transported by forklift, and other heavy components. With a traditional 96” dasher board panel weighing between 150lbs (aluminum) and 300lbs (steel), any system you choose needs to support heavy weights. EventDeck Ice can support static loads up to 20,000 lbs/sq ft, and ArmorDeck Ice can handle static loads up to 45,000 lbs/sq ft.

Signature flooring has never considered R-value as an important indicator of ice arena flooring performance as this measurement was really designed to be used in the building industry to describe the insulation characteristics of certain building materials.

R-value is a measure of thermal conductivity and specifies the rate that heat energy is transferred through a material. R-value should not be confused with the intrinsic property of thermal resistively and its inverse thermal conductivity.

There has been much debate in the U.S. Insulation industry about the effectiveness of R-Value calculations in capturing the true aspects of insulation as this measurement does not measure reflection of radiant heat away, but rather the slowing of the flow of heat through a material itself. Additionally, the rate of heat transfer through a material is dependent on different factors, depending on the mode of transfer. Convective transfers differ from conductive transfers, which differ from radiative transfers. This is an important consideration because heat arrives in different forms. The large debate between members of different areas of the U.S. insulation industry during the review and revision of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s regulations about advertising R-values illustrates the complexity of the issues.

At Signature Flooring, we have gone through extensive testing and calculations on the properties of ice arena covers in order to better understand the heat transfer characteristics of our material as well as those of others, and we believe that our company has the deepest understanding of the thermal issues and requirements for arena use.

As a result of real-world performance result differences, the EventDeck Ice, ArmorDeck Ice, and other systems must be measured by the characteristics that matter for buildings, attendees, and other interested parties rather than simply R-value.

For example, when considering thermal properties of an ice rink cover, transfer of heat from the interior of the arena to the ice is much less important than the transfer of cold from the ice to the surface of the material (surface temperature) and to the interior airspace of the building itself. Surface temperature of the flooring material and the flow of heat/cold through the surface of the material matters as attendees standing on the ice floor will be affected. In fact, differing shoe sole types interact differently with different materials. Even air circulation in the building and over the ice floor matters and affects thermal conductivity.

Because of the many factors that affect ice rink insulation and the thermal conductivity of flooring, Signature has worked to develop scientific methods of testing and reviewing ice floors, their affect on temperatures and even on electricity-usage requirements.

For this reason our company engages in extensive real-world testing of our product and takes seriously the feedback received from customers and users of our system during various types of events and for different off-ice applications, such as trade shows, concerts, and sporting events. This information has enabled us to continue to improve our various floors to meet unique customer needs.

We suggest and encourage all prospective buyers to contact the users of our system directly to learn more about their real-world experiences and thoughts on using their floor.

Yes custom colors are available and we can match any standard PMS (Pantone) color. This means that we can match your chair color or other color themes and complement your facility. If you do not have a specific PMS color, simply send us a color swatch you would like to match and our in-house manufacturing team will create a small plastic color chip sample that you can review prior to finalizing your order.

Imagine matching school or team colors or others to create a truly customized architectural look during non-ice events. Alternate colors for dramatic effect or highlight areas of your floor with contrasting colors. Nearly any color and design is possible with EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice arena conversion systems. See Photo Gallery.

We suggest that your EventDeck Ice or ArmorDeck Ice floor be swept or mopped after each event and prior to storage. For typical events, no other cleaning is required, though household cleaners may be used for spot cleaning as required.

Unlike other floors that are fibrous in nature and really not designed to be cleaned, EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are not susceptible to damage from moisture and are chemical, moisture and water resistant.

Should heavier cleaning be required, we suggest using a standard drive-on or walk-behind floor scrubber. The EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice systems can handle the weight and movement of such equipment and a fast and speedy cleaning can be performed.

EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice may be pressure washed as required, though this should not be attempted while the floor is installed over ice.

Yes, while EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are designed to function without any additional covering, we understand that some arenas may want to cover the floor with carpeting during more formal functions.

Should you need to use carpeting, we suggest installing vinyl backed carpet tile (36” x 36” is preferable). This type of carpet is available at most carpet wholesalers or Signature can help you source carpet in the color and style you prefer.

Visit American Turf & Carpet.

EventDeck Ice is transported and stored in 3ft x 4ft sheets,stacked on standard sized pallets. A typical 85x200 arena utilizes 20 pallets of material and a 100x200 rink uses 25 pallets of material. Pallets arrive on one standard truck and can be stored in the equivalent space (about 8ft x 40ft of floor space).

Each pallet is about 85” tall, and if ceiling height permits, may be double stacked for more efficient storage.

ArmorDeck Ice is shipped on pallets with two panels connected for a total area of 3.75ft x 7.25ft.

Yes. EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are available for both rental and purchase. We generally recommend purchase of a system if you know that you will require flooring more than 3 or 4 times. For one-time events or for facilities that have no storage space for a system, we can provide turnkey rentals of our flooring.

Pricing for rentals will include the cost of renting the flooring system, supervisory labor, and round-trip trucking. We generally would work with on-site building labor for installation and removal but can provide temporary labor as well, at minimal additional cost.

There are many differences between EventDeck Ice, ArmorDeck Ice, and other portable flooring systems, but these can generally be divided into several categories a) tile design and construction, b) connection system, c) traffic capability.

We believe that EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice excel in all categories as follows:

Tile Design and Construction:

The EventDeck Ice design consists of a high density, no-break, polypropylene material that is capable of handling heavy use. ArmorDeck Ice is made from High-Density Polyethylen (HDPE) post-industrial recycle plastic, reinforced with additives that increase strength, flex modus, and izod impact value. Some older ice conversion systems are fibrous, similar to a cardboard. This material tends to get moldy; will get wet, start to smell, peels back when event tape is used and causes a host of other problems. EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are solid, waterproof, rigid, and will not stick to the ice as a result of water freezing into the fibrous construction, a serious problem with older fibrous or wooden systems.

Both EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice are designed with a bi-directional ribbing system that provides superior support and torsional rigidity. Unlike older modular plastic systems that have exposed ribs, EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice feature a double-layer design, with a flat underside module that prevents the “cookie cutting” or design impressions that can occur in your ice as a result of extended installations or higher ice/room temperatures. This layer also serves as a traction surface that prevents movement and slippage of your floor during use.

Connection System:

Unlike other panel systems, the EventDeck Ice has a true locking system. Sections actually slide into position and snap together like Legos. Each tile is designed with a specially curved edge that corresponds to the adjacent tiles curved edge. This feature actually allows sections to self-position for easy snap down, using no other tool than your feet - a feature that no other product has.

ArmorDeck Ice combines the ease of Signature's proprietary hook and loop connection system with the strength of aluminum cam locks. Two sides of each panel have four connection loops that correspond to hidden hidden receiver pins on the other two sides. This connection system self-aligns and nests easily into each other. For optional added strength and stability, rotating aluminum cam locks are located on the sides and corners.

Traffic Capability:

Unlike other ice rink conversion covers, EventDeck Ice and ArmorDeck Ice were both designed specifically to handle heavy weights and equipment traffic associated with sporting and special events. These systems will not shift, buckle, or drift while floating over your ice rink.