The Haines School gym floor may have to be refinished again because the coating applied last month is still not completely dry.

The gel-like coating ended up too thick on the floor due to “issues with the materials used to apply it,” said Haines School District superintendent Tony Habra at Tuesday’s school board meeting. High humidity when it was applied on Aug. 1 could also be a factor.

There are still soft spots on one half of the floor near the free throw line. Habra said he and the facilities staff have researched ways to speed up the curing process. They’ve kept fans on the floor, bumped the heat up to 76 degrees and might try adding mineral spirits to harden the substance. The mineral spirits may make the clear product turn cloudy.

“If it would just dry, it would be great,” Habra said.

Habra and principal Rene Martin said refinishing the floor again is the likely option. As for getting the current layer off, Habra said the industrial sanders might burn out quickly, while scraping it could damage the floor.

Martin said the school puts another coat of the refinishing product on every year in early August, and it normally takes two to three days to dry.

“Mysterious things happen sometimes,” Martin said.

Habra said students were allowed to walk on the front half of the gym this week wearing socks; shoes may still make impressions in the clear coat. Shoes also could easily get caught on or stuck in a soft spot and cause someone to fall or twist an ankle.

This issue has caused a delay in the start of the community open gym that normally begins the day after Labor Day, according to past open gym supervisor Gina Randles. The girls’ volleyball season starts Sept. 14 and may also be affected.

Martin noted the school has a second gym in the elementary school building, and groups can coordinate to use that space.

“The community probably shares our frustration,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get this squared away.”

Habra said at the meeting that more refinishing product was ordered and will arrive in about two weeks. If the floor is not dry by then, the floor will most likely be refinished again.

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