Wall padding may go by a variety of names, including; Softwall, Wainscott, Cushion Wall, Safety Padding, and more.

Purpose

The primary purpose of wall padding is to provide a safe level of absorption for an individual making impact with an established object. Often these objects are walls (hence “wall padding”), but also these pads commonly protect

bleacher Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a ro ...

s, stage fronts,

I-Beam An I-beam, also known as H-beam (for universal column, UC), w-beam (for "wide flange"), universal beam (UB), rolled steel joist (RSJ), or double-T (especially in Polish, Bulgarian, Spanish, Italian and German), is a beam with an or -shaped cr ...

goal post In sport, a goal may refer to either an instance of scoring, or to the physical structure or area where an attacking team must send the ball or puck in order to score points. The structure of a goal varies from sport to sport, and one is plac ...

s, columns, and fences.

Standard Sizes

Typical indoor wall panels are 24” wide x 72” high. In recent history however many newly constructed

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compu ...

s and

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

have made a push for 84” high padding in their

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

facilities, where athletes are often elevated in motion. In

grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling is ...

and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

facilities pads are regularly 60” since most movement occurs on the ground.

Outdoor stadium Outdoor(s) may refer to: *Wilderness * Natural environment *Outdoor cooking *Outdoor education * Outdoor equipment * Outdoor fitness * Outdoor literature * Outdoor recreation * Outdoor Channel, an American pay television channel focused on the out ...

padding is 48” wide x 96” high. However, when working with a skilled

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ...

all dimensions can often be easily customized to fit the unique needs of your facility.

Composition

Standard quality indoor wall panel will begin with a 7/16” osb (oriented strand board) backer. To that, a layer of

foam Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid. A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the ...

will be laminated. For indoor panels the standard thickness of foam is 2”, but which type 2” foam is laminated to the backer is the most important part of the pad (see foam). After these steps have been completed a 16 oz.

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from viny ...

cover is stapled over the face and onto the back of the pad. A basic stadium pad, will spend most of its life outdoors, and should always begin with a ½” to ¾” weather durable backer board. Most often plywood is used, but other experienced companies like Mancino Manufacturing use a higher grade backer called . To that, a layer of foam will be laminated. For outdoor stadium panels the standard thickness of foam is 3”. Foam should be a minimum 1.8 pound density, with a 50-pound IFD. After these steps a 16o oz. to 17 oz. fabric will be stapled over the face of the pad.

Foam

Foam used in manufacturing wall padding is typically a

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethan ...

based foam, but can vary based on a specification written, or simply customer preference.

Vinyl

Vinyl range from 14 oz. to 18 oz. in weight, and typically has a light

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and ho ...

emboss pattern engrained into the good side of the material. There are at least 16 standard colors to choose from. Vinyl should also be expected to meet

fire retardant A fire retardant is a substance that is used to slow down or stop the spread of fire or reduce its intensity. This is commonly accomplished by chemical reactions that reduce the flammability of fuels or delay their combustion. Fire retardants ...

test NFPA-701 and ASTM E8

Installation Methods

The most common installation methods are; standard method, nailing margin, and z-clip. Standard method is a process in which panels are toe nailed in with a finishing nailer. Most often this method is done by professionals. If the surface the pads are being installed on is capable of being nailed into, pads will often be mounted directly to that surface. However, if the surface is unable to be nailed into, like

cinder block A concrete masonry unit (CMU) is a standard-size rectangular block used in building construction. CMUs are some of the most versatile building products available because of the wide variety of appearances that can be achieved using them. Th ...

, then firing strip will be mounted first, and the pads mounted to them. Nailing margin is a process in which the manufacturer will intentionally leave 1” of foam off the top and bottom of the panel. This 1” area is meant to allow the installer to drill directly through the panel, without damaging, or compromising the pad. If the surface the pads are being installed on is capable of being screwed into, pads will often be mounted directly to that surface. However, if the surface is unable to be drilled into, like cinder block, then firing strip will be mounted first, and the pads mounted to them. Z-clip is a process in which the panels are hung with male/female

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It h ...

channeling. An installer will first mount the female side of the aluminum clip to the wall (typically in 6’ lengths). The installer will then mount the male side of the clip to the panel (typically 22” lengths). To hang the panels, the installer will drop the panel with the male clip into the female clip on the wall. These pads will appear the same as standard method pads on from head on, but can also be removed from the wall because of the male/female clip.

Upgrades

Graphics art work is common upgrade that can be made to most any pad, in the manufacturing process.

References

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