9,127+ 
Court Tiles vs. Court Planks: What’s the Difference?
| Fact Checked By: Sonal Agarwal
Published: July 28, 2020 | Updated: September 2, 2021
You know you’ve truly made it when you start considering building your very own court, right? Having a court at your disposal is awesome, however, there’s a lot you have to consider before you start shopping for your dream court. For instance, should you use tiles or planks to finish your court? Is there value in comparing court tiles vs. court planks?
All of these questions can be answered by determining where your court will be located, and what you’re looking for in a court. First things first, discover the difference between court tiles and court planks by comparing their features, looks, and installation methods. Great news, this guide is to help you do just that.
| Related Content >> How to Choose Court Flooring |
All About Court Tiles
What are court tiles? To put it plainly, they are floor tiles that lock together to build your very own court. Constructed of hard plastic, our court flooring is more shock-absorbent than concrete and provides excellent support for the sport of your choice.
Therefore, be it volleyball, shuffleboard, basketball, or even pickleball; our selection of court flooring has the style and versatility you’re looking for. Let’s dive into the ins and outs to learn more.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Court Tiles
Courts are meant to be everywhere, which is why we have both indoor and outdoor tiles constructed with durable material ready to install at your convenience.
But what classifies a tile as indoor or outdoor? It all comes down to how the tile is constructed. For instance, outdoor tiles are vented so any water flows through the tile instead of puddling. So rain or shine, you can get out on your court and play your heart out. Whereas indoor tiles do not allow water to flow through their surface.
Whether the tiles are intended for indoor or outdoor use, however, our selection of sport tiles are always constructed of the best high-quality impact resistant polypropylene (extremely durable hard thermoplastic polymer). This ensures colorfastness, durability, and chemical resistance.
SHOP INDOOR COURT TILES SHOP OUTDOOR COURT TILES
Court Tile Installation
One of the coolest features of court tiles is their simple, DIY installation. Therefore, each tile’s edge is lined with pegs and loops that connect together. Once you get your tiles, all you have to do is grab your teammates, lay the tiles down, and lock them together. Talk about teamwork!
Check out these simple instructions!
- Clean your subfloor so that it is free of all dirt, dust, grease, or other foreign material.
- When installing the court tiles, we recommend starting in one corner of the room and working your way out from there.
- If your flooring is going up to a wall, make sure the loop side of the tile is facing away from the wall.
- After placing the tiles along two perpendicular edges, proceed to fill the rest of the area with whole tiles to your predetermined size and design.
- When you come up to an edge, wall, or object, don’t worry. Just measure the area and cut the tiles with a tile cutter, or table saw.
- When trimming the tiles into place, make sure you leave about a 3/4” space between the tiles and the outside of the court to allow for expansion and contraction of the floor.
- Once the tiles are in place, you can then snap in the edge pieces, if you purchased them.
| Related Content >> Tennis to Pickleball Court Conversion Guide |
Line Your Court
Afterward, when your indoor or outdoor court is set up, it might look like it’s missing something. That’s when you line the court. Not sure where to start? No worries, court tiles can be lined with a few different options. For instance, tape, paint, or with one of our Game Line Paint Kits.
Advantages of Court Tiles
- Durability: Court tiles are meant to support you and your game. With court tiles being constructed of hard plastic or vinyl, they’re also built to last.
- Use: You can use court tiles for a variety of sports or games. Be it volleyball, basketball, pickleball, or shuffleboard, these tiles are there for you.
- Color availability: Are you looking for some color in your court? Great! We have tiles available in several colors to fit your style or represent your favorite team.
- DIY installation: Grab your teammates and install your court in no time. Simply lay the tiles out and lock them together with their easy interlocking system.
- Indoor and outdoor options: Court tiles can be installed indoors or outdoors, depending on your need and how the tiles are constructed.
- Court sizes: Available in a variety of sizes, court tiles can be ordered as a kit to cater to your specific sport or based on the square footage available. Simply measure and order your tiles accordingly.
- Easy clean-up: These courts are easy to clean! Just sweep off any debris and you’re good to go.
- Fade-resistant: Constructed of the best high-quality polypropylene, these court tiles ensure colorfastness, durability, and chemical resistance so they will not fade.
- Shock-absorbant: Court tiles are more shock-absorbent than concrete and provide excellent support for the sport of your choice.
| Related Content >> Court Flooring FAQ |
All About Court Planks
Remember that old middle school gym you had to play dodgeball in? That’s the traditional gym floor that court planks create, however these planks aren’t nailed down to the subfloor. That’s right! Court planks clip or lock together over your subfloor, no nails required.
These hardwood planks create an awesome, exclusively indoor court floor for you to play hard, and have fun.
| Related Content >> How to DIY Install Court Sports Flooring |
Court Plank Installation
Depending on the type of court plank you choose, installation can be similar to court tiles with pegs and loops that lock together. The other method of installation is done with steel clips that connect each plank to the next. However, the clip installation is not as common and is typically product-specific. Either way, court plank installation can be a fun DIY project in your indoor space. Check out these installation resources to see both types of court plank installation.
Interlocking Installation System
- Clean your subfloor so that it is free of all dirt, dust, grease, or other foreign material.
- When installing the ProGym planks, we recommend starting in the front left corner of the room and working your way out from there.
- Make sure the loop side of the plank is facing away from the wall.
- After filling the left wall with planks, continue the pattern row by row until the entire space is complete.
- When you come up to a wall or object, measure the area and cut the planks with a sharp utility knife and put them into place.
- When trimming the planks into place, make sure you leave about a 1/2” space between the planks and the wall or obstruction.
Steel Clip Installation System
These steps work with our two hardwood court planks from Junckers, Truplay Sports System, and Trufit Hardwood System.
- Make sure the subfloor is level, clean, and dry. Install a vapor barrier if the installation area is at or below ground level.
- If recommended by the manufacturer, roll out a sports foam support layer perpendicular to the planned direction of the planks, and tape the rolls together.
- Begin installation by laying the planks face-down on the foam, parallel to the longest side of the room. Carefully hammer the included clips into the holes on the bottoms of the planks. These clips will connect to adjacent planks along the length of each plank.
- To connect the tongue and groove head joints of each plank, use adhesive in the joints. Stagger the plank head joints in a random pattern, leaving at least 18” between each joint on 6’ planks, and 30” of space on 12’ length planks.
- As you install, use spacers around the edges of the room to ensure the proper amount of space for expansion. For every 10’ of width, add ¼” to the expansion gap on both sides.
- The very last row of planks should be glued to the adjacent row along the length. No other rows should be glued together along the length.
- Finally, remove the spacers around the edges of the floor and install the trim and transition strips.
Lining Your Court
Want to feel like a pro baller on your court? Start with the official game lines! Similar to court tiles, after installing your court planks, you can add game lines using tape, paint, or for instance with one of our Premium Game Line Paint Kits.
SHOP PREMIUM GAME LINE PAINT KITS
Advantages of Court Planks
- DIY installation: Court planks come with the necessary installation accessories and do not require nailing planks to the subfloor. They can either be locked together or connected with a steel clip. Either way, you’ll have an awesome court in no time.
- Use: You can play multiple sports on these court planks. Therefore, be it volleyball, basketball, or indoor tennis, this court is ready!
- Durability: Thanks to their heavy-duty construction, court planks are built to last in your gym.
- Court sizes: Court planks can be ordered based on the size of the area in which you would like to cover, or by a set of court sizes we already have available.
- Traditional court looks: If you want a traditional gym, you can have it with court planks as they give the appearance of a professional court floor.
| Related Content >> Gym and Sports Turf Buyer’s Guide |
Court Tiles vs. Court Planks: The Showdown
Durability
Court tiles are constructed with heavy-duty hard plastic or vinyl, meaning they can stay strong in a variety of settings and uses. However, court planks are constructed of either hardwood or vinyl, making them just as ready to support whatever you want to do on your court. No matter which court you choose, it will be durable!
Winner: Tie!
Appearance
While both court tiles and court planks look great after installation, court planks look like a professional court at the end of the day. Given the planks are made of hardwood or vinyl, and give a seamless finish, your court is guaranteed to turn some heads.
Winner: Court planks
Cost
Although both tiles and planks are excellent options for your court, for instance, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, court tiles are the way to go. They typically run on the lower end of the budget spectrum.
Winner: Court tiles
DIY Friendliness
Both court tiles and court planks have great DIY installation methods making it easy to have your very own court in no time.
Winner: Tie!
Maintenance
When it comes to cleaning and maintaining your court, court planks take more consideration and specific instruction while cleaning. Depending on where you install court tiles, all they need is a wipe down or a hose off, and they’re good to go.
Winner: Court tiles
Placement
Court tiles can be installed indoors or outdoors depending on their construction. As for court planks, however, they can only be installed indoors due to the hardwood.
Winner: Court tiles
Use
No matter what sport you play, you can play it on court tiles or court planks. Either court is built for multi-sport use and is ready for you to play hard!
Winner: Tie!
Which is Better: Court Tiles or Court Planks?
After comparing court tiles and court planks, which do you think is better? Ultimately, it comes down to which works for your gym or outdoor space. Both are excellent court floors that are ready to support your practices or fun games. Are you ready to play hard on your own court?
SHOP COURT TILES SHOP COURT PLANKS SHOP ALL COURT FLOORING AND EQUIPMENT
Sydney Shields is a home improvement enthusiast with a passion for writing. Being a huge fan of the DIY revolution, her experience in crafting, blogging, and marketing led her to join Flooring Inc. She takes a personable approach to her blog posts and prides herself on the ability to dive deep into research for a fresh understanding of flooring, and...
ProGym Planks
Create your own "dream court" by bringing home the Progym Planks! These planks take modular athletic flooring to a totally new level in beauty and functionality. The Progym Plank is a solid-top tile with a quality finish.
Shop Now >>
Premium Game Line Paint Kits
Our Premium Game Line Paint Kits is a flexible two-component type polyurethane paint that provides excellent gloss retention making it great for use on our Progym Planks & Plankflex.
Shop Now >>
ProGame Sports Tiles
ProGame Sports Tiles are the perfect outdoor court tile when you need a seamless surface for your court. These non-slip tiles are designed for basketball courts, tennis courts, and many other sport-courts and also come with a gripped surface to keep your movements sharp, even on a wet day.
Shop Now >>
Indoor Sports Tiles
Indoor Sports tiles have been designed to be a primarily indoor court tile for basketball courts, badminton courts, and shuffleboards just to name a few. These tiles come in various colors that can be mixed to create many unique patterns and designs and can be painted to create the custom court of choice.
Shop Now >>
TruPlay Sports System by Junckers
Say good-bye to spending hours nailing your hardwood floors to the ground, and get ready to welcome our Truplay Sports System by Junckers, the best hardwood sports flooring that's out there for indoor sports, featuring a simple clip installation!
Shop Now >>
Guess what? I’ll be forwarding this article to a few of my neighbors so they can order the perfect installations anytime soon. They’ve decided to build a small basketball court at their respective backyard this summer which is a really nice initiative on their behalf. I like the idea of using court tiles as they are a much better choice if we prefer a more economical design for our sports facilities.