Installing a Home Fencing Piste

[Sheep With Sword]

Greetings from Singapore, fencing friends!

I would be really grateful if any of you could give me some advice or recommendations.

My husband is a keen fencer and what he enjoys the most are "family fencing sessions" with our two young daughters (aged 8 and 10) and with me (when he is absolutely desperate as I'm pretty bad). The girls are really enthusiastic fencers too.

So, since we are building a house, hubby has decided to have a fencing piste put in the future recreation room. The space I have available for this piste is pretty wide (several metres) but only 14.5 metres long. We are either using a polished concrete floor or wooden floorboards. If we use wooden floorbaords, we can leave a slightly sunken area for an installed piste, with or without carpet tiles running alongside. This way, the entire floor could be totally level.

I have seen a few alternatives, such as:
1. a roll-out piste by Artos (but i think these need to be taped down and I'm not sure the grils could manage)
2. a removable piste in sections (such as the Uhlmann/Allstar ones - i think you buy them by the piece. Again i think it could be inconvenient and difficult for the girls)
3. permanently fixed alumnium pistes by Uhlmann and FWF ("price on application" - scary words! No news back yet, but think it must be expensive! not to mention shipping to Singapore!)
4. a really nice looking piste by a company called multlock in turkey. Again price on application and transport issues. And i see it's used in international championships... maybe a bit overboard for a home piste?

We've tried asking a local metal company if they could do it, but they said we shouldn't try to re-invent the wheel and recommended we buy ready made ones from overseas.

Also, it needs to be tough enough for everyday traffic too, since it would be a permanent part of our recreation room (may have to take the weight of a mahjong table for instance!! )

My architect (and my hubby) insist that it look beautiful for the home.

So here i am, totally in limbo about what to do! Please help! Advice, recommendations? Perhaps someone knows a China piste manufacturer? Thank you thank you!!

[erooMynohtnA]

You've obviously done a lot of research, so I only have one suggestion that you haven't explored. This thread lists a homemade strip setup: "Home Made" grounded strips

[LTranter]

My thought is why do you necessarily actually need the piste? Our club strips are on wood (okay laminate) floors, taped off, with reels at the ends and the scoring machines hanging from the ceilings. I think you could do a lot in a home environment with modifying flooring without having your girls maneuver the strips. It would also allow the ability to multi-use the floor space without worrying about the piste being damaged by foot traffic, rowdy kids, etc.

L

[SJCFU#2]

A few random thoughts:

The space I have available for this piste is pretty wide (several metres) but only 14.5 metres long.

You really can't fit a regulation length strip in a room this size (at least not if you want any run-off at the ends). A 10 meter long strip would probably fit the room better and still be sufficient for home use. Also make sure that you have enough overhead clearance - I don't know what the standard ceiling height is in Singapore but the 2.5 meters commonly used in the US is not enough.

We are either using a polished concrete floor or wooden floorboards. If we use wooden floorbaords, we can leave a slightly sunken area for an installed piste, with or without carpet tiles running alongside. This way, the entire floor could be totally level.

You don't want to fence on a concrete floor - it's very hard on feet and knees. If the base floor is concrete then you might consider laying some form of rubber sport flooring on top of it (often available as individual tiles that are easy to fit into place), and putting carpeting with a good pad on the rest of the floor - do it right and the top surface should be reasonably close to level.

As far as materials are concerned, I agree with LTranter - a grounded strip probably isn't necessary, especially for home use (I'm guessing that your girls are mostly doing foil so the only thing to a grounded strip would get them would be fewer hits to the floor registering as off-target touches). If you must have a grounded strip then consider a sectional one (since the strip will not be full length you could probably get by with fewer sections), or consider covering that portion of the floor with perforated aluminum or stainless steel sheets (as described in the homemade strips thread). Either way, plan on leaving it down permanently.

Finally, don't forget that you will also need a scoring machine and either reels or an overhead system to connect the fencers to the scoring machine (otherwise why even bother with a grounded strip?). Beware of static electric build up, especially if you are looking at carpeting the floor (it is possible to build up enough of a charge to damage a scoring machine, although since this usually only occurs when the air is extremely dry it might not be so much of a concern in more a humid environment climate). Overheads are generally less expensive and more reliable but reels are generally easier to set up and take down, leaving the space clear for other uses.

[Sheep With Sword]

I'm not sure how to do this reply (first timer here!) but thank you very much for the great (and fast!) replies. I think we were thinking about a metal piste, because my husband and my girls prefer epee to foil. I will go through your suggestions and advice really carefully.

Thanks so much! Really appreciate it! I'll let you know what we opt for in the end.

Cheers from Sheep with Sword

[SJCFU#2]

A grounded strip is more useful in epee, but still not exactly a necessity (at least not for playing around at home).

[thekoby]

A grounded strip is more useful in epee, but still not exactly a necessity (at least not for playing around at home).

just think of how cool it would be to say "Yeah, well my strip is grounded!"

I actually agree though. I'm renovating my attic, taking down a few walls and relocating some support pilars so that I can add a full-sized piste of my own, but it will not be grounded. It's just going to be for fun or to give private lessons to locals during the summer.

[brtech]

You might ask BG if they have one of their older design pistes still in the China factory where they are made. Shipping from China might be much less expensive for you.

The old style one, which has, uh, 36 or 37 sections would let you drop out some sections to fit in your space.

The BG sectional aluminum strips are less expensive that other brands. Generally, they are reliable, but see below.

All that is the good part.

The bad part is that:
a) They have changed designs to a 17 section model, which is a much coarser adjustment for you
b) They had a batch of the 36 section strips which were manufactured incorrectly and don't set up straight, no matter what you do. We refer to them as "banana strips". You don't want one of them.

[lanyingjie]

O.o I'm from Singapore too, but just curious, how would you find the space for it in your house! Given that I figure an average HDB flat is neigh impossible, plus condos would probably not have the length, it's near impossible.

Which is kinda why I figure a landed property would be nice to aim for .

[Sheep With Sword]

Thank you for the replies and opinions. I think I'm getting there!
Please tell me, what is "BG"? (I'm sorry I don't know but it sounds like a great option!)
Lanyingjie, You're right. we live in a house. We've had to sacrifice space for other things to have a piste though!

[Sheep With Sword]

Thanks very much for this. I will try to track down "BG". Is it a company in US?

[SJCFU#2]

Thanks very much for this. I will try to track down "BG". Is it a company in US?

BG = Blue Gauntlet Fencing (click here for their website)

[foibles]

I would think that a hardwood floor, with differently stained woods delineating the en garde lines, side and end lines (example)... Add to that a wall mounted rack to display swords masks and such.... Mirrors along one wall protected, perhaps, by a ballet bar... maybe put something like this except maybe a compass rose in the center of the piste... lit by 2 chandeliers... overhead reels... wall mounted digital video camera and HD tv so you can record your fencing- play it back and analyze your game...

<sigh>... sorry... I kinda got to daydreaming a bit there...

[DLEE]

The budget is often a consideration of course.

But since you are starting from scratch a cushioned floor of some sort would provide a safer surface for bouncing, lunging, etc.

Take a look at the DIN 18032 standard for sports floors. That will get you pointed in the various relevant directions.

Aesthetically there are infinite options but for many it is hard to beat the highly polished maple flooring such as you see in the NBA.

If you go to Google and type in Din 18032 it will get you started. You might also type in things like "cushioned dance floor" and so on.

Ankles, knees, and hips will appreciate the cushioning compared to concrete.

[luccartillier]

Greetings from Singapore, fencing friends!

I would be really grateful if any of you could give me some advice or recommendations.

My husband is a keen fencer and what he enjoys the most are "family fencing sessions" with our two young daughters (aged 8 and 10) and with me (when he is absolutely desperate as I'm pretty bad). The girls are really enthusiastic fencers too.

So, since we are building a house, hubby has decided to have a fencing piste put in the future recreation room. The space I have available for this piste is pretty wide (several metres) but only 14.5 metres long. We are either using a polished concrete floor or wooden floorboards. If we use wooden floorbaords, we can leave a slightly sunken area for an installed piste, with or without carpet tiles running alongside. This way, the entire floor could be totally level.

I have seen a few alternatives, such as:
1. a roll-out piste by Artos (but i think these need to be taped down and I'm not sure the grils could manage)
2. a removable piste in sections (such as the Uhlmann/Allstar ones - i think you buy them by the piece. Again i think it could be inconvenient and difficult for the girls)
3. permanently fixed alumnium pistes by Uhlmann and FWF ("price on application" - scary words! No news back yet, but think it must be expensive! not to mention shipping to Singapore!)
4. a really nice looking piste by a company called multlock in turkey. Again price on application and transport issues. And i see it's used in international championships... maybe a bit overboard for a home piste?

We've tried asking a local metal company if they could do it, but they said we shouldn't try to re-invent the wheel and recommended we buy ready made ones from overseas.

Also, it needs to be tough enough for everyday traffic too, since it would be a permanent part of our recreation room (may have to take the weight of a mahjong table for instance!! )

My architect (and my hubby) insist that it look beautiful for the home.

So here i am, totally in limbo about what to do! Please help! Advice, recommendations? Perhaps someone knows a China piste manufacturer? Thank you thank you!!

Hello there I understand you are from Singapore.
I live in Brisbane ,and have developed and built 10 aluminium fencing pistes for my association QAFA . They can be built made to measure. If you are still interested and for more information you can contact me at cartillier@optusnet.com.au. Luc Cartillier, Member of Australian Men's Olympic Fencing Team, Sydney 2000.

Kind regards
Luc