5 easy and economical ways to make an outdoor dance floor

If you want to host an outdoor party, wedding or holiday, you are probably wondering how to install a dance floor as beautiful as in the banquet hall. The good news for you is that this is pretty easy to do, and you have a lot of options when it comes to your dance floor materials. Note, this article is about making a temporary, movable dance floor, not a permanent dance floor or an indoor dance floor. If you want to make a permanent dance floor in your yard, you should hire professional builders to make sure the dance floor is stable and safe.

Table of Contents

Things to consider and clean up

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Event design takes place around the dance floor during site preparation. Place the dance floor in a visible area and arrange the rest around the dance floor. If you want everyone involved in the dance, place your seat on one side of the dance floor, and the DJ or speaker on the other side near the exit or the restroom. As such, guests will have to go through the dance floor and they are easily attracted to the fun. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Place less important things on the edge of the premises. For example, a photo booth or coffee shop need not take up significant space around the dance floor.

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Estimate about 0.3 square meters for 30% of the guest list to calculate the dance floor size. Usually you should expect to have about 30% of your guests dancing at the same time, and each person needs enough space to move around. You should leave enough space for 40-50% of guests if you know that most people love to dance. ^{[2] X Research Source}

For example, if you have 100 guests it can be safely assumed that about 30 people will be dancing at the same time. That means you need a minimum of 9 square meters for the dance floor.

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Make sure the selected location is safe to jump. After selecting a location, check the ground to make sure it is relatively flat. Guests may be at risk if there are depressions, protrusions or holes in the ground. Scrub the area thoroughly. If it is not suitable for jumping, you should choose another area. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

This is really a safety issue. All movements and turns will be performed, and injury is possible if the ground is not flat, stable, and even.
If you’re hosting your event at home, a front or back yard is probably the best option. You can use wooden floors if you want, but make sure the floor is not overloaded to avoid damaging the structure.

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Post signs or decorations to let guests know it’s a dance floor. You can make your own signage or buy pre-made signs online so your guests know exactly what the area is for. You can put poles and wire fences around the area, or hang string lights above it to make the area look like a dance floor. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

This is quite important because guests may think that the area is reserved for other activities. You certainly don’t want to spend 30 minutes telling everyone it’s a dance floor. You just want them to get up and dance!

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Clean up the area for everyone’s safety. Regardless of whether you’ve covered the dance floor with tarps or something, it’s important to take out the trash. Pick up all trash, bricks, and miscellaneous items out of the area so no one slips or gets injured. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Look closely for glass shards. If someone jumps barefoot and steps on a piece of glass, it is very dangerous.

Natural dance floor

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Let your guests dance in the sand if you’re hosting an event at the beach. If you want to have a beach wedding or similar event, people will love dancing on the sand. But you need to double check that area to make sure there are no rocks or trash lying under the sand. Then create a boundary around the area and decorate it to show it’s a dance floor! ^{[6] X Research Source}

Tiki torches are very suitable to decorate the sand dance floor. The torch is relatively light so you can stick it in the sand. Don’t buy fire-lit torches (buy tiki torches with light bulbs, not oil-fired ones). You certainly don’t want your guests’ hairs to catch on fire when they jump too close to the torch!

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Select an area with grass and trim the grass to make a dance floor. The grassy ground is great for a dance floor as long as you don’t do complicated slides or hip hop dancing. The grass is like a mattress, and the grass will always regrow once it is no longer used as a dance floor. However, you have to cut the grass very short to clear the rocks below and help everyone dance more comfortably. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You still have to mow the lawn even if you plan to put a makeshift dance floor on it. If the lawn is not mowed, the grass can channel part of the dance floor.
You can choose an area of bare ground, but there may be rocks, glass, or other trash hidden beneath the ground. On top of that, the guest’s shoes will get very dirty. After considering all aspects, you should not put the dance floor on bare ground.

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Buy some cheap slippers for guests if they jump on the ground. If you are going to install an outdoor dance floor, some guests may be afraid of damaging their shoes, and you also cannot dance in high heels if the dance floor is grass or sand. Buy some cheap slippers in different sizes so everyone has slippers when they want to dance. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If you want to make guests happy and have high expectations with your event, you can email them an outdoor dance floor and you need to know their shoe number. This way, you will have information about the size of the shoe to buy.

Simple solution

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Install the dance floor as a module for a more professional look. You can buy tiles that are designed to be a makeshift dance floor. Shop online for textured tiles that match the atmosphere of the event. Check the size of each tile and buy enough for the entire dance floor. ^{[9] X Research Source} When you receive the item, you will put the tiles together like a jigsaw puzzle. Once the floor is covered, install the locking pieces around the edge of the tile. ^{[10] X Research Source}

You may have to step on the edge of each tile where the two tiles come together for a tighter joint. ^{[11] X Research Source}
Paving panels are manufactured using wood, vinyl or foam materials. Wood is the best choice if you want the dance floor to look professional. Vinyl and foam materials are softer, suitable when there are many children or elderly people prone to tripping.

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Thick carpet to make the dance floor look more rustic. The carpeted dance floor looks more inviting if guests want to dance barefoot, and is a great choice if you want the party to look old-fashioned or country-style. Buy a large rug to cover the dance floor. Then, use tent stakes to secure the carpet edges to the ground. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Jute or bamboo rugs are also excellent choices. They are hard, unique, and very cheap, suitable for covering large floors.
Don’t just lay out the carpet without securing the corners with stakes. Carpets can shrink and cause people to stumble.

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Buy anti-fatigue mats to make the dance floor super comfortable. Anti-fatigue carpet is a very soft and luxurious carpet, sold in the kitchen area of large supermarkets or homeware stores. They’re great because they’re non-slip, comfortable, and often have a mattress underneath so they won’t slide back and forth. Buy enough rugs to cover the entire dance floor, and spread them in neat rows. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Look for anti-fatigue mats that have a 90-degree carpet angle and no edge burrs.
This type of carpet is also waterproof so it is ideal if you want to install a wooden floor or other material that needs to be protected against spilled drinks.

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Lined with large MDF boards to make the dance floor more stable. Go to a building supply store to ask for a single MDF board large enough for a dance floor. Buy a waterproof pad or canvas. When you receive the MDF board, you will put a waterproof sheet to keep the dance floor from getting wet, because the MDF will disintegrate when it gets wet. Then you just put the MDF board on the dance floor! ^{[14] X Research Source}

If you want to paint the board, sand the entire surface with 220-grit sandpaper, prime with a solvent-based paint, and then paint the finish. Waterproof coating the board with ppyurethane or lacquer. ^{[15] X Research Source}
You can also carpet or lay modular tiles on top of the MDF to elevate the dance floor a bit. Remember to use stakes to secure the corners if you are carpeting.

Plywood dance floor

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Purchase plywood and beams to install the dance floor. You can build a dance floor with some basic materials. Go to a building supply store and buy enough plywood for the size of the dance floor. Then, buy a beam with a cross section of 5×8 cm and a length of 2.5 m to build the frame. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Plywood is usually 1.2×2.4m in size, so don’t worry about buying a special size or any other size. You have to make the dance floor a little larger or smaller than planned because of this limitation.
You can lay down pallets and join them together instead of framing from beams. ^{[17] X Research Source}
For the 3.7×5 m dance floor, buy 6 plywood sheets (1.3 cm thick) and 30 beams (2.5 m long).

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Ask the shop to cut almost half of the beams into 110cm lengths. The building supply store will cut the wood for you for free (if there’s a fee, it’s not much). More than half of the beams will be cut into two 110cm long segments. These small beams are used as support beams. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

For the 3.7×5 m dance floor, cut 18 of the 30 beams into small segments.
If you don’t ask the shop to cut it for you, you will have to cut it yourself with a circular saw. This job is very time consuming, so it is best to ask the shop to cut.

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Purchased steel plates, nails and nail guns to install the dance floor. Joint plates are small metal plates with nail holes in them. You need to use them to join the parts of the frame together, so you will buy 1 steel plate for each plywood sheet. Buy a box of galvanized nails and a hammer, or rent a nail gun if possible (faster than using a hammer). ^{[19] X Research Source}

For an area of 3.7×5 m, you need 6 connecting steel plates.
If you are building the dance floor from pallets, buy 1 piece of steel for each pallet.

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For each plywood sheet, you will use beams to close a rectangular frame. Place 2 2.5m beams parallel to each other on the ground. Take 2 110cm beams and place inside the two longer beams on the other two sides to form a rectangle. Nail the beams together to form a frame that fits the plywood size.

Close a frame for each plywood sheet. If you buy 6 plywood sheets, make 6 rectangular frames.
If you’re using pallets, just put them together in the shape of a dance floor and nail them back together. Each nail is driven 15-30cm apart and then press the plywood on top.

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Install 4 short beams inside each frame. For each plywood sheet, add 4 short beams inside each frame. Arrange four evenly spaced beams and nail from the outside of the frame at the joints to hold the beams in place. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

So if you have 6 plywood boards, you will use 24 short beams.

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Connect the frames together in the shape of a dance floor. Match the frames together in rows and columns to form the desired disco shape. Align the edges so that the edges lie flat. Then, nail the positions where the 2 frames come into contact. Each nail is driven 15-30cm apart to keep the frame in place and not come apart when guests are dancing. ^{[21] X Research Source}

For dance floor size 3.7×5 m, use 2 rows, each row contains 3 frames.

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Place the plywood on top and secure it to the frame. Place the first plywood board on the frame at the corner of the dance floor. Each nail is driven 15cm apart along the border around the frame. For support beams, use an obstacle detector to ensure that the nail is properly positioned with the beam underneath, spaced 30cm apart. Repeat this process for each frame to complete the plywood closing. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Make sure all nails are flush with the plywood. If the nail pops up, the jumper can step on it and get injured.

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Connect the outer edges of the frame with a connecting steel plate. Find the outer contact position of the rectangular frames. Place the connecting steel plate on the contact position so that each side of the frame has a nailing position. Shoot nails through each hole to secure the rectangular frames together at the weakest point. Repeat this process for each contact position of the rectangular frames. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

So if you have 6 plywood boards there will be a total of 6 contact positions along the edges of the dance floor.

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Paint the dance floor if you want it to look more eye-catching. Buy wood paint in the color you like, buy a roller and also a primer. It takes about 24 hours for the primer to dry, after which you will apply the finish coat. Wait another 24 hours for the paint to dry before applying a second coat if needed. Continue painting until the desired color is achieved. ^{[24] X Research Sources}

You can use duct tape to create more textures on the dance floor if you like.
You can paint the dance floor in a free style if you want people to know it was built by you.
If the event is a wedding or celebration, consider painting the floorboards with cheerful or happy messages.

Advice

You can make a dance floor by joining pallets together, then closing plywood on top. However, this method requires a somewhat complicated connection technique and the certainty is not guaranteed, depending on the number of people jumping on it. You also can’t move the dance floor once it’s closed. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Warning

If you’re going to use any material as a dance floor, it’s a good idea to check first. Try pushing the dance floor back and forth and jumping on it to make sure it’s firm and stable.
Don’t let guests dance freely on the sand or grass without checking for bricks or trash. Some people may not wear shoes and suffer an injury. ^{[26] X Research Source}
Remember to choose something relatively flat for the dance floor. One can trip while jumping if the ground is not flat.
Keep pets off the dance floor the night of the event. If you’re having a party in a wooded area, spray snake or bear repellent to keep them away from your event.