an improved material for finishing athletic court , commercial , and residential floor surfaces of wood , linoleum , terrazzo , concrete , or other smooth surface includes at least one elongated sheet having a layer of a uniform flexible film of clear plastic material of between about 1 mil and 25 mils thickness and a continuous layer of adhesive material releasably adhering the flexible film onto the floor surface . the elongated sheet is provided in a self - adhesive roll and is applied to the floor surface by unrolling the sheet from the roll , with the adhesive side down , aligning an end portion on a predetermined corresponding portion on the floor , and pressing the total length of the sheet against the floor to adhere the sheet to the floor surface . additional sheets may be unrolled successively , with a slight overlap to assure an sealed joint . if the sheets are thick enough to create a perceptible ridge , a close fitting butt joint can be created by making a thin knife cut longitudinally through the overlapped edges and stripping away the resulting two edge strips .