Which flooring is the best type of flooring for a home gym? Are rubber mats the best way to go or perhaps Interlocking Tiles – or maybe rolled rubber flooring? There are many options on the market today. Following is a brief overview of a few of the more popular home gym flooring products on the market with a discussion of some of the pro’s and cons.
Rubber Mats
Rubber Mats were initially designed for the animal husbandry industry (horses, cows, etc.) to help protect livestock from the cold ground and from slips and falls. As a result, these rubber mats are quite durable – after all – they are required to withstand the abuse of 1,000 pound animals as they stomp around with their sharp hooves.
Rubber Mats generally consist of a very dense rubber that is 3/8 “, 1/2″ or 3/4″ thick. These mats are solid black in color. Rubber mats for weight rooms are also available in thinner gauges but their uses are usually for under machines. If you are planning on using free weights with very heavy weights for squat racks or have free weight drop zones, it is recommended that the 3/4″ thick mats be used. The price differential is not that great between the 1/2″ and 3/4” so it is better to go with the heavier weight goods.
Regardless of which thickness of matting you go with, you may wish to stay away from the mats that consist of 100% recycled rubber. They tend to emit an odor that becomes quite strong – especially in an enclosed area like a gym. If the mats are going in a garage setting where there is plenty of ventilation, you may be able to use the mats with a high concentration of recycled rubber and save a few dollars.
Interlocking Tiles
Interlocking Tiles are usually made from a crumb rubber material with a color fleck. The interlocking tiles are cut from rubber rolled flooring like puzzle pieces. These interlocking tiles are usually 3/8″ or 1/2″ in thickness. One of the strong reasons to use an interlocking tile is that it is easier to install, pick up and move, etc. And should one part of the floor become damaged, you can simply remove the tile or tiles that are damaged and replace them with new tiles rather than ordering an entire floor. The tiles are available in a solid black, but it is generally recommended to use color flecks in a 10% or 20% mixture to hide footprints and dirt. Solid black flooring really shows white dirts like hand chalk, foot prints, lint, etc.
Rubber Roll Flooring
Rubber Roll Flooring offers the ability to cover large areas quickly. The rolls are usually 4′ wide and can come in lengths up to 70′ or 80′. Rubber Roll Flooring is available in 1/8″, 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ Thicknesses. In a nutshell, the thinner gauge matting should be glued down to help prevent tearing. These mats are great for rooms where you need a durable product but want to dress it up. The color flecks really add to the aesthetics of the room. Another great feature of using rolled rubber flooring is that seams are almost invisible. And it is simple to cut out any damaged flooring and replace it with a new piece. The color flecks really hide any seams.
As you may have surmised, thicker goods will hold up to the rigors of dumb bells, free weights and abuses associated with weight rooms.
Source by Gary Storz
Note From Brigadoon Fitness
As noted above, it’s essential to have a durable floor in your home gym. The type of flooring really depends on the type of exercise you do. Light impact exercise doesn’t require the flooring to be as thick or resilient as high impact exercises. What do these different types of flooring do? The give you traction to avoid slips, they absorb shock from high impact exercises, they help cushion your joints, they also reduce noise and vibrations.
Brigadoon fitness offers all of the types of home gym flooring mentioned above, such as rubber mats, interlocking tiles, and rubber roll flooring. Give us a call to talk to our specialists and find out which flooring type is best for your needs.
