If you’re in the process of building a home gym, you know there are a lot of considerations that go into it. The kinds of equipment you’re going to need, whether or not you have enough space for everything, and designing the gym itself are all major concerns … so it can be pretty easy to forget about your flooring.
It might not be as fun as shopping for machines and weight sets, but having the right foundation is crucial for any home fitness area. Don’t just leave your basement unfinished or rely on your existing hardwood or carpet flooring. Installing rubber flooring is one of the best ways to make your home gym safe for you, your equipment, and your home.
We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about home gym rubber flooring so you can lay out the foundation for a safe and secure workout area.
Does My home gym need rubber flooring?
Any good gym will have appropriate flooring for both yourself and your equipment. Workouts and workout equipment are often heavy and can easily cause damage to your original flooring, and many existing floors found in homes aren’t suitable for standing up to that impact. In addition, the existing flooring in your home probably isn’t optimal for minimizing joint stress or for protecting you from slipping.
Rubber is one of the most popular choices for home gyms for good reason. Rubber flooring works to:
- Absorbs shock, protecting both your floors and your equipment
- Provides cushion to make your workout safer
- Provide a sturdy, nonslip surface for preventing injuries
- Absorb sound for quieter workouts
Good rubber flooring is also of higher quality than other materials like foam or wood flooring and is resistant to moisture, making it easy to clean and maintain than other options.
In conclusion, rubber flooring is definitely one of the best options for any home gym area.
How thick should my rubber flooring be for my home gym?
Rubber flooring varies in thickness from a quarter of an inch to a full inch, so the thickness of your own flooring will vary based on your workout routine and how much shock you need it to absorb.
The most common thickness for rubber flooring is 8mm – this thickness should be adequate for absorbing the shock of most workouts and general weight ranges.
However, if you like to lift heavier weights – for example, in powerlifting or CrossFit workouts – you should get a thicker rubber mat to absorb more shock and prevent damage, especially if you plan on dropping or slamming the weights. In these cases, you should aim for rubber flooring that is at least ¾” or 1” thick for the best protection.
Do keep in mind that the thicker your rubber flooring is, the heavier it is likely to be.
How do you lay a rubber gym floor?
Installing a rubber gym floor is a relatively painless process. First, you’ll want to make sure that you’re starting off with a dry, hard, and level floor to prevent moisture from getting trapped underneath. Depending on the kind of flooring that your home gym area already has, you may want to also install another mat or adhesive underneath to prevent slipping or damage to the original floor (for example, in the case of hardwood floors).
From there, the installation process will depend on the kind of rubber flooring you choose. There are three main kinds of rubber gym flooring: interlocking tiles, larger rolls, and mats. The kind you choose will determine how it is installed.
As the name implies, interlocking tiles come in small individual tiles that can be locked together in a design similar to a puzzle piece. To install this kind of rubber flooring, you would simply buy the correct amount of tiles to cover the parts of the floor you want and lock the pieces together.
Rubber rolls, on the other hand, come in one solid piece. This can come with some downsides, since you have to buy the correct size for your home gym and don’t have as many options for customization. On the plus side, all you have to do to install this kind of flooring is roll it out in the area you’d like and you’re good to go.
You can also buy rubber mats, which tend to be smaller and very easy to set down wherever you need the extra insulation. This can also serve the purpose of separating your gym into different sections – for example, you can have one mat for your weightlifting area and another mat for your cardio equipment.
Can I apply rubber flooring over a carpet?
Generally speaking, it’s not a great idea to lay rubber flooring over a carpeted area, since the rubber flooring can cause damage to the carpet, especially if it is a high-pile or plush flooring.
Even if you don’t care about damaging the original carpet, laying rubber on top of it is not ideal for your workouts either. Carpet can cause the rubber flooring to bunch up and create tripping hazards and potential chances for injury during your workout.
If you still want rubber flooring but don’t want to pull out the carpet completely, you can set up a makeshift platform with plywood to prevent damage. From there, you can install the rubber flooring on top. There are also other kinds of gym flooring, like PVC, that could be a better choice for carpeted rooms.
Where can I buy Home Gym rubber flooring?
Because rubber is such a popular flooring material, you can easily find it at most hardware stores.
There are also plenty of options online for rubber flooring – for example, consider Rogue Fitness or Amazon for popular rubber flooring solutions.
No matter where you buy your home gym rubber flooring, make sure that you are buying sizes that are appropriate for your home gym space!
Is rubber flooring bad for your health?
There are plenty of benefits to using rubber flooring for your home gym, but they come with their fare share of downsides, including potential health hazards due to their manufacturing process. Part of this concern comes from a history of rubber flooring emitting mercury vapors, but those kinds of rubber have been discontinued and should only be an issue if you are buying old mats.
That said, you may notice that your rubber mats give off a gaseous smell when you first receive them – this is called “off-gassing,” and there are conflicting studies about its safety. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, there is a possibility that rubber flooring can contain volatile organic compounds like benzene and carbon disulfide, which could present some health concerns.
To avoid this, you can air out your rubber flooring for a couple of days before installation. You should also make sure that your home gym area is well-ventilated and be sure to only buy rubber flooring that is meant to be used indoors, not outdoors like horse stall mats.
Conclusion
Having appropriate flooring will literally lay out the foundation for the rest of your home gym, and rubber is one of the most cost-effective and workout-friendly solutions. Be sure to take care of this step first to make your gym last longer and to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts!