When you decide to set up a new fitness facility or to refurbish an existing one, the flooring should be one of the first things you plan. The reason is that fitness flooring plays as big a role in the success of your endeavor as the type of equipment you are going to install.
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When deciding on which type of fitness flooring to buy, ask yourself these questions:
Is it safe? The safety and comfort of users should be one of the most important considerations. The floor should provide effective protection, good cushioning, be soft to the touch, shock-absorbent, and resilient.
Do I need multi-purpose use? If your gym will have to accommodate a diverse number of activities, opt for versatile flooring that will be able to safely support all these activities.
How important is durability? Depending on the type of equipment you are going to install and the kind of activities your gym will be accommodating, durability can become a very important consideration. Let's face it, weight-lifting and other high-impact activities take a heavier toll on the floor than aerobic exercises - so while sponge might be a good choice for the latter, it's not a good choice for the former.
How easy will it be to maintain? If the type of flooring you choose will mean that you have to suspend all activities for one day a week so it can be cleaned, you have clearly made the wrong choice. You should ideally be able to clean the floor easily, quickly and efficiently, and keep it in great shape without spending long hours on this.
Is the thickness of fitness flooring important? For home gym flooring 8mm (0.315 inches) is the most popular For Olympic lifting and CrossFit workouts, however, you should opt for at least 3/8". And if you intend to regularly drop kettlebells or extra heavy dumbbells, you should rather op for 1/2" just to stay on the safe side.
Tiles
For medium to thick fitness flooring (anything thicker than 0.4" or 10mm), one of the most popular options is simple square rubber tiles. They might be fairly expensive, but they are easy to install, shock-absorbent, easy to clean, and durable.
A good number of fitness flooring tiles nowadays feature a jigsaw locking system. These might be heavy enough to be fitted without having to use adhesives, but the thinner the flooring is, the higher the possibility of sections coming loose.
Flooring rolls
The installation of flooring rolls is a lot less labor-intensive and they are often cheaper per square meter than tiles. Depending on the flooring's thickness, the rolls come in a variety of lengths.
Many people prefer rolls because they don't have as many joints as tiles, and they, therefore, provide a smoother appearance to the floor's surface. Fewer joints also have another benefit: the chances of gaps forming or sections coming loose after heavy usage are less.
Mats
These typically consist of large sheets of varying thicknesses and sizes. For weight-lifting exercises, a good quality 1/2-inch rubber mat should suffice, but for more heavy-duty activities you will probably need at least a 3/4-inch thickness. These mats are normally sold in sets of interlocking "puzzle pieces". Beware that inferior quality materials will basically just spread apart over time.
There isn't one material that is best for all types of fitness flooring under all circumstances, but what follows should help you make the right choice:
Rubber
Rubber remains one of the most popular choices for good reasons. it is resilient and strong. It can accommodate just about any type of equipment or exercise. Rubber is also easy to fit and maintain, shock-absorbent, water-resistant and it provides reasonably good soundproofing.
Rubber does have a few cons, however. It is e.g. relatively expensive and fairly heavy.
Foam
For floor-based exercises such as pilates and yoga, this is no doubt the most comfortable option. Foam is versatile and provides great cushioning and comfort. It also comes in a variety of styles and colors.
The cons are that, because it is less durable than other options, it has a relatively short lifespan. It is also a magnet for sweat and dirt and it is unsuitable for heavy fitness equipment.
Vinyl
Vinyl can withstand a lot of heavy use, yet it is a comfortable and stylish option. It is also moisture, mildew, and mold resistant. And when the time comes to clean up all that blood, sweat, tears, vinyl is easy to clean.
The downside is that vinyl has a low shock absorbency and it can easily be damaged by sharp objects. Another concern is that there might be a relatively small health risk of VOC emissions.
