Rubber flooring is one of the most integral aspects to consider when building a home gym. This is especially true if you’re building a gym in your garage, basement, or any other place with hard, concrete floors. Not only is concrete flooring tough on your joints and muscles, but it is also very easily damaged. Home renters in particular should be wary of their floor’s sensitivity, and take extra precautions to keep the flooring in pristine condition. That is why you should simply install your home gym flooring over concrete, rather than tear up existing floors.
Best Home Gym Flooring Over Concrete
There are dozens of gym flooring options to consider, but we have found that rubber surfacing is the best flooring for a home gym across the board. Rubber is the ideal choice for both workout mats and wall-to-wall gym floors because it provides safety, comfort, and protection. The non-slip surface of rubber gym floors prevents equipment from sliding around and keeps you on your feet – even when things start to get sweaty. The elastic surface also flexes under pressure to cushion impacts and provide anti-fatigue comfort. That means that with rubber flooring for a home gym, you can work out harder and longer without having to worry about straining your muscles.
One of the most important reasons to install your home gym flooring over concrete floors is to protect your sub-floors. Rubber is famous for its protective qualities under harsh physical conditions, and athletic flooring is no exception. Thick rubber gym flooring options are actually able to absorb harmful movements such as abrasions, vibrations, and impacts to greatly reduce – if not completely eliminate – their impact on the flooring below. This is perfect for concrete surfacing, which is incredibly sensitive and expensive to repair. Rubber flooring acts as a protective barrier to safeguard the sensitive sub-floors. This quality has made rubber a popular choice for workout mats and exercise equipment mats, as well as both commercial and home gym flooring.
Installing Rubber Flooring Rolls Over Concrete
Rolled rubber flooring for a home gym results in a smooth, seamless finish. This type of rubber surfacing is purchased as large rolled mats, which can usually be purchased in custom sizes to make installation even easier. There is no need to seek out expensive professional services when building a home gym – rolled rubber flooring makes installation a breeze! It is easy to install home gym flooring over concrete because they are usually flat and evenly surfaced. Rolled rubber gym flooring over concrete can be glued down or taped down using double-sided carpet tape, but the weight of most rolls nullify the need for an adhesive, since the rolls can stay down under their own weight. If you prefer you gym floors to be adhered to the floor, you will only need to use adhesives around the perimeters to prevent the edges from lifting.
After purchasing rolls of home gym flooring in the proper sizes for your space, you can lay it across the concrete floors for a near-perfect fit. In some cases, you may need to cut around “problem areas” such as corners or unusually curved walls. Luckily, the rubber can be easily cut with a utility knife to ensure that your home gym flooring fits over the concrete perfectly. There are a few different ways to adhere or stick the rubber flooring to concrete, but more on that a little later!
Installing Interlocking Rubber Floor Tiles
The other type of rubber flooring for a home gym comes in the form of interlocking tiles. Rubber tiles are one of the more popular gym flooring options, and this is for a few different reasons. The first is that rubber flooring tiles are stylish and customizable! Rolled rubber athletic flooring is typically available in very limited color options, but interlocking tiles offer a much bigger selection. Tiles can also be purchased in multiple colors to allow for colorful and unique patterns. You can design your home gym flooring with a checkerboard, stripes, or even a rainbow if you so desire. The other reason rubber tiles make great home gym flooring over concrete is the ease of installation. Unlike rubber flooring rolls, interlocking tiles can be installed floating – that is, without the use of adhesive. This is because the tiles connect at the sides, coming together to form solid and reliable rubber flooring surface.
Another great benefit of modular gym floors is how easy they are to remove. Since this type of home gym flooring does not require any adhesive, the tiles can be removed at any time. The feature is particularly helpful if any of the rubber floor tiles become dirty or damaged. Individual tiles can be removed and replaced easily without disrupting the integrity of the floor. If your home gym doubles as a basement or garage, no problem – modular flooring for a home gym allows you to pick the tiles up and stack them nicely until your next workout. If the idea of a floating floor installation is unappealing, that is okay too. You can adhere rubber flooring tiles to concrete the same way that you adhere rubber flooring rolls.
How to Stick Rubber Flooring to Concrete
There are two methods recommended for sticking rubber flooring to concrete: double-sided carpet tape and polyurethane-based adhesives. In most cases, double-sided carpet tape is the best option to adhere rubber flooring to concrete. Simply line the tiles or flooring rolls with tape and smooth out the rubber material for an easy application. If you rent your home or worry that you may need to remove the home gym flooring, double-sided carpet tape is ideal. While the tape provides a permanent level of adhesive, it can also be removed at any time without damaging your concrete sub-floors. However, if you are looking for a more permanent way to adhere home gym flooring over concrete, a polyurethane-based adhesive is going to be your best bet. These types of adhesives are very powerful and tend to get messy, so we recommend talking to specialist before purchasing any polyurethane-based adhesives for your home gym flooring.
If you are ready to pick out some rubber flooring for a home gym, there are two main types to consider – both of which are easy to install yourself! Rubber flooring rolls and interlocking tiles each make excellent home gym flooring, and choosing the right one is simply a matter of deciding which option is best for you. Both rubber flooring types are easily installed using either polyurethane-based glue for permanent installations, or double-sided carpet tape for temporary installations. Despite the method you choose, it is important to install rubber home gym flooring over concrete because, although concrete may be hard and tough, it is very easily damaged by vibrating equipment or heavy weights.