Rubber Gym Flooring

9 years ago

Currently finishing my basement. I have a subfloor (OSB & Rigid Insulation - tapcon holding them down) in place - but looking ahead, there is a room that will be used for gym equipment. I was curious, when finishing the gym, would you place rubber gym tiles directly on plywood subfloor? Or should there be something in between. Searched around the web, but it's sort of a bizarre question that didn't garnish many answers.

Thanks in advance!

Shawn

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

9 years ago

The heavy duty rubber floors (super heavy = 75 lbs per mat) are for free weights landing on them. Most home gyms do not need this level of flooring...some do so I won't be too pushy on that.

The one thing you want to find out is how much the rubber SMELLS. Yep. Rubber smells. The HIGH END stuff does not (hence the price tag of $8 - $12/sf). The DIY or lower grade rubber floors have been known to smell quite a bit.

The only way to know: buy a box and take it home and open it up. Lay it out and close the door. Walk in after 1 day. Does it smell like a tire shop? Then that is what you will have to live with for several years.

For home gyms that do NOT have free weights hitting them, I see plenty of people use cork floating floors over the OSB subfloor = just fine. You have everything in place for any floating floor you want.

Some utilitarian cork floors = $2.29/sf...or less (www.icorkfloor.com 10mm Golden Beach = $1.99/sf). For me, cork is completely appropriate for a home gym. Only free weights require a gym floor to be heavy duty rubber (with the heavy duty price tag to go with it).

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Comments (8)

Jennifer Havin
9 years ago
there's marmoleum, cork, and rubber flooring. I'm hoping Cancork will answer this, flooring pro. But I'm thinking you still need to add a moisture barrier regardless of flooring you put down
Shawn Turner thanked Jennifer Havin
Shawn Turner
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks Jennifer..

I have landscaping fabric directly on the floor covered with AMVIC Silverlight Rigid Foam Insulation and OSB Plywood on top if anyone needs to know prior to answering. We have had an extremely dry basement since we bought. Never even had anything in a dehumidifier that ran for 2 weeks in the summer!
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PRO
Cinar Interiors, Inc.
9 years ago
Different products will have different specs.
Rubber Flooring Inc sells a 8mm thick product that looks like a puzzle piece, interlocking with one another. This product can be laid directly above your osb. Very simple DIY install.
Shawn Turner thanked Cinar Interiors, Inc.
PRO
Design Details
9 years ago
I agree with both of the above comments but OSB is not plywood and if it swells at all the texture will telegraph through vinyl or cork. For serious gym use the interlocking rubber flooring will be more durable and prevent injury.
Shawn Turner thanked Design Details
Shawn Turner
Original Author
9 years ago
Design Details - you are totally correct - It's TruFlor OSB not Plywood as I wrote. I have been considering the interlocking tiles for a while, just wanted to see what the general population thought too!
Cinar Interiors - I am with you that this would be my best option. Wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something!!
PRO
Cinar Interiors, Inc.
9 years ago
You're headed in the right direction, good luck!
Shawn Turner
Original Author
9 years ago
Cancork - You totally made me re-think the cheap option i found today. My inner self questioned it's cheapness.. but thought I would take a look. I never once took smell into consideration, but now it will take priority! It will be a mainly free weight gym (Rack with 5-100 lb dumbbells, 25 lb plate weights, elliptical etc..) Thanks for the huge eye opener!!