Underlayer between rubber floor and hardwood flooring (adding a gym)

5 years ago

Hi there! I'm turning a second-floor room in an old 1901 townhouse with an equally old hardwood floor into a gym. I am adding a rubber floor on top of the existing hardwood floor and have read that I should consider adding an underlayer between the rubber and the hardwood.

Looking for recommendations on either what underlayer material would work best between rubber and hardwood or for specific products I could use for the underlayer. My goal is to maximize soundproofing to the floor below and try to prevent the rubber from discoloring or damaging the hardwood floor.

Thank you all!

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Comments (2)

brazensol
5 years ago
Rosen paper might be the ticket. Very inexpensive and as thin as, well, paper.
SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
Ram Board could also play a part. It is the 'tough stuff' they put down during construction to prevent damage to finished wood floors. It's great stuff. Very tough. Just do NOT tape anything to the wood. Tape the seams to each other and then lay the rubber flooring over top.

And please be aware that rubber can be tough to work out around. The HIGH END stuff in commercial style gyms has been treated in such a way that it does not off gas too much. The homeowner access stuff can be pretty nasty (low end = $3/sf) with odour and continuous life long off gassing. The high-end stuff ($10/sf or more) is usually too high a price tag for homeowners to buy into.

As someone who is allergic to latex and rubber, I can't walk into a tire shop let alone a gym with rubber flooring. The rubber mats are too much for me. I go into anaphylaxes within 10 minutes. Ambulance rides are not the way I like to end my workouts.
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