Gym Floor Buyers Guide
If you’re contemplating starting a new gym, renovating an existing facility or fitting out your home gym, one of your first priorities should be gym flooring. In the same way that a Cardio area, HIIT Zone or Strength section can set your gym apart, so can your flooring.
Create captivating segments with contrasting styles.
But it’s not all about aesthetics. In a commercial setting for example, your facilities surface will cop a pounding. Strong, safe and durable are three characteristics required for a successful gym floor setup. Let’s face it, gym equipment is heavy. So whether it’s cardio gear or a weightlifting rack you’ll need some density underneath all of that equipment. Add client foot traffic and general use into the mix and you have a recipe for potential bills that you didnt plan for.
With all of that in mind it’s no surprise that gym flooring is one of the biggest sought after fitness products in the world. Within the Xpeed flooring universe there’s a few styles and options to choose from. Rubber Tiles, Custom Platforms and Inlays, Interlocking Foam Mats and Premium Astro Turf. Ultimately your flooring choices will be determined by your client offerings and overall budget.
Topline thoughts.
From quality, safety, equipment preservation, function and cost savings we’ll run you through some topline thoughts to keep in mind with gym flooring.
Quality: Making sure that your flooring is even is a critical component of a gym layout. Which means each rubber tile needs to be consistently the same thickness, have the same finish and most importantly be sealed for hygeine. We recommend 1m x 1m with 15mm thickness with no variation from tile to tile.
Safety: Rubber tiles and astro turf help protect your clients bodies with their shock absorping characteristics and they will also help protect the life of your equipment.
Smell: The right type of rubber flooring will have little to no smell. If rubber tiles have an overpowering rubber smell it’s likely they have been poorly manufactured with cheap materials.
Density: Gym equipment is heavy and gym floors also receive high use and high foot traffic. This means your gym floor surfaces need to be durable and designed to outlast the life cycle of your equipment (hopefully not your members).
Appeal: Whilst function is important so is appeal. At the end of the day, if you’re a commercial operation aesthetics does have a part to play in your purchase decisions. Bevelled edges on rubber floor tiles completely elevate the surface appeal of rubber tiles so bear that in mind when hunting the right flooring for your facility.
Function: In commercial settings and home gyms for that matter, its important to have rubber tiles underneath pin loaded machines/ racks/ cages, under cardio equipment, in HIIT zones and boxing sections. Rubber flooring prevents the risk of injury and also minimises the risk of machines and equipment slipping.
Environment: Astro Turf and rubber tiles also help create comfort within your facility from a sound absorption perspective. One of their characterisitcs is the ability to absorb sound and muffle the overall noises in your space. Thickness options include 15mm, 25mm and 50mm. The thicker mat the more potential for sound absorption.
Cost Effective: When compared to the cost of carpet or concrete the outlay for rubber tiles is much more cost effective. In the long term rubber tiles will last longer, protect your clients and the life of your equipment. Furthermore, let us never discuss carpet in fitness facilities again. Good chat everybody.
Hygeine: If your rubber flooring is correctly sealed it will be easy to keep clean, be resistant to mould and mildew and more hygeinic for you clients. If you’ve had lots of Sweaty Betties working out, having a surface that is easy to clean and quick to dry is important.
Summary.
As previously mentioned, flooring may be something that you deem too expensive in the beginning but in the long run we can guarantee that it will help with the longevity and overall success or your setup. For enquiries about custom platforms and inlays email info@xpeed.com.au and to shop the Xpeed flooring range visit here.