Category Archives: How to Install Rolled Rubber Flooring

Learn tips and installation methods for installing rolled rubber weight room flooring.

How to Install Rubber Flooring

If you are the owner of a hair salon, gym or health center, or are going to be one very soon,  you will need to have rubber flooring installed. Rolled rubber flooring should be your first priority in this regard since it’s very easy to lay out on any kind of floor and can be removed at will.

Follow these  steps to lay your own rubber floor tiles or mats according to your standards:

1.       Set out the Rubber Flooring

Since rubber flooring usually comes in rolls rather than bundles, it’s fairly easy to spread it out as dugout flooring or as workout spaces in gyms. All you have to do to get your gym flooring is to set the rolled rubber flooring on the floor and roll it out throughout the room. Don’t place any furniture on it until it has had time to smooth out for at least a day. You will be left with unsightly wrinkles on it otherwise.

2.       Cut the Strips

The next thing you have to do is to cut the whole rubber flooring into strips according to the required size of your facility. They can be wide or short depending on the floor design in your gym or health center. For garage floors, you may need to use the entire rubber flooring. If you still plan on cutting your roll into rubber floor mats, make sure to leave at least a foot off each border so that you can trim it off if the need arises. When you are performing the final trimming, you may need to shave off a few more inches to fit those mats into your designated area.

3.       Trim it out

As mentioned before, you will eventually need to trim off some rubber pieces from your cut out rubber floor mats to make them look presentable and make them comfortable. To do that, trim uneven edges using a sharp knife and a ruler to keep the trim straight.

4.       Use Glue

This is a long procedure and one that requires a lot of patience and a steady hand on your part. You now need to apply at least 1/16 inches of glue or the appropriate adhesive to the floor where you intend to place the cut out rubber strips. Spread it out evenly throughout the floor and wait a quarter of an hour to allow it to set. After that, start placing the rubber mats onto the glued up floor.

5.       Spread the flooring evenly

After placing the exercise flooring evenly throughout the area, use a rolling pin or a round rod to even out any wrinkles or bulges on it. This will also ensure that the rubber is firmly set in the glue and won’t get unstuck from the floor.

6.       Clean up extra Glue

This is quite a messy job which is why there is no need to worry if you see some glue seeping through the space between the rubber strips. Use a damp piece of cloth to clean up this mess as soon as possible. If you leave it on too long, the left over adhesive can ruin your nice new rubber floor.

Five Things To Consider Before You Install Garage Flooring

Taking a cautious approach towards garage flooring is always a good thing to do. Garages are the most hard-used spaces in your home and has to cope with a lot. Apart from providing shelter to your cars, they house spare parts, furniture, generators and all manner of other household detritus.

They can also offer a secure playing space to children and may serve as an indoor games or hobby area. Given the heavy use, garage floors do not last long unless you use a high quality garage flooring solution.

  1. Use

The first thing to consider is the daily traffic in the area. Traditional concrete flooring can hold out in case of heavy use, but is cold and uncomfortable. Concrete garage flooring topped with tiles or old carpet may appear a durable option but is subject to wear and tear.

  1. Storage Items

Some garages are stocked to the roof, while others have very little stored inside. If your garage falls in the first category then you need flooring that can withstand regular movements and impact. Some of these items need to be dragged across the floor and often leave ugly marks. Thus you need a floor type that can withstand such pressure.

  1. Size of the Garage

It is equally important to keep the garage’s size in mind before selecting a flooring type. Expensive tiles may look visually appealing but can drain you financially if the area is large. There are many cost effective garage flooring solutions that provide a viable surface that won’t break the bank.

  1. Savings

You need garage flooring that can be installed with little spending. Expensive tiles, marble, or granite floors do not provide that financial comfort. You need flooring that can be installed with minimal investment, but will also last longer.

  1. Durability

You can prolong the life of garage floors by selecting a type that can stand the test of time. Rubber floor tiles, for example, offer better alternative to traditional flooring. Rubber floor has that combination of elasticity and durability that can help you in overcoming wear and tear problems.

Why Rubber Floors?

Unlike traditional flooring, rubber floor tiles are springy yet made of solid construction. They can replace traditional tiles and have a simpler installation. You can use them in your garage as they will remove the need for frequent repairs.

Rubber flooring in the garage is the ideal solution. It’s cheap, hard-wearing, stain-resistant and look pretty good too. Why not see for yourself?

How to Install Rubber Flooring

Installing rubber flooring is easier than it looks. There are certain floor preparation techniques that need to be applied before you can begin, such as thorough cleaning and site clearance but the rest is easy. This is only true if you have already had a carpet installed in the room, so if you didn’t, you’re good to go!

Start by cutting the first roll and laying it out dry across the length of the room.  This is done to ensure that the rubber flooring rolls adjust to the temperature of the room and so that you can trim the rolled rubber according to the shape of the floor. The items you will need to trim are a utility knife, a razor knife, sharp blades and straight edged metal tape. Do not try to cut the rolled rubber flooring with one stroke. Make several passes till you cut clean through.

Roll the rubberback from the shorter edge about 2 feet away from the wall and begin spreading the adhesive on the floor using a trowel. Allow the adhesive to settle for about half an hour, then ease the rubber roll back into the adhesive and make all adjustments that you need to make before the adhesive sets.

Since you will be using rubber floor tiles while installing rubber flooring, start at the seam of the other end of the first roll and repeat the procedure. To work quickly, you can spread adhesive on the second half of the first roll and the first half of the second roll at the same time.

You have to be careful to keep the interlocking rubber tiles as close as you can to prevent gaps. You will know that you have done it perfectly if the seams between the rolled rubber in the rubber flooring are invisible.

When you are done, you can install the cover base on the rubber flooring and then the room is ready for use. You can use the rubber floor for garage flooring, gym flooring and weight room flooring purposes, so you can install the rubber floor tiles in this fashion in your garage, weight room, gym and sports areas, such as for baseball flooring.

The interlocking rubber tiles are a highly preferred choice for gyms and fitness rooms because they are easy to install and are very tough to damage. The best part is, when you move houses, you can take the floor of your fitness room with you!

What Tools Do You Need to Install Rolled Rubber Flooring?

Rubber Flooring Installation Tools List:

This is just a list of tools to help you know what you’ll need to install your weight room flooring.

  • Tape Measure and Ruler
  • Metal Straight Edge or T-Square (4′ long+ preferred)
  • Utility Knife with extra blades
  • Shop Vacuum and broom to clean floor before and after
  • Chalk Line and Sharpy for floor marking
  • Linoleum Roller (50-100 lbs) (rent at local tool rental)
  • 1/16″ – 3/16″ V-Notched Trowel (glue down only) or double sided carpet tape

Here is a handy virtual reality installation video for rolled rubber floors.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRe-2aUaBI]