How to Choose the Right Thickness for Rubber Flooring

Rubber flooring is hands down the most popular surface for home and commercial gyms. Why? A variety of reasons. Mainly, rubber is one of the most durable flooring materials available, so it is extremely resistant to damage and holds up for years even with intense usage. Next, rubber is one of the most affordable options. Finally, gym owners and users choose rubber for its insulative properties as well. Rubber tends to deaden sound and feels much warmer to stand on than harder surfaces.

Rubber products are available in a variety of forms including mats, tiles, and rolls. Each form has their unique benefits. For example, rolls are a super easy choice for covering large spaces. Tiles are resilient, easy to put together and simple to fit into any space, and mats are great for a quick and easy installation over smaller rectangle spaces. Once you've determined that you would like to use rubber for your flooring and you know if you want rolled or tiled rubber, it's time to determine the thickness you need for your facility. As a general rule, the flooring experts at Gym Rubber recommend the following: 1/4 inch rubber:

quarter inch rubber gym flooring

This product is great for areas where heavy equipment such as treadmills or elliptical machines will be used. It will do a great job of protecting both the machinery and your floor from being scratched. ¼ inch rubber will withstand very light weights being dropped on top of it. In general, you will also find 1/4 inch rubber in high traffic areas such as aisle ways. 8mm or 3/8 inch rubber:

There was a time not long ago when 3/8 inch rubber was the standard thickness used in most home and commercial facilities. However, the standard is starting to shift towards 8mm. When it comes down to it, 8mm rubber is lighter weight than ⅜ inch, which ultimately lowers shipping costs and makes it less expensive. The difference in cost becomes more and more noticeable the larger the quantity of rubber. However, from a performance standpoint, the difference between 8mm and 3/8 inch rubber is negligible.

8mm rubber gym flooring

Either 8mm or 3/8 inch rubber is great for weight rooms where weights between 50-75 lbs will be used on a regular basis. 1/2 inch rubber:

½ rubber flooring products function well in spaces where weights over 100 pounds are being utilized, but are not being intentionally dropped repeatedly. For facilities specifically focused on powerlifting, a slightly thicker ply is recommended.

3/4-1 inch flooring:

The thickest rubber flooring options - ¾ - 1 inch - are generally reserved for areas where heavyweight and powerlifting will be done. These thicknesses are usually more than most people need unless there is a great deal of dropping weights of more than 100 lbs on a regular basis. (Such as in deadlift or clean-and-jerk areas.) If you have additional questions about the thickness of rubber you will need for your weight lifting area, please call Gym Rubber customer service representatives. As experts in the rubber flooring for both home and commercial gyms, the friendly customer service crew at Gym Rubber by Greatmats are at your disposal for whatever doubt or question you may have.

3/4 inch rubber gym flooring