To install and care for your rubber gym flooring you’ll need to measure the area, use floor adhesive, and finish it off with rubber edging. Long term care will be achieved with homemade or commercial cleaning solutions.
We know that you’re eager to lay down your rubber matting and get down to business with some training. A little attention to detail is necessary if you want to avoid having to re-lay it, though.
Read on to find out exactly how to get the installation right the first time and avoid any headaches going forward thanks to effective cleaning.
Measure The Area
This first step seems a little too obvious and, you’re right, it is. But it’s scary how little attention some people pay to this aspect of fitting their gym flooring.
You must measure the area you want to lay flooring in very precisely. This means every gap, doorway, alcove. Every area. It’s time consuming but you’ll be glad that you did it.
By measuring you’ll know exactly how much rubber matting you need (meaning no wasted money.) Every single inch will get covered without any unsafe and unnecessary gaps.
Don’t forget when measuring the width and length of an area to add an inch onto the edge of the matting. Only in locations where you’re going to install rubber edging, though.
Lay Down Adhesive
Jigsaw type matting can be an attractive idea for somebody who just wants to throw their mats down and piece them together in a hurry. You can easily do this if you’re creating a home training environment.
If you’re outfitting a gym, it’s not going to be quite that simple.
After measuring your matted area you need to lay down floor adhesive so that the matting can permanently stick to the surface.
Consider the amount of footfall this area is going to experience. More importantly, think about the amount of friction and movement it’ll face. This is due to dynamic exercises and temperature variations.
Without floor adhesive, the mats will move over time leading to bubbling, bumps, rips, and gaps. You’ll have to spend a lot of money on flooring replacements.
Always lay down adhesive so that you don’t have to revisit your flooring to carry out repair work every year or two.
Use Secure Rubber Edging
Rubber edging is vital for rubber gym flooring in a commercial environment.
The surface of rubber gym matting is completely safe for anyone to use provided the thickness is appropriate for the area. The same can’t be said for the edges.
Without rubber edge seals, they’ll present a constant tripping hazard.
You need to ensure that where the edges of your rubber gym mats are left exposed that they are sealed off. You can do this with secure edging to avoid any nasty falls from your staff or customers.
There’s another benefit here, too.
The majority of flooring damage in large/commercial fitness spaces comes from movement. With edging in place this will serve as a natural barrier and frame in which to keep the flooring exactly where it is.
Not only does edging make the rubber matting safer. It also makes it last longer.
Consider Using A Weather Resistant Treatment
Depending on where your training area is located it may be susceptible to damage from the elements.
Many large fitness spaces are actually contained inside the equivalent of a shed. Whether the building is 5,000 square feet or 30,000 square feet.
The materials used to house your flooring and equipment in these spaces are usually of the same variety you’d find in an outhouse. The reality is that your building will encounter several temperature extremes.
This means that rubber flooring with inbuilt weather resistance is a must. When your building gets cold, it’s going to get very cold. When it gets hot, it’s going to get super hot. Untreated rubber matting doesn’t like extreme temperature changes.
These changes lead to the expansion and compression of the rubber molecules. This leads to mat movement. Check to see if your chosen matting option is weather resistant.
If it isn’t it? You might want to consider purchasing some weather-resistant rubber paint to coat it with.
This will help regulate the internal mat temperature and keep it steady throughout the year. Ignore the quirky designs available and focus more on durability.
Your design should be able to withstand temperature extremes. Pay for something a little more basic looking if it can’t.
You can coat it with special treatment after buying, too, should you prefer. Consider your exercise space and do your homework before buying.
Cleaning Your Rubber Gym Matting – Step By Step
As with installation, there are several steps involved in cleaning your rubber flooring
It all starts with vacuuming.
Step One: Vacuum The Area
Whatever you do, don’t jump straight onto mopping the flooring. If you do you’ll make it dirtier.
Rubber gym mats collect all sorts of debris and dirt from footwear. Before you do anything, you need to vacuum the entire area. This will gather the loose particles.
Don’t mop the area before vacuuming it. The particles will get wet and smear across the surface of the floor, thus making it even dirtier.
Collect them first following which you can then move on and mop the surface.
Step Two: Section Off The Area
Because it takes a while for rubber flooring to dry, you should section it off and mop it one area at a time.
If you don’t section it off, you’re going to provide your gym users with a constant slipping hazard.
An easier way to clean your flooring could even be out of hours if you’ve got the staff to be able to do this.
Step Three: Mop The Area
Using a wet mop and warm soapy water or a specialist rubber cleaning solution, mop the surface of the rubber matting.
Try not to over saturate the mats with excess water. If any works its way into the gaps between the tiles the adhesive underneath may loosen.
Once you have done this, it’s time to dry the surface.
Step Four: Dry The Area
Rubber matting is excellent at absorbing moisture so it doesn’t usually take very long to dry.
You’ll need to make sure that the area is as near to being completely dry as possible before moving on. The surface of rubber matting is very slippery when wet.
Step Five: Clean The Area Regularly
Depending on your footfall, you may need to clean your gym flooring daily.
You should ensure that the floor gets cleaned at least once every other day to keep it as pristine as possible.
Making Your Own Rubber Cleaning Solution
Tired of spending on commercial cleaning solutions? Then you can actually create your own to save on long term cleaning costs.
You need to combine roughly four cups of white vinegar (any brand will work) with around four liters of hot water. This will both clean and disinfect the area but without the cost of an expensive branded product.
Conclusion
After reading through today’s post you should now be able to install and care for your rubber gym mats.
There’s more to the installation and cleaning process than many people think. Once they are in place and being effectively looked after your rubber mats will last forever.