General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Protecting the floor of your home gym Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2012-11-06 6:50 PM

Member
76
252525
Subject: Protecting the floor of your home gym
How do you guys/gals protect the floor of your home gym? I have a dedicated room with a treadmill, bike trainer and a TRX hanging from the ceiling. The treadmill and trainer are on 7' x 3' rubber mats, but my hardwood floor is starting to show wear. I am considering buying interlocking rubber tiles. However, they are pretty costly ($400 for 8' x 12'). Although the foam tiles are less costly, I don't think they will hold up well. I looked at horse stall mats. The price is right ($40 for 4' x 6' and local pickup), but the edges arent square (sweat would get between them damaging the floor) Has anyone tried anything else? Is there a cheap place to buy gym quality mats (shipping is really expensive). Thanks for the advise. Dave


2012-11-06 7:19 PM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Champion
7595
50002000500252525
Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

I have the interlocking foam things.  They've held up fine for three years.  They have some marks where stuff was dropped, etc., but they're still fine.  And relatively cheap.

2012-11-06 7:23 PM
in reply to: #4486996

User image

Pro
4174
200020001002525
Keller, Texas
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Experior - 2012-11-06 7:19 PM

I have the interlocking foam things.  They've held up fine for three years.  They have some marks where stuff was dropped, etc., but they're still fine.  And relatively cheap.

x2

 

We have had ours down for several years.  We also have the bikes on rubber mats for an additional sweat barrier.

2012-11-06 7:36 PM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Payson, AZ
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
ditto on the foam padding
2012-11-06 9:07 PM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Extreme Veteran
837
50010010010025
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Our home by had the rubber gym flooring when we bought it. It's held up really well- it was in the house at least 2 years before we got here in 2010. Definitely worth the $$ to protect wood floors.
2012-11-06 9:12 PM
in reply to: #4486965

Member
43
25
Jackson, Tn
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

Not to hijack your thread, but does anyone have any suggestions for a carpeted room?  In the next several weeks, I'll be turning an extra bedroom into a training room.  Right now, it has carpet, but I'd really like some type of rubber floor.  I'm really not too concerned with the money aspect of the floor, but I'd prefer to not rip up the carpet to place rubber tiles due to potentially hurting the resale value.  

Anyone have any ideas for something to put over the carpet that would keep it protected?  Thanks!



2012-11-06 9:17 PM
in reply to: #4487131

User image

Master
2236
200010010025
Denison Texas
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
mrfarrar - 2012-11-06 9:12 PM

Not to hijack your thread, but does anyone have any suggestions for a carpeted room?  In the next several weeks, I'll be turning an extra bedroom into a training room.  Right now, it has carpet, but I'd really like some type of rubber floor.  I'm really not too concerned with the money aspect of the floor, but I'd prefer to not rip up the carpet to place rubber tiles due to potentially hurting the resale value.  

Anyone have any ideas for something to put over the carpet that would keep it protected?  Thanks!

Just put the rubber tiles on top of the carpet

2012-11-06 9:18 PM
in reply to: #4487131

User image

Payson, AZ
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Still suggest foam interlocking mats.  I have used them on cement and on carpet and worked great on both
2012-11-06 9:38 PM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Elite
4148
2000200010025
Utah
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Several years ago, I found some foam locking tiles that look like wood.  Way cool and way cheap
2012-11-06 9:45 PM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Champion
10668
500050005001002525
Tacoma, Washington
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Go to your local feed store and ask about "Stall mats". These are essentially recycled tire rubber, come in various thicknesses (I have 3/4" under my lifting cage), and will last FOREVER. Heavy as... heavy. Usually come in 4'x6' sheets, but you can cut them to whatever size you need (including interlocking patterns). And MUCH cheaper than the pre-cut interlocking pieces.
2012-11-07 2:49 AM
in reply to: #4486996

User image

Elite
7783
50002000500100100252525
PEI, Canada
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Experior - 2012-11-06 9:19 PM

I have the interlocking foam things.  They've held up fine for three years.  They have some marks where stuff was dropped, etc., but they're still fine.  And relatively cheap.

Same here.  One thing I found when buying them was that the ones in the fitness section of Walmart were twice as much as the ones in automotive for what appeared to be the exact same thing in a different package.



2012-11-07 6:36 AM
in reply to: #4486965

Member
76
252525
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

Thanks for the input.  I will check out some of the foam interlocking tiles and see what I think.

Dave

2012-11-07 6:47 AM
in reply to: #4487133

Member
76
252525
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

I think the thickness of your carpet will significantly impact how well putting rubber mats/tiles on top will work.  If it is thick and tufted it may be too soft and uneven to properly support the tiles/mats.  Unless you have a berber carpet, I think interlocking tiles would pull apart when stepped on.  I would also be concerned that it wouldn't be firm enough for a treadmill (especially if the treadmill has an incline feature - the motor would have to work extra hard to adjust the incline on the soft surface).  

Also, as a heads up, the economical rubber horse stall mats I looked at are made from recycled tires.  Consequently, they will STAIN your carpet black! 

Dave

2012-11-07 6:55 AM
in reply to: #4487155

Member
76
252525
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

I looked at horse stall mats and they are definitely economical.  It kind of amuses me (or perhaps irritates me) how much more expensive rubber mats when sold for use in a gym.  Anyway, while they have some clear pros,  they also have a couple of significant drawbacks.  First, they are not precision cut leaving small gaps between them when placed side-by-side.  The gaps would allow sweat to run through them onto the floor defeating the purpose of using them as a protective barrier.  Secondly, at least with the ones I looked at, they are made from recycled tires.  My hands turned black when I touched the ones for sale at Tractor Supply.  We use the room for yoga and TRX and it seems like it would stain our clothing.    

Dave

2012-11-07 7:41 AM
in reply to: #4487486

User image

Champion
10668
500050005001002525
Tacoma, Washington
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
TurtleMan77 - 2012-11-07 4:47 AM

Also, as a heads up, the economical rubber horse stall mats I looked at are made from recycled tires.  Consequently, they will STAIN your carpet black! 

Hmm... I never had that issue when I had them on low-pile carpeting.

2012-11-07 11:24 AM
in reply to: #4486965

Member
76
252525
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Maybe not all of them will stain, the ones I checked out at Tractor Supply definitely turned my hands black.  The salesman also cautioned me about loading them into my car without putting plastic  over my seats first.  I still think they are a great economical alternative to the gym specific mats - so long as you check them out before buying.


2012-11-07 11:38 AM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Regular
285
100100252525
Missouri
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
definitely go with incompressible rubber mat. at least if you have weights. same reason why you should wear shoes with incompressible soles when lifting. foam mats are great if you don't lift. you could also do a combination of both.
2012-11-07 11:40 AM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Regular
285
100100252525
Missouri
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
they also have carpet tiles that have a rubber bottom that are great. i think they're usually 24" x 24"
2012-11-07 11:45 AM
in reply to: #4486965

User image

Regular
118
100
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym

We have horse stall mats.  We don't have a problem with sweat leaking onto the floor, as our mats are pushed flush together.  They were cut evenly.  

 

At first, we would get the black stuff on our hands.  After cleaning them a few times, the black stuff does not rub off anymore.  It has never stained our clothes.

 

It will have a rubber smell for a while.  This is really only noticeable when you first put them in, and if you have your nose to the floor, doing pushups, etc.

 

Overall we like them.  They are heavy duty.  You can drop weights on them without a mark, and they are easy on the knees if you are doing plyo/jumping types of workouts.

2014-01-15 6:00 AM
in reply to: cdivine9


2

Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
4'x6' (3 per tee pad) horse stall mats, treated 2x6x12' (three), sand/gravel mix, wooden stakes to reinforce frame and a lot of inmate labor.

Finished pad is 6'x12'. Mats are held in place by frame so that I can remove to add base mix of sand when settling occurs. Going to add topsoil around edges of frame to blend in with surroundings.
horse stall mats
2014-01-15 9:57 AM
in reply to: mudassar1

User image

Member
154
1002525
Kansas City, Missouri
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/rubber-horse-stall-mat-4-ft-x...

This is what I use. Super easy to clean. Hard to move around, but this can be a positive.


2014-01-15 8:15 PM
in reply to: coyote39

Member
326
10010010025
Subject: RE: Protecting the floor of your home gym
Interlocking foam tiles. $40 worth from Walmart (two packs) covered the area under my treadmill and the trainer. I used black duct tape over the seams so they didn't slide around (on top of carpet), also prevents sweat from sneaking through the seams.
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Protecting the floor of your home gym Rss Feed