Looking to add rubber flooring to your facility? Maybe upgrading from stall mats to a higher quality flooring solution? Considering interlocking puzzle tiles, but unsure where to go from there?
With so many options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. But we don’t want that, and we’re here to take all the stress out of your flooring project. You may be looking at upgrading the floors in your commercial gym. Or, maybe you’ve made the commitment to move forward in creating a home gym (in which case, woo!). We put together a little bit of cheat sheet that will answer the questions we hear the most in regards to purchasing rubber puzzle tiles.
About interlocking rubber flooring tiles
Rubber puzzle tiles are known for their ease of installation and simplicity. While rolled rubber flooring requires a couple of people to get the job done, rubber puzzle tiles can be installed by one person. After all, if you “can dodge a ball, you can dodge a wrench”, and if you can do a puzzle, you can install rubber flooring puzzle tiles.
Many commercial gyms rely on puzzle tiles for their facility rubber flooring. In some situations, a combination of rolled rubber and puzzle tiles is great for outfitting different sections of the facility. Zogics Puzzle Tiles are manufactured using the same high-quality materials and color granules as our rolled rubber flooring, making it easy to mix and match while maintaining a consistent look.
These tiles can be loose-laid over almost any subfloor or finished floor. Plus, because it’s made of up to 100% post-consumer tire rubber and post-industrial EPDM rubber to the strictest environmental standards, using Zogics rubber flooring puzzle tiles can qualify your facility for LEED credits.
When and where you should incorporate rubber flooring puzzle tiles
If you’re outfitting a small space—such as a basement for a home gym—puzzle tiles are the way to go. While they cost a little bit more than rolled rubber, the ease of installation within small areas is well worth it. Tiles can be cut to fit any room with a simple utility knife. Puzzle tiles can definitely be used in mid to large sized commercial settings, but going with a rolled option may be more cost effective.
Rubber flooring tiles make sense in a commercial setting when you’re looking at a few different variables. For instance, if you are leasing a building and want to take your investment with you when you leave, the puzzle tiles will work for you.
Long-lasting, affordable, and easy to install, rubber flooring tiles are great for a wide variety of applications and ideal for almost any workout environment.
Our puzzle tiles are 9mm (.35”) thick. This thickness is adequate for facilities where free weights over 100 lbs will be used but not deliberately dropped on a regular basis. Heavy strength training facilities and weightlifting platforms need thicker flooring to provide better protection from heavy equipment, dropped dumbbells or other weights (check out our 1” Tile Rubber Flooring for these scenarios.)
Installation of interlocking rubber flooring tiles
Installation is a breeze with the proper preparation. Remove the tile pieces from the cartons and allow them to sit in the area to be installed. Tiles must be acclimated at uniform room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours prior to installation.
You’ll want to start tile installation at the center and work your way out towards the walls. Divide the room into 4 equal quadrants and mark using a chalk line. When laying out the floor, take into consideration how the final cuts of tile will fit into the room against the walls. A benefit of puzzle tiles is the ease in which you can cut them to fit, so try not to leave unfinished areas close to the wall.
Here is when those kindergarten puzzle completion skills will come in handy: Install the tiles by interlocking the tabs together. (Pro Tip: Gently tapping the tabs in with a rubber mallet will speed up the installation.) Keep working the tiles this way until you’ve cut the last piece to fit against the wall. Allow a 1/4” around the perimeter for expansion and contraction of the tiles.
For clean edges, we provide a combination of center, corner, and edge pieces to keep cutting at a minimum.
Maintenance of rubber flooring puzzle tiles
Zogics Puzzle Tile Rubber Flooring is water-resistant and antimicrobial, which means you’re not going to find mold or mildew popping up. This, however, doesn’t mean you can “set it and forget it."
Although it’s often overlooked as such, your gym flooring is a big investment in your facility. Maintenance is easy with the right products and protocol, and imperative if you want your investment to last. Your rubber flooring puzzle tiles should be dry dust-mopped a couple of times a day; the more traffic you have, the more you should be sweeping, as dust and dirt will build up quickly.
Daily, you should clean your flooring with a good quality cleaner made for rubber sport flooring. As experts in gym cleaning and facility cleanliness, we know what goes into a premium cleaner. That’s why we created our Rubber Sport Flooring Cleaner & Degreaser—this concentrated cleaner is pH neutral (so you know it’s safe on your flooring) and designed to clean up chalk, remove sweat, cut through grease, and protect your rubber flooring.
Get more information on how to clean rubber flooring here. We put together everything you need, from products to process.
Where can I use puzzle tile rubber flooring in my fitness facility?
Puzzle tiles are versatile and can be placed in a wide range of areas in your facility:
- Locker rooms
- Small group fitness areas
- Weight rooms
- Health clubs
- Temporary spaces
Let’s Get Started!
Reach out to our flooring experts or fill out a quick form for a product sample. We're here to help with product selection, design & layout, quoting, and maintenance. Whether it’s a brand new build-out or an upgrade to an existing space, we have the flooring solution for your facility.
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