2023 Expert’s Guide to Rubber Flooring Rolls for Gyms

Rubber flooring rolls are the premier commercial gym flooring option. Known for their sharp, sleek looks and extreme durability, rubber rolls are a staple in many traditional gyms.

Today fitness studios, home gym owners, and DIYers take advantage of rubber flooring’s benefits. Explore the possibilities of rubber flooring rolls and advice on roll thicknesses, installation options, color variations, and more. 

What to Consider for Rubber Flooring Rolls

To choose your perfect rubber flooring roll, consider:

• • Thickness: Picking the correct roll thickness for your intended purpose will help prevent injuries, damage to your subfloor, and help ensure the longevity of your floor. 
  • Appearance: You can shop for more natural-look rubber or vibrant options with higher EDPM color flecks to contrast your gym.
  • Price: Pre-cut rubber rolls tend to be less expensive than custom-cut options. However, it can sometimes be more cost-effective to order closer to your exact square footage. We always recommend pricing out both options to see what is best for you. 
  • Installation: Loose lay or tape down your flooring for a quick, easy DIY installation. For permanent flooring, like in commercial gyms, we recommend the glue-down method. 

Pros and Cons of Rubber Flooring Rolls

This flooring comes with extensive benefits. However, it’s essential to consider all the pros and cons before purchasing. 

Pros

• DIY installation: There are several easy installation options (loose lay, tape, and glue-down) to lay down your rubber floor rolls. 

• Ultra-durable: Rubber is one of the most resilient materials you can use for a gym. It can handle heavy traffic and still look great at the end of the day. 

• Easy maintenance: Rubber floor rolls do not require extensive maintenance to perform well. Sweep and vacuum it regularly, and use a damp mop for a deeper, occasional clean. 
• USA-made: You can find a wide selection of rubber flooring rolls manufactured and shipped here in the United States.
• Recycled material: Most of our rubber flooring is recycled from rubber tires, making it an eco-conscious option for fitness lovers and the planet.  

• Sound and shock-absorbent: Your workout space will feel much quieter, and the ultra-thick surface provides a cushion for your joints, dropped weights, and heavy equipment. 

Cons

• Heavy to work with: Transporting and setting up your rubber floor rolls may be challenging for one person to do. We recommend installing it with a couple of helping hands.
• Not UV-stable: Most of our rubber rolls are Outdoor-rated; however, they are not UV stable. Over time, the rubber color may fade but will not impact flooring performance. 

Related Content >> Best Home Gym Flooring Options

Where to Use Rubber Flooring

The choice is yours on how you use your rubber flooring. We have a wide selection of rubber flooring options that work in indoor and outdoor settings.

SHOP INDOOR RUBBER ROLLS SHOP OUTDOOR RUBBER ROLLS

Home Gym Rubber Rolls

Using rubber flooring for your home gym is an excellent solution. We’ve got various lightweight and durable pre-cut and custom cut options to fit any size home gym. 

Top-Rated 8mm Strong Rubber Rolls

8mm Strong Rubber Rolls are an all-time customer favorite for their durability, color variety, and quick ship options. These rolls are USA-made, certified clean rubber, and come with an impressive 5-year warranty. 

Features

• 5-year warranty
• Easy-to-clean material
• DIY-friendly
• Commercially rated

SHOP 8MM STRONG RUBBER ROLLS  SHOP HOME GYM RUBBER ROLLS  

Commercial Gym Rubber Rolls

Gym owners love our commercial rubber rolls for superior support for fitness clients and resilience against everyday high traffic. Choose from a wide variety of commercial-rated options ranging from 8mm to 15mm thick. 

Top-Rated 3/8″ Heavy Duty Rubber Rolls

This top-notch flooring contains the highest quality recycled rubber. It’s available in custom-cut sizing to fit oddly-shaped or large spaces, and it can support heavy weights and equipment. You can find it in many commercial gyms, both indoor and outdoor. 

Features

• High-quality rubber
• Easy to sanitize material
• Indoor and outdoor use
• Excellent support for commercial settings

SHOP 3/8″ HEAVY DUTY RUBBER ROLLS SHOP COMMERCIAL GYM RUBBER ROLLS  

Rubber Rolls for Olympic Lifting

Olympic weightlifting is one of the most demanding sports. Our Olympic-rated rubber flooring can provide all the cushion, support, and slip-resistance that heavyweight lifters need. 

Top-Rated 1/2″ Mega Rubber Rolls

Motion weight lifters and powerlifters love these high-quality recycled rubber rolls. They’re one of the best options on the market and come in 6+ vibrant fleck colors.

Features

• American made
• Quick ship and custom cut availability
• Variety of color fleck options
• Great for CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting

SHOP 1/2″ MEGA RUBBER ROLLS  SHOP OLYMPIC-RATED RUBBER ROLLS  

Rubber Rolls for High Impact Workouts

High-intensity workouts call for flooring that can take on all your sweat, fast drills, and dropped equipment. With high-impact flooring, you can do all your plyometric movements confidently, such as box jumps, jump squats, and burpees, as your floor will support you all the way. 

Top-Rated 15mm Impact Rolls – Designer Series

This incredible flooring features a 12mm rubber underlay with a 3mm standard rubber top. The Designer series offers the most extensive selection of color fleck options in the highest opacity – your floor will be a showstopper. Additionally, it’s suitable for residential and commercial gyms alike. 

Features

• Large color selection
• FloorScore® Certified
• Mold and mildew resistant
• Insulating and shock absorbent

SHOP IMPACT ROLLS – DESIGNER SERIES SHOP HIGH IMPACT RUBBER ROLLS  

Rubber Roll Thickness Options

One of the most important decisions to make is which thickness you want for your rubber floor. Here’s a quick breakdown of our most popular thicknesses:

• 1/4″: Designed for home gyms and exercise rooms. For use with light equipment. 
• 8mm: Great for fitness lovers who want more heavy-duty flooring for their home gym. Can handle medium to heavy equipment. 
• 3/8″: Ultra-shock absorbent rubber flooring. Great for high traffic. You can often find this thickness in commercial and CrossFit gyms. 
• 1/2″+: Extreme-rated rubber flooring. Fantastic for commercial gyms and designed for heavy weight lifters and Olympic lifting settings. Ultra-supportive underfoot. 

Related Content >> Commercial Gym Flooring Buying Guide

Rubber Flooring Colors

Customers love rubber flooring for its speckled, color fleck appearance. Most of our products come with a black base and about 10% EDPM color flecks. 

Note: EPDM stands for Ethylene Propylene, Diene and the M stands for its classification according to ASTM standards. This type of rubber can be dyed into practically every color. 

If you want a big pop of color, check out the 15mm Impact Rolls – Designer Series. These rubber rolls still have color flecks but on a solid-colored base. You can choose several color fleck options, including vibrant red, green, yellow, blue, to match the theme of your gym.

How to Install Rubber Flooring

Rubber rolls do best over concrete, low pile carpet, hardwood, ceramic or porcelain tiles, or even on top of compacted dirt. Most importantly, ensure a level subfloor for a safe workout space. 

Rubber Roll Installation Options

• Loose lay: Most of the time, rubber floor rolls are heavy enough to naturally stay in place with no extra adhesive necessary. If you loose lay your rubber rolls, you can pick them up and move them or take them with you to a new location at any time.
• Double-sided tape: For more demanding conditions, consider using double-sided carpet tape around the perimeter of your floor. You will be able to transport your flooring if you change locations.
• Full glue down: Most commercial gym owners prefer to fully glue down their flooring to ensure no movement and no curling up at the edges. However, once you glue your rolls, you can not remove them.

Installation Tools

Below are various recommended tools to help you with your rubber flooring installation. 

• Double-sided carpet tape: Great to avoid movement in your flooring. 
• Seam sealer: To prevent liquids from seeping through the seams.
• Adjustable t-square: Use to measure and mark your rolls during installation.
• Utility knife: To effortlessly cut rubber rolls to perfectly fit your space.
• Knee pads: Use for added comfort during installation.

SHOP ALL ACCESSORIES

How to Clean Rubber Flooring

You may be asking yourself, “How do I clean rubber flooring?”. To keep your flooring clean, simply vacuum regularly and occasionally go over it with a damp mop. For any significant messes, clean up right away.

Additionally, we offer some cleaning and seam-protecting solutions. 

• Rubber Floor Cleaner and Degreaser: Your easy, all-in-one rubber floor cleaner.
• Rubber Floor Finish and Sealer: Provides a high gloss finish and protects your floor. It’s also low-odor and budget-friendly. 
• Seam Sealer: Use this on the seams to prevent liquids from seeping down into your subfloor.

Note: Do not use any solvent or oil-based cleaners. Solutions such as Pine-Sol, Lysol. Murphy’s Oil Soap, WD40, and paint thinner may damage your floor over time.

Rubber Flooring Roll FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions customers ask about rubber rolls.

What are your rubber floor rolls made of? 

Our rubber floor rolls are of non-vulcanized rubber, recycled from commercial trucks or car tires. Non-vulcanized rubber provides a cushion-like surface underfoot and supports athletes’ joints during intense movements. 

Additionally, our rubber rolls are semi-porous, so liquids can seep into the pores over time and get to the subfloor depending on how porous your roll is. This isn’t typical with our standard custom-cut rubber rolls, but less dense options may encounter this issue.

What are regrind rubber rolls made of? 

Regrind rubber rolls are a mixture of recycled rubber scraps, often containing several different color flecks. This creates a vibrant, playful look, popularly known as confetti flooring! Keep in mind, each regrind confetti roll is unique in the placement of color flecks and no two are alike. You’ll find that our regrind rolls are also our most budget-friendly roll option and are available in a variety of thicknesses to outfit your gym. Experience confetti fun and save extra!

Is rubber flooring toxic?

Not all rubber flooring is toxic. Low-quality rubber flooring may contain harmful chemicals or particles. We test all of our rubber flooring for safety, many of which are also low-VOC and low-odor. 

Related Content >> Is Rubber Flooring Toxic?

How thick should your rubber flooring be? 

Your rubber flooring should be thick enough to handle your intended use. If using it for your home gym with light equipment, then we’d recommend our reliable and affordable 1/4″ rubber flooring. 

For more demanding home gym flooring and exercise rooms, we’d recommend our 8mm rubber thickness. Commercial and CrossFit gyms can benefit from a level-up with our 3/8″ rubber flooring, which is highly shock-absorbent and suitable for high traffic. 

Lastly, our 1/2″+ rubber flooring is Olympic-rated and for extreme use. Heavyweight lifters can comfortably drop their weights on this surface, and the floor will remain supportive and resilient after consistent use. 

Can you put rubber flooring over concrete?

Yes, you can put rubber flooring over concrete. It provides a highly sturdy and even surface suitable for workouts. We recommend gluing down your rubber floor rolls to the concrete subfloor to avoid shifting and potentially creating a safety hazard. 

Is rubber flooring waterproof?

One of the best things about rubber flooring is it’s highly water-resistant to liquids and sweat. To create a water-tight floor, we recommend using our Rubber Floor Finish and Sealer across the entire floor for protection and a high gloss sheen. At the floor seams, we recommend our Seam Sealer glue.

Can you install rubber flooring rolls over carpet?

Yes, you can install gym flooring rolls over a short, low-pile carpet. If you have a thick, plush carpet that you can not remove, you can lay 1/4″ plywood over the plush carpet and install your rubber rolls over it. 

Related Content >> Can You Install Rubber Gym Flooring Over Carpet?

Can rubber flooring rolls be used outdoors?

Rubber flooring rolls are a great outdoor flooring option. They are ultra-durable, specially designed to handle lots of use and abuse.

Outdoor Rubber Flooring Tips

• Keep rolls covered: Rubber rolls can fade over time in direct sunlight. We recommend keeping them covered when not used to keep their fresh look. 
• Be cautious of the elements: While rubber flooring is water-resistant, there are many more elements that get into our rain and snow, such as salts. These rubber rolls are porous, and salts can get trapped in the pores.
• Account for expansion: Rolled rubber flooring may expand and contract with temperature fluctuation. If you place it in a closed area, allow 1/4″ around the edges.

How do I cut rubber flooring?

Sometimes you end up with a bit of extra material. Follow our easy steps to successfully cut your rubber flooring rolls.

1. Measure the size of your cut.
2. Use a straight edge and chalk to mark the cut.
3. Place your straight edge on the chalk line and use a sharp utility knife to score your roll to create a deep crease. 
4. Pick up the roll and bend it at that crease to break it open further.
5. Return the rubber flooring to the ground and continue scoring the rest of the way through until your cut is complete.

Does rubber flooring smell?

Some rubber flooring products smell stronger than others, depending on the raw material used or how they were manufactured. The smell will be the strongest when you first get it.

After unpacking our rubber flooring in a well-ventilated area, we recommend mopping it right away with a mild soap and water solution and allowing it to air dry. Repeat this process a few times to speed up the smell acclimation process.

Conclusion

Rubber flooring rolls are a terrific addition to your home or commercial gym. They provide necessary support during intense workouts, a clean, polished look, and protect your subfloors from damage. 

Shop our full selection of rubber rolls today, or order free samples to help you find your favorite!  

ORDER FREE SAMPLES SHOP ALL RUBBER ROLLS