Square, Puzzle, or Roll – Which Gym Flooring Works Best For You?

In one of our previous articles, we discussed acoustic underlay options and which one is the best option for you. In this article we will be discussing available options for gyms.

Gym flooring is one of the biggest flooring markets today as more and more gym brands are opening up, and the growth is still continuing. With all the high rise buildings and the growing clusters of the urban jungle, good gym flooring is essential to make sure the surrounding environment such as adjacent units are not disturbed by sound and vibration of weight drops and overall heavy weight training. So where do gym owners begin when planning for their gym flooring?

It is a natural human instinct to always make decisions based on what is most familiar with them, but is familiarity and being in the comfort zone always the best way to go? Before we make any decisions, let’s briefly look into all our available options, and analyze each one so we can have a better understanding of what we are dealing with.

Puzzle Tiles

Puzzle tiles are essentially square tiles that have teeth on all edges to interlock with one another. The interlocking teeth allows the tiles to stay in position better since the tiles are not shifting around, ultimately minimizing the chance for tiles to go out of place.

Roll

Roll flooring is rubber flooring rolled out into long strips across the interior space. Roll flooring is easy to install, and is usually installed with adhesive so the rubber mats can stick to the base surface. One key aspect to mention is that since it’s not in tile form, less seams are created, which minimizes the amount of dirt and debris being caught. With less seams, the flooring also looks more smooth and clean, giving it a fresh look overall.

Square Tiles

Square tiles is the most common gym flooring option that gym owners go for. Similar to the puzzle tile, it’s placed adjacent to each other like a grid. The only difference is the lack of teeth on edges that creates a strong hold between tiles. Square tiles are easily accessible and are offered by many companies and manufacturers, making it a go-to option.

So Which One?

We have spoken to a lot of gym owners regarding the flooring for their gyms, and a lot of them would ask us initially if we do square cut tiles. Of course, we are capable of providing square cut tiles, but puzzle tiles and rolls are options we can definitely look into considering. We ask the gym owners, “Why square tiles? Are there any specific reasons for the choice?” The answer we then get back from them is because square cut tiles is what they have always been doing and are familiar with, and so are their competitors.

Square cut tiles are an industry standard, but let’s dive deeper into our other two options. First thing we need to ask ourselves is, is the flooring being glued down? If the answer is yes, we can maybe consider going for roll flooring. With roll flooring, the installation time becomes quicker due to rolling a few 4’ by 25’ rolls out versus laying out a bunch of 2’ by 2’ tiles. With fewer separate pieces being laid out, there will also be less seams and a lower chance of seam misalignment. Overall, it results in less costs for material and labor.

If the flooring is not being glued down, we can possibly consider using puzzle cut tiles instead. With the tabs of the puzzle cut tiles, it becomes easier to install and align compared to square cut tiles, and can also be easily removed and shifted. Puzzle cut tiles also tend to lay flatter due to its interlocking nature.

The Verdict

All three gym flooring styles are great options, works the way it’s suppose to, and sufficient to get the job done in terms of providing an acoustic solution. However, most gym owners tend to automatically go with square tiles mainly because it’s what most gyms use and is familiar with. Puzzle tiles and roll are both great options outside of square tiles that are just as worthy of time and consideration to look into, and they might even provide gym owners with a better overall scenario at the end.