If you're operating a martial arts, yoga, or fitness facility, you may have questions about how to install rubber flooring in your space. Zebra Fitness Rubber is available in roll-outs or puzzle tiles. The rolled rubber flooring is ideal for covering larger areas and is less expensive per square foot than puzzle tiles. Installing puzzle tiles is straight forward, but rolled rubber flooring takes a few more steps. Here's a guide on the steps needed to prepare for and install rolled rubber flooring in your gym.

Before the Installation of Rolled Rubber Flooring

There are a fewfactorstoconsiderbefore installingrolledrubber flooring.

• Ensurepotential flooring areasare weather tight and maintained at a minimumtemperature of 65 F (18 C) for 48 hours before, during, and after the installation.
• Flooring can be installed over concrete, approved Portland-based patching and leveling materials such as Ardex K-15 (or equivalentmaterial), and wood.
• Wood subfloors should be double construction with a minimum thickness of one inch. Subfloorsalso need to be rigid and free from movement.
• American Plywood Association (APA) underlayment grade plywoodis the preferred underlayment panel to use.
• Concrete floors need a minimum compressive strength of 3000 psi; new concrete slabs must be fully cured and permanently dried beforerubber flooringinstallation.

Subfloor Requirements and Preparationfor Rubber Flooring Installation

Subfloors must be dry, clean, smooth, level,and structurally sound.It's crucial toensurethey'refree ofextraneous materials such asdust, solvent, paint, wax, oil,andold adhesive residue. Theymustbe smooth to prevent irregularities, roughness, or other defects from telegraphing through the new flooring.Removeall tracesofdebris by scraping, sanding, or scarifying the substrate"do notuse solvents. Low spots,saw cuts,cracks,indentations,andanynon-moving joints in the concrete must be filled with an approved patching compound.Allowthisto dry thoroughlyasexcessive moisture in patching material may cause bonding problems or a bubbling reaction with theadhesive. Lastly,conductadhesive bond tests in several locations throughout the areabefore installing.For more information on how to perform adhesive bond tests, check outourRolled Rubber Installation Guide.

Rubber FlooringStorage and Handling

• Therolled rubber flooringmaterial should always be stored lying down, as storing on its end will curl the edges and permanently alter the material.
• The rolls should only be stored on a clean, dry, smooth surface for no more than six months and stacked no higher than four rolls high.
• Inspect the materials to confirm that you're using the correct style, color, and amount of material. You also want to make sure that yourrolled rubber flooringis free of any visual defects.
• Ensurethat the material and adhesive are acclimated to roomtemperatefor a minimum of 24 hoursbeforeinstallation.

Rolling Material for Installation

It's now time to begin the process of installing your flooring.

1. Drawa chalk line to create a starting point for an edge of the flooring to follow.
2. Remove the product from the shrink-wrap and unroll itonto the floor, making sure to lay the rolls out in a way that will use your cuts efficiently.
3. Cut the rollsatthe required length (including enough to run up the wall).Allow the cut rolls to relax in position for a minimum of two hours (though 24 hours is preferred).
4. Place the edge of the first roll along the chalk line and then position the second roll with no more than a 1/16" overlap over the first roll at the seam.
5. Work the material back toget rid ofthe overlap"this procedure will leaveyour flooring withtight seams and eliminate gaps.Repeatthis processfor each consecutive rollneededto complete the area.

InstallingRubber FlooringUsingtheTape Down Method

You'll need to tape the rolls down to finalize your installation.

1. Drawa pencil line beneath all seams needingtape
2. Fold over the first drop along the chalk line, which should be half the width of the roll.
3. Usinga high-quality double-faced carpet tape (with a two-inch minimum width), apply two strips along the seam"one on each side of your pencil mark).
4. Remove the release paper and place the rubber flooring onto the exposed tape. Overlap the seams by no more than 1/16" and work the material back to eliminate the overlap. This step ensures tight seams over the tape and protects against leaving gaps in the flooring.
5. Hand-roll the seams to guarantee adequate contact"don't roll the entire floorsimultaneouslyas that will increase the likelihood of issues arising with the installation.

Checkout theRolled Rubber Installation Guidefor additional technical information.

Need help choosing rubber flooring for your gym or studio? Let our "facility" design specialist help. "Get in touch with us today!