While it is important to have the necessary equipment required in a gym, having a matching flooring is also very important. It contributes a lot to the safety of your gym users. Also, it is very key to the efficiency of the sports center or facility. Hence, if you plan to set up an athletic center or about to refurbish an existing old center, there are some things you need to have in mind. There are also tips you have to apply so that you can select the best kind of floor for your center.

When it comes to Gym Floors, they are always designed with the type of sports to be done on it in mind. They are designed in a way that they can maximize the performance of athletes using the facility or center. The surface materials used and the materials used for the base of the floor varies based on the type of activities that would be done on it. In addition, all kind of flooring materials have their resilience, durability, maintenance and have a different kind of safety practices associated with them. This is why you must assess all the options available to you to choose the best and most appropriate flooring for your facility.

We have compiled some important tips that can help you to choose and buy a floor that will save you lots of money in terms of being durable and appropriate for the sports center and also add a great feel and look to your facility.

So what are the things you need to consider before choosing or buying Gym flooring?

There are lots of important things and factors you need to consider before choosing a gym flooring. We will now discuss them below.

Intended Use

Of course, this is the first thing that has to be considered whenever a decision is about to be made. Deciding which type or kind of gym floor to have has to be considered in the same way any other decision would be. You need to think of:

how your sports facility or center will be used and what kind of sports will be practiced in it
the sort of activities that athletes will carry out in the center; if the sports center will be used to hot a wide range of events in different sports or if it will focus on hosting events that are only associated with one sport
the specifications you want the flooring to have. In other words, you know what you have in mind and you have an idea of what to expect from the gym flooring. Having a standard for the resilience, traction, shock absorption, slip resistance and stability of the flooring is important.
the weight of the flooring or how heavy duty it has to be
the number of people (athletes) that will use the floor or work out on the floor daily, weekly and monthly
the kind of zones you will have in your gym. If your gym is not dedicated to a single sport, there are going to be several zones in the facility. For instance, there can be basketball and volleyball fields, free-weight spaces, mini running tracks, fitness sections where machines will be placed and even viewing areas for spectators.

Hence, you need to think of how many zones you want to have in your facility and how much space each zone will have. Knowing this will save you money because you won’t have to spend unnecessary money repairing floors that were not built for the zone you allocated on it.

There are different flooring for different zones or areas in a sports facility or sports centre. These flooring in each zone need to be one that can support the kind of activities being done on it.

the kind of equipment that will be used in the zone and placed on the floor. This is almost the same as the point above. Yes, the flooring of a basketball field might be used in a fitness zone in your gym. however, it is only a matter of time before you have to repair cracks and holes in the area a machine was placed
the future. The gym is not going to be the same building or have the same structure for eternity. As long as it is still a sports center, you will have to upgrade and renovate the center at one point or the other. Having in mind what kind of zone a basketball field might later evolve into in the nearest future can help in choosing the right floor for the gym.
The process involved in the installation of the new flooring

When buying gym flooring, another thing you really have to consider is the installation process. Here are a few things you need to consider:

the shape and size of the area or zone you want the floor installed
if your sports centre actually has enough space to accommodate all the different zones you want to carve into it
the kind of surface you are replacing the new flooring with. You should also consider the kind of flooring you want to refurbish (if you are not buying a new flooring)
you should also consider the type of underlay the new flooring requires. Know if there are any sub-floor requirements for the installation of the floor is also good.
The kind of installation you want to be done
The life cycle of your gym equipment

There is no doubt that it is a good thing if you want to buy a new flooring for your gym. it is however very bad if you do not take care of some important things. Fitness equipment are quite heavy and they make up a huge chunk of the equipment in a gym. They usually have lifecycles of three to seven years although how long an equipment lasts depends on the usage and brand that produced it.

When buying new flooring, you should ensure the kind of flooring you want to install or buy won’t need replacing before the equipment wear out or are due for replacement. Having to carry and move the big fitness equipment can create a lot of inconvenience and delay when refurbishing a floor or installing new ones.

Budget

Although there are pretty much other things you should consider, the budget is the last important one we will discuss. The other things you need to consider are not as important as the ones we discussed here.

There is no doubt you will definitely consider the budget you have and how much you are able to spend on the flooring but it does not hurt to mention it here again.

There are so many options to choose from when it comes to gym flooring that can lead you to make terrible choices. While there are many cheap alternatives to a particular expensive flooring your budget can’t handle, you also need to weigh up the quality of the flooring you are getting. Hence, rather than go for just any kind of cheap alternative, you should buy or choose the best flooring you can afford. You will eventually enjoy the flooring since it is made using top quality material. It would also last long than the cheap alternative you could have bought in a bid to save some money.

The most important thing you need to consider when choosing gym flooring is not the price or cost of buying and installing it, you should also consider how much it requires to maintain and even refurbish it if damaged. Having the right gym flooring will not only save you money it will also ensure the gym equipment placed on it are well protected.

So what are the Gym flooring options available?

It is very important that you consider the kind of materials the right gym flooring you need will be made of. There are only two options you can choose from:

Synthetic floors
Wooden floors

Hardwood or Wooden Floors

Hardwood floors are the traditional materials a lot of gym floors are made from. The wood is usually high quality and durable Maple. It offers high-performing and durable flooring solution.

The Hardwood or wooden floors are ideal and are mostly used in Basketball and Volleyball fields or zones in a gym. In addition, it is the most used flooring by colleges and schools that own basketball or volleyball courts.

One reason why Hardwood floors are popular options is that they are attractive, cost effective and durable enough.

Below are some other benefits and reason why wood floors are still very much in use in gyms.

Hardwood floors made using Maple wood can last for about 38 years;
Wooden floors are excellent shock absorbers which reduces the occurrence of injuries in athletes;
Ball bounce and response on Wood flooring are fantastic and impressive;
It does not require lots of procedures or expertise to clean it. Simple mopping will get it squeaky clean;
Hardwood Floors provides a warm and natural feel when playing on it;
They can be resurfaced, repainted, and are made from biodegradable and renewable source.

Wood flooring also have their own drawbacks which includes:

They can easily be damaged by moisture and humidity i.e. water damage;
The surface of wooden floors are easily scratched and can even be dented if it sees more traffic than it can handle;
Wear and tear can easily be seen in wood floors and usually require refurbishing at least once in 8 to 12 years;
Wood flooring amplifies noise in the sports centre especially if there is a basketball zone in the facility
As sturdy and good as they are, getting quality wooden floors is quite expensive

Synthetic Floors

While Wood flooring are well used and quite popular, Synthetic floors is gradually taking over from Wood flooring. It is now being used in lots of standard sporting centres everywhere in the world.

Synthetic flooring are very cost effective and provide lots of benefits if used as an alternative for Wooden Floors. Synthetic flooring is very durable, easily maintained, offers lots of versatility and very resilient. The most important thing about them is that they are very affordable. They offer as much benefits and perks as wood flooring. They are suited for different kind of sports activities and can withstand a lot of abuse unlike wooden flooring. Synthetic flooring provide fast and a high performance surface for activities like Basketball, jogging, badminton, etc.

They are also great shock absorbers and come with excellent slop resistance. They are also resistant to impact from heavy machinery or load. Another thing synthetic flooring have on wood flooring is that they are water resistant. This is one of the reason why they are such good Wood floor alternatives. Synthetic floors can last for a long period of time without any need for refurbishing or repairs. They are perfect for areas and zones in the gym that will be subject to a lot of traffic as well as wear and tear.

There are three different materials Synthetic floors are made from. Each have their different advantages and drawbacks.

Rubber Gym Flooring: most versatile and perfect for fitness centres, weight rooms, tracks for jogging, and a very good option if your gym is going to be a multipurpose gym centre.
Urethane Gym Flooring: Provides great elasticity, easy to clean and the surface can easily be customized as you see fit.

Vinyl Gym Flooring: Vinyl Gym Flooring is the ideal flooring when lots of flexibility is required from the flooring. Vinyl Flooring is also very economical

Mixed Flooring

This is a very viable option and can also be seen in big sports facilities. You can mix differing flooring together in your gym based on the kind of activities that will take place in a particular area or zone. For instance, having a maple flooring for the zone where basketball and volleyball is being played and having rubber flooring in other parts of the gym is a very good option since there would be little need for floor refurbishing due to wear and tear.

Buying Gym Flooring

Once you have carefully assessed the needs of your gym and the kind of floor suitable, here are a few tips when about to pay for the flooring:

Ensure you read all specifications of the flooring you want to purchase. It will give you insight on its durability, maintenance, installation process and requirement, cost, etc.
Look for reviews and photos of the flooring you want to buy. There is nothing better than the testimonial of someone who actually bought the flooring and used it.
You should also ask for samples of the different flooring you want to mix together in order to have an idea of how they look in your gym.
Get experienced and well trained experts to carry out the installation