High Impact, High Traffic, High Pressure? Been there. Done that.

Finding the right flooring material for commercial gyms isn’t easy, but Abacus Sports has the time-tested solution: recycled rubber.

Indoor athletic facilities are simply more demanding than other spaces when it comes to flooring. Most of those demands relate to sports performance. Properties like ball rebound and surface friction affect gameplay. But, sports floors also have to meet the a high standard of toughness. They must withstand conditions that would make commercial carpet unravel, turn vinyl tile into trash, and send hardwoods to the scrap heap.

Sports performance aside, commercial gyms generally demand more toughness from a floor. These indoor environments are demanding because of the shear volume of abuse they dish out to a floor over time. Beyond normal wear and tear, commercial gyms have above average foot traffic and heavy workout equipment exerting relentless static loads. The jarring impact of dropped free weights alone is enough to give most floor manufacturers nightmares.

So what flooring material is best suited for the toughest space imaginable? Believe it or not, it’s one that has seen worse. A recycled rubber floor from Regupol begins life as a car tire, designed for the harsh environment of the America’s highways. Recycled rubber tires handle the three main abuses of commercial gym environments because they essentially have already done it in a previous life. What is a dropped dumbbell compared to a hitting a pothole at 70 miles per hour? Heavy foot traffic pales in comparison to 60,000 miles on I-95. Concerned about weight lifting equipment? Don’t worry, because your gym floor has already supported a 2-ton truck frame for years without rest.

Here are the ways Regupol recycled rubber floors will give you confidence that your commercial gym floor is tough enough for the job by far. Let’s take Regupol’s AktivPro Tile as an example.

Impact Resistance: By the numbers, AktivPro Tile has a tensile strength of over 200 psi (ASTM D412), and a tear strength of 70 pounds per linear inch (ASTM D624). It’s tough stuff. Free weights, even when dropped from relatively high positions, will have a hard time damaging the floor. Since drops happen on a regular basis in a commercial gym space, it can give you peace of mind to know the floor can handle it. In addition to its material toughness, Regupol AktivPro tiles are designed to dampen impact vibrations and sound to make the gym a more comfortable environment.

Heavy Flooring Traffic: What’s a little foot traffic for a material originally designed for life on the road? All Regupol rubber floors are beyond tough, as we have discussed earlier. But, there are other properties that make recycled rubber ideal for handling heavy traffic. For one, Regupol flooring can be spike and skate resistant. Recycled rubber floors also keep their appearance over time; the predominantly darker colors remain unchanged even after dirt, debris, stains, and countless cleanings.

Static Pressure: Regupol rubber floors stoically shrug off most of what life in a gym throws their way. Most commonly, it’s the everyday burden of heavy exercise equipment. High static load tolerances mean you can comfortably place treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, and weight lifting stations anywhere on the floor. Running a commercial gym is hard enough without worrying about whether your floor can handle the constant pressure.

For commercial gym flooring, recycled rubber surfaces are the way to go, especially those manufactured by Regupol. They are tough and exceptionally durable. If you would like more information about surfaces for the gym, including features like inlaid platforms for weight lifting, contact an Abacus Sports Installations representative today.