How Thick Should Gym Flooring Be?

Choosing the correct gym flooring is one of the biggest decisions you have to make as a gym owner. It is also one of the biggest considerations in a gym that most don’t think about prior to opening a gym and is a big expense.

Though gym flooring isn’t as exciting as picking out the equipment you want in a gym, it is vitally important to have optimal flooring in place.

Whether you are looking into rubber flooring for your home gym or a commercial facility, flooring will protect the equipment, and the flooring itself. This is vital to prevent costly damage for a rented facility.

Good quality gym flooring will prevent weight rebounds from drops, offer increased shock absorption and be safer for users. In addition, good flooring will prevent excessive vibration along with noise reduction.

So we’ve established that having the right flooring is critical for your gym, but how thick does it have to be?

How Thick Does Home Gym Flooring Have To Be?

We recommend tiles for home gyms or garage gyms to be 20mm in thickness with enough tiles to cover any areas you will be training. This size of rubber tile is a fitness standard.

Depending on your level of activity and how much weight you are expecting to drop in your home gym, a thicker rubber tile may be recommended for you. We do offer a 30mm flooring tile that is a great option if you want that extra bit of protection for during weightlifting moves. This would also be recommended for those who perform any functional fitness workouts at home or for those who like to go heavy. See our gym flooring page if you need any help with our options.

For the majority of home gyms however, 20mm gym flooring is recommended.

20mm thick gym flooring will give an all-around tile, with very good sound/vibration absorption, excellent rebound control whilst remaining resistant to harm. This type of tile will also be easy to clean, easy to install and cut.

Any less than 20mm and you risk damaging the floor below, especially if you undertake barbell work or use heavier dumbbells that may be dropped.

A 20mm flooring tile thickness will cover your bases by protecting the flooring underneath and also suitable to withstand any barbell drops.

How Thick Should Gym Flooring Be For A Commercial Facility?

In a commercial setting, we expect a gym to handle countless more drops and weighted lifts than a home gym which is why we recommend our 30-43mm tiles.

If specific areas aren’t required for heavy drops or feature the general gym floor, a 20mm flooring tile would suffice and give strong enough protection. 20mm tiles are a fitness standard with very good sound/vibration absorption and excellent rebound control.

30mm Weightlifting Tile

The 30mm tile is a great option if you want that extra bit of protection during weightlifting moves, and give you that bit more protection in contrast to the 20mm tile. These are great for weightlifting platform drop areas and can be used as overall gym floor covering as well.

These tiles offer increased noise reduction, easy installation and can be cut with the proper tools.

High Impact Standard 43mm Tile

The 43mm tile in Standard and HD versions offers the best sound/vibration absorption of all the flooring options. This is the best option for gyms who want to protect their equipment or functional fitness facilities such as a CrossFit Box that is expecting repeated, heavy drops.

The standard version is a bit softer, and sometimes not the preferred by heavy lifters (heel can sink a bit, very low ratio but experienced lifters can feel it) but the best buy for gym owners with sound and vibration issues.

To summarise, we recommend a minimum flooring thickness of 20mm for the gym floor or home gyms, we also offer 30mm for extra protection for most gym areas and weightlifting moves, and 43mm for the weightlifting area where people may be dropping heavy loads e.g. overhead.

Why The Correct Gym Flooring Is Important

Installing the proper flooring thickness is the cornerstone for saving money in the mid-long term, avoiding possible complaints and improving customer satisfaction.

You’ll also reduce the chance of needing construction work on the concrete floor or walls later down the line.

The cheapest flooring option can turn into the most expensive one after 2-3 years when the tiles and equipment may need replacing, any potential construction work on the cement floor and complaints from gym-goers whilst the repairs take place.

Gymgoers want to train safely too, and adequate flooring will absorb the shock of dropped barbells or repeated jumps. It also looks more professional and is often the first thing people notice when viewing a gym for the first time.

If we are talking about your home gym then damage to your property can come at a huge cost. When you invest in your home gym you want to ensure the equipment lasts as long as possible. Even the best quality equipment will get damaged or break over time if the correct flooring (or no flooring at all!) is used.

This is why is very important to plan and choose the best flooring quality and thickness. It saves time, money and stress!

Discover More About Our Gym Flooring Options

For more information on our flooring options, or to make an enquiry, please visit our gym flooring page.