When it comes to designing a gym, the first step is deciding on the type of flooring. Even though the range and the quality of the equipment and machinery are what people come for they will leave searching for another gym if the whole setting is unattractive and impractical. The good flooring should have three very important characteristics: to be strong and long-lasting, to ensure a sufficient grip of the machinery and equipment to prevent injuries of unintentional movement, and, finally, to be easy to clean and maintain. Basically, the good flooring needs to cope with heavy equipment, intensive use, sweat and spillage of liquids, vibration and noise, humidity and unhygienic factors like dirt, dust, odour and bacteria. Hence, there are different types of flooring which offer different benefits, so let's take a look.
The type of flooring you are going to choose depends on several things you first need to consider. For example, what each zone will be used for, where each zone will be and what equipment you are going to put on it. Once this is settled it is time to consider the different types of materials used for gym flooring. To begin with, wood is one of the options. However, it is not a cheap one and extra work like adding a protective PVC matting needs to be done as it needs to withstand the constant jumping and traction without damaging or scuffing it. Also, the free weight area is the most subjected to impact because there will be constantly dropping of weights and the appearance of dents will be inevitable. The second type is the sprung flooring most suitable for gyms that offer dance or yoga lessons. Its best property is shock absorption which is very important for dance, Zumba, fitness lessons, as well as for gymnastics and judo.
The third option and the most commonly used one is the rubber flooring. It has lots of benefits such as easy installation, durability, easy maintenance and long lifecycle. The rubber flooring comes in interlocking panels, rolls or rubber floor tiles for gym whose high-density fine grain top provides a strong grip. It needs to be laboratory tested and comply with the Australian building code for smoke production and slip resistance. The rubber floor tiles for gym are usually made with recycled rubber from motorcycle tires, making them very convenient due to their flexibility and low odour. Also, they are easy to buy, transport and instal. As they are not interlocking, they need to be laid with adhesive. Replacing them with new ones is an easy job. The rubber rolls are the easiest to lay and they reduce the trip potential whereas the interlocking rubber tiles are like puzzle pieces which don't need adhesive and this characteristic enables easy moving and replanting.
Finally, choosing the suitable type of flooring for the gym needs to be done after taking into consideration all properties of all types of flooring. You can even ask for a sample prior to making a purchase so that you can be sure it will fit best in the gym. In the end, the flooring needs to be durable, easy to maintain, safe and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It is a long-term commitment that shouldn't be taken for granted.
Comments
Post a Comment