A lot of people aren't aware that there's been a real fundamental change in flooring for gyms and fitness spaces.
I don't want to admit how long I've been doing this, but when I first started designing gyms, all we had was hard 8 mm rubber when we designed gyms. It wasn't bad, and it did the job, to a degree.
However, Things have changed and gotten better. Well over 75% of the flooring we install in fitness spaces today are 'stacked' flooring, with a thin layer of hard rubber or other substance on top, with a soft underlay underneath. This flooring has no odor whatsoever, but the reason nearly all the gyms and fitness space is buy it is it has over three times the absorption of impact and sound as that old hard rubber.
And that makes it easier on clients' joints. Plain and simple, better on the knees, better on the back, etc.
Ecore's research shows that regular 8mm hard rubber has an energy absorption of10.4%, compared to Stacked Rally at 35.4%. That is a huge difference.
There is no comparison in the quality level of actual stacked gym floor versus the old hard rubber mats that we sold back in the 90s and early aughts. More color options and design options, but also less offgassing. And all that absorption means it is quieter and transmits less vibration.
And this was pretty well illustrated a few days back when a client came in and told me that they had gotten some old stall mats for their garage gym, and they had been offgassing and smelling like a tire factory for the entire 6 months he's had them. The upshot of it was he wanted to get rubber flooring that didn't have that kind of smell and that felt better.
Recent install in Newport
Ecore also makes different types of stacked floors, with different looks ands feels, Like Ebb & Flow, which adds a lot to the designer's palette, and even makes flooring specifically for a wood look or turf.
At the end of the day, we have clients that are ripping up their old hard rubbe3r floors and installing stacked flooring.