Choosing Your Rubber Flooring Thickness
You have decided the type of rubber flooring you need for your project, and the color, but you’re not quite sure what rubber thickness is best. Choosing a thickness is perhaps one of the hardest decisions to make when selecting rubber flooring. Read on for helpful tips to select the right thickness for your space.
Thickness Options (Rolls, Tiles & Mats)
RFS offers the most common rubber thicknesses (typically shown in millimeters) for ease of selection, convenience and cost-effectiveness. Keep in mind that thickness does matter! The thicker the rubber, the more impact absorption and protection your rubber flooring will provide, among many other benefits. In addition, all of our flooring-grade rubber is manufactured to specific densities, which is important for impact resistance. Let’s take a closer look.
• 6mm (1/4”) – Great for calisthenics, flexibility (yoga and palates) and balance exercises where body weight is primarily used. Lightweight dumbbells (10 pounds or less), bands/ropes, fitness balls require less thickness for floor protection. Ideal for high-traffic walkways with a slip-resistant surface. ¼” rubber mats are commonly used under laundry appliances, in entranceways, basement flooring and pet kennels.
• 8mm (5/16”) – Most popular thickness for home gyms and suitable for moderate weight (10 to 45 pounds) impact. Ideal mat thickness for use under exercise equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes and weight benches.
• 9mm (3/8”) – Provides greater floor protection from heavy weight (45-75 pounds) impact and is commonly used in commercial gyms and fitness centers. Better underfoot comfort for plyometrics and CrossFit exercises. 3/8” thick mats are great for anti-fatigue standing areas such as workshops, garages and around tool benches.
• 12mm (1/2”) – Maximum durability and premium floor or subfloor protection from extra-heavy weight (75-100 pounds) impact. Superior comfort for high-intensity cross training exercises. ½” thick mats minimize vibration and noise from treadmills, ellipticals and other equipment. Used for extreme impact absorption during heavy weightlifting.
Thickness Options (Underlayment)
Rubber underlayment is used between your subfloor (typically plywood/OSB sheeting or concrete slabs) and your finished floor (hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, etc). It is not recommended for use under vinyl flooring. Rubber underlayment has a different density than flooring-grade rubber and is made to reduce wear and tear from expansion shifting and prolong the useful life of your finished floor. View our Rubber Underlayment page for additional benefits.
RFS offers rubber underlayment in 2, 3, 5 and 12mm thicknesses.
• 2 mm (5/64”) – At just over 1/16” thick, this cost-efficient rubber underlayment is primarily used for sound dampening of laminate, hardwood, engineered wood, ceramic tile, stone, carpet tiles and other floating floor products. Installation typically is loose-laid or adhered to the subfloor with carpet tape.
• 3mm (1/8”) – The greater thickness provides more comfort under your finished floor and improves the sound quality in your room and sound transmission between the floors in your home. The extra thickness also supports heavier ceramic, stone, terrazzo and slate tiles and helps to prevent cracks in the tile and grout. 1/8” thick rubber underlayment is also used to help level the subfloor from imperfections.
• 5mm (3/16”) – Ideal sound insulation thickness for both impact and airborne noise. Provides more underfoot comfort and a thicker barrier against moisture in damp environments. 5mm underlayment will help level minor subfloor issues and insulate your floor by preventing cold transmission.
• 12mm (1/2”) – Primarily used in commercial applications for soundproofing floors in multi-story buildings such as apartment and condos. ½” thick rubber underlayment also provides greater shock absorption under turf in gyms and sports facilities. Thicker underlayment provides superior crack suppression, greater moisture protection and insulates against cold subfloors.
Other Factors to Consider
With a little more knowledge of how thick your rubber flooring should be, you’re close to moving your project ahead! Here are a few additional tips to consider when selecting your rubber flooring thickness:
• Type of Activity – Determine if you’re going to be using your flooring for light activity (6mm) such as body weight exercising, yoga and stretching; moderate activity (8mm) with cardio equipment and intermediate free weights; high-impact activity (9mm) with heavy weights and plyometrics; or extra-heavy impact activity (12mm) for pro-level weightlifting and cross training.
• Equipment Weight/Usage – Evaluate your equipment. Free weights, weight machines, cardio equipment. Heavier weights and drop frequency will require thicker flooring to protect your subfloor and/or finished floor. Powered fitness equipment will generate noise and vibrations that can transmit through your flooring.
• Finished Floor Type – If you are installing your rubber flooring over an existing floor such as a low-pile carpet a thicker rubber (9 or 12mm) will provide greater stability. Hard finished floors require less thick rubber flooring (6 or 8mm) depending on the type of activity you intend to do.
• Subfloor Type – Most homes will likely have concrete or plywood/OSB sheeting for your subfloor. Heavy weights hitting the floor can lead to cracked concrete or severely damage wooden subfloors. Select a thicker rubber if you intend to use heavy free weights for the best subfloor protection.
• Soundproofing/Vibration Reduction – If you live in a multi-unit dwelling or apartment, a thicker rubber flooring will help dampen sound and reduce vibrations from exercise equipment.
• Budget – If you’re budget conscious, thicker rubber flooring (more material and weight) will generally be more expensive and cost more to ship. If you can afford a step-up in thickness to protect your flooring/subfloor, the long-term value will be well worth the extra expense.
Still Undecided?
If you’re still unsure of the best thickness for your rubber flooring, reach out to RFS with your questions.