# Need some "exercise room" ideas.



## mjdonovan (Mar 15, 2007)

You definetly do not want to use tile or wood in an exercise room, particularl if you plan on having weights in it. There are some nice spongy interlocking type materials on the market specifically designed for exercise rooms. Unfortunately I can't think of the manufacturers. Do a google search.

Carpeting would be your next best bet if you do not want to spend the money on a cushioned floor.


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## Steve_Jones (Jul 20, 2008)

I would recommed an infrared sauna for you new work out room. They are great for after a work out and you can find them at good prices at http://www.my-bath.com


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## Artie2 (Jun 24, 2008)

Thanks MJ. It didn't even occur to me that there'ld be exercise-specific flooring products. I'll do a "Google" now.

And thanks Steve for that link. All kinds of cool stuff there. :yes:


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## dhag (Jul 21, 2008)

I did one for my parents and put in carpet tiles that had a low pile and also put in some rubber interlocking tile under the weight benches/racks so as to not damage the subfloor. Looked and worked great. The other nice thing is when they sold it we just took up the rubber tiles and patched in matching carpet tile in order to help sell as a bedroom rather than an exercise room. Walls were left as drywall but we hung large mirrors all the way around. Don't forget a wall/celing mount TV!!


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

Artie2 said:


> Hi all. After we get our kitchen remodeled, we're planning on tackling another room we use for exercise. It has a treadmill, bike-machine, weight bench and multi-use inclined sit-up bench.
> 
> We need some ideas for appropriate flooring and wall treatment. What would you go with if it was you? Tile, hardwood, shag carpet? :thumbup:
> 
> ...


You may want mirrors on the wall, for motivation.
Hooks into the ceiling joists for punching bags, etc. 
Ventilation and cooling is important.
Don't forget people can drip sweat onto the floor.

_If your bike machine reads watts and you can put out 746 of them, you're producing 1 hp. _
_If you can do 450w for 20 minutes you belong in a bike race._


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## PianoRayK (Jun 23, 2008)

I'm working on finishing my basement (see my thread here), and it includes a few pieces of exercise equipment. Once I finish the subfloor, framing, and drywall, I intend to install carpet tile. Also, I have heavy padding that came with my weight set. That was sitting under my weight set when the basement was unfinished; I intend to continue using that on top of the carpet.

Hope this helps!


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## Allison1888 (Mar 16, 2008)

*work out room*

Yes, there are floors designed just for exercise room. Suggest also adding a whirlpool tub or nice shower area to treat yourself after working out.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

The advantage of interlocking rubber mats is that you can rearrange them into different shapes, and replace any damaged mats yourself. 

You should also be aware that you can buy synthetic rubber commercial flooring specifically made for fitness and sports training rooms, and it's common to see this kind of flooring in sports related retail stores like "Foot Locker" and stores that sell sports equipment.
The biggest name in synthetic rubber commercial flooring is Johnsonite:

http://www.johnsonite.com

Roppe and Bengard also make rubber moldings for floors like base moldings and stair nosings, but I don't know if they also make rubber flooring. Google Ropper and Bengard to find their web sites to find out.

Here's Johnsonite's web page for fitness and sports training room flooring:

http://www.johnsonite.com/en/flooringSystems/sportsmultifunctionflooring

For example, Johnsonite's "Replay" flooring is made from recycled car tires and is both ice skate and spike resistant. It comes in 3/8 inch thick 24 inch square tiles for glue down installations, 25 inch square interlocking tiles for loose lay installations, and 4 foot wide rolls for glue down installations in hallways.

But, I kinda doubt you need anything THAT BULLETPROOF.

Their "Triumph" flooring tiles come with an "underlock" feature around their perimeter to hide the interlock between the tiles. These tiles are also 3/8 inch thick.

You can also get 1/4 inch rubber flooring with a wood grain pattern on it.

But, considering this is a house, and not a spa, consider installing Johnsonite Roundel 1/8 inch thick and 24 inch square floor tiles:

http://www.johnsonite.com/en/FlooringSystems/RubberFlooring/Roundel+Solid.htm

The Roundel synthetic rubber flooring would be both extremely durable and appropriate for a residential setting. You don't want to walk on it with spikes, but it'll stand up to exercise equipment pounding on it 24/7/365. You can certainly drop a barbell onto this flooring without harming it, provided the substrate under the flooring will stand up to the impact.

I have synthetic rubber stair treads in the front and back stairwells of my building, and I can tell you that there is no way to inadvertently damage synthetic rubber flooring. The only way I know of to damage it is with a razor, and a destructive intent. You could never harm this flooring with even a dull knife like a table knife. You can even put a cigarette out on it without causing damage. You could certainly damage it with a propane torch or an ice pick, but that would hardly be considered "inadvertant".


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## RDS (Feb 29, 2008)

A company called Step 2 (google them) sells blue, 24" square interlocking foam flooring which we used in our exercise room, and which we've been very happy with. Toys 'R' Us sometimes sells it (though it's hard to find on their website) but you can also buy it straight from Step 2. As I recall from when we were shopping for it, it's slightly pricier than many comparable products but it's also thicker (3/4") than most, which is why we like it.


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## raam (Feb 11, 2008)

Two options for you to consider would be garage floor vinyl as it comes in big rolls and rubber mats from feed stores. The mats usually come in 4x6 foot size and are around $40-50 dollars. And they are a good 3/4 inch thick !!


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