I decided to update our basement home gym. Like most home projects, I try to do them on a dime. Check out the blog I posted last week on how I installed a gym wall mirror for under $100 here. For the gym floor, I wanted to put in a rubber like floor. I received a quote to have one installed and it was going to cost just under 4K! Not acceptable for an update on a dime project! When I was at The Home Depot I came across an affordable solution for the DIY gym floor – home gym on a dime. This solution was easy to install and cost under $400! To see the final outcome of the DIY Home Gym – On a Dime go HERE.
The Solution
TrafficMASTER black/gray 24 in by 24 in x .47 in dual sided gym floor, four pack. This is a DIY floor solution of rubber looking (they are actually foam), shock absorbing gym tiles. They have a foam core made from durable high-density co-polymer. With interlocking edges that make installation fast and very easy.
Although Home Depot carries four options for rubber flooring in stock, this one was the least expensive and can only be used indoors. Upon looking at the other options to determine why they cost more, I believe they are thicker and probably made of a stronger material to hold up better. I didn’t put that much effort into inspecting my options. I basically went with what was the cheapest.
How Much You Need
To know how much flooring material to purchase, first, measure the floor space you want the rubber floor to cover. Take length x width to determine total square footage. My basement gym is approximately 15’ long by 17’ wide. This is a total of 255 square feet (length x width). I entered 255 into The Home Depot flooring calculator (on the product website page here) and it calculated I needed 16 packages (4 squares in a package). The measurement estimate was exact. I was worried about having to cut pieces in around the edges, but this calculation takes that into account!
How Much It Costs
The TrafficMASTER gym floor I purchased was $1.22 square foot. One package (containing 4 squares) cost $19.47 each. I purchased 16 bundles. The total estimated cost (provided on the estimate calculator here) is $311.52. This product may go on sale at The Home Depot. At the time of my purchase it was not on sale. This same product is available also on Amazon but is more expensive with a cost of $31.37 per bundle.
Installation
My daughter and I installed the entire room in under 4 hours. It was as easy as putting together a child’s puzzle. I started at one side of the room and worked by way to the other side interlocking full squares together. Once I came to an “obstacle” wall or column that a full square would not fit, I cut the square to fit. To cut, I used a pair of Pampered Check kitchen scissors (because it is what I had on hand and I’m a lazy DIY’er). For cleaner cuts with more precision use a utility knife, black marker and straight edge to make the cuts and trims.
My room is not perfectly square (most houses probably are not). This was not an issue as 90% of the squares fit perfectly into one another. When there is a cut, a column or wall to match up to, cutting the material was simple. I eyeball’d where to make the cuts and did not have a single mess up. However, if you are not as daring (or as lazy as me) measure, mark then cut for a seamless fit. Remember to measure twice and cut once. Also, always cut on the conservative side. You can always take more away but if you cut too much off, you can’t put it back.
I installed the gym floor tiles directly over the existing (pink) carpet. The existing carpet is a commercial grade type carpet and sits directly on the cement sub floor. There was no padding under the rug. This worked because of the thinness of the existing rug. In most instances, the existing carpet would need to be removed and tiles should be placed on bare floor.
Cleaning It
So far, it has been easy to clean. I’ve used a cloth damp with water to wipe the area down. I have not used any chemicals for cleaning. If I do, it will probably test a small area with a wet Swiffer pad and a Swiffer mop.
My Review
I read the reviews…it received a 4.4 out of 5 rating. Majority of the reviews were very favorable and 90% of customers recommend it. It is on The Home Depot’s “Best Seller” list. Keep in mind this product is not a rubber. It is more of a foam product (probably due to the cheaper price point). I believe this is what made the product so easy to work with. It is lightweight and cutting/trimming it to fit was not an issue. If it was rubber, thicker or heavier it would have been much harder to install. This was perfect to use for the floor in our moderately used home gym as a DIY project. It has very good cushion and shock support when standing or jumping. In my opinion it is a big bang for the buck. For the price, I think this is a great deal. I will check back in in 6 months to see how it holds up. As of today and it being newly installed. It looks great. Completely transformed the gym space.
Potential Problems
As I mentioned before, it’s the thinner floor option (also the cheapest). When placing heavy objects on the floor for a period of time it does leave an impression. However, once the object is removed the impression goes away. If this is something that will bother you, then splurge on the more expensive, thicker product. This is not a deal killer for me.
For the price point and the ease of installing this was a home run and turned out much better than expected. However, my happiness is based on ease of install and final look. IF you are using this in an area you use moderate to heavily, you may want to buy a thicker material. This product is thin and WILL indent with heavy products over time and could possibly break down in high traffic areas over time. If you want a better material and quality than spend more money and buy the better product. For our space and the time and time of usage. This product is sufficient.
Also, there is a possibility with the product tearing due to breakdown during excessive usage. This will be determined in 6-12 months. I will re-review at that time. Currently our basement gym gets used daily (by my husband…not me). I will be curious to see how the product actually holds up over time. Will re-assess in 6-12 months.
Other Uses for this Flooring
This product is recommended for indoor use. There are other similar products available for indoor/outdoor use. Some other uses for this flooring are:
- Dog crate
- Play room
- Office
- Garage
- Shed
- Sound dampening
- Vehicle bed liner
- Ice Shanty (thinking of my Michigander friends & Tip Up Town)
- Deer Condo (again for my MI peeps)