gym floor install

[Curtis Farrar]

I am installing 4' X6' stall mats into my garage, but they don't seem to be quite square. In places, I have up to 1/4" gap running along part of the seams. I have a couple of questions. The first would be, is there some product that I could use like black silicon to fill these gaps? Also, should I use something like contact cement to affix the mats to the concrete floor?

[Nick Lavato]

All the mats I have are square...are you sure it's not the walls that are a little off? They really don't move, so you shouldn't need to secure them to the floor.

[Roger Smith]

My experience is a bit different. Mine do seem to move around a bit. Not enough to really bother me from a workout standpoint. Honestly, 1/4 inch isn't likely to affect anything workout wise. I'd just live with it. Fixing it is not going to be easy. If you use a filler, and the mats do move then you have a bigger mess. I'm not sure if mine move from working out or moving the car in and out. The thing is they don't move easy. Any glue you would use to keep them in place would have to be VERY strong. Strong enough that if you ever have to move them, for any reason, you would have a real problem on your hands...

[Ryan Saul]

I was recently involuntarily volunteered to help install a gym floor in Ft Myers a few weeks ago and it was a process. We used actual roll out rubber gym flooring so I am not sure if you will have the same problem with stall mats and I think they sound like they would actually hold better. We had to go down there to re-install a floor in which the glue wasn't holding. So we got some very strong, very expensive urethane flooring glue and had to peel up the mats and scrape the old glue off and the re-lay the mats on the new glue. This probably doesn't make any sense but what I am saying is that it would probably be best to use some sort of professional strength flooring glue. It will cost a little more up front but at least it will be one less thing to worry about. We got the glue at Lowes. Hopefully this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Ryan Saul
SunCoast CrossFit
www.suncoastcrossfit.com
ryan@suncoastcrossfit.com
727-239-1249

[Matt Thacker]

Curtis,

I am having the same problem. Many of my mats just arent sqaure. There are 1/4 inch gaps on the edges and they are flush in the middle. I have decided to just live with it but I don't like it. I bought my Stallmats from A.S. Websales and their brandname is Summitt protector.

Matt

[William Henniger]

Ahh the rubber flooring problem. We had to lay about 100 sheets in our place, they all weigh 100lbs/mat so glue really wasn't the issue. Here are a couple lessons learned:

1) Mats are all short of a 4X6 mat based on the factory saw cuts on all 4 sides, so you lose about 1/4" on each side

2) Used a piece of wood and mallet to beat every mat into place, basically to set it and get as much of the gaps out as possible

3) Used a drywall square and cut with a regular razor for a couple passes, then switched to a hawk nosed bladeto cut the piece off

4) When we set the o-lift platforms that is when we realized they were not the same width as the mats. So if you are staggering the mats, they will not fit together. There are a couple ways to skin that cat, either rip some width off the wood or cut the rubber matting at the edge of the platforms

5) We used gorilla glue to hold the o-lift platform edges flush with the matting. Holding strong still

6) It was nice in the summer, no gaps but now as it is getting colder our cutting errors are showing a little. That would be one reason to worry about glue, they almost need to be free floating

In short cutting rubber mats, sucks! For $22 bucks/sheet vs traditional matting, I guess it is worth it.

Hope that helps

Bill Henniger
Rogue Fitness - CrossFit Columbus
http://www.roguefitness.com
bill@roguefitness.com

[Ben Kaminski]

$22 per sheet? That is half the price I have always heard batted around, which is $45 for a 4x6 sheet. Is that accurate? If so it sounds like a great deal.

[William Henniger]

Ben,

The norm is around $35/sheet from most vendors for the pebbled surface mats.

If you search the Tractor Supply stores, you will get the best deal. Through a friend of a friend they gave us a bulk discount for around $21.90/sheet. Since you have been to our facility you have seen that they look different than most as well. They have the diamond plated surface.

We bought ours from the TSC in Marion, OH and one of the guys that hangs out there delivered them for $150(2 trips)

Bill
http://www.roguefitness.com

[Curtis Farrar]

First off, Thank you everyone for your responses!
Last night the temp dropped significantly, and the gaps have grown, the mats are definitely moving, so I am going to have to do something. Also, what I am seeing, is exactly opposite with what someone wrote, as mostly my mats meet at the corners, but gaps are in the middle. Not sure what I am going to do yet, but again thanks for all the responses.