Rubber is a valuable component of numerous products used in people's everyday life. And how could it not be with so many unique properties? Rubber is bouncy, tough, resistant to water and chemicals, elastic and much more. It has found its use in diverse fields such as transportation, material handling, health care, sport and leisure activities, flooring, etc. Actually, rubber floors are gaining its popularity and becoming leading flooring solution around the world.

Uses

Rubber flooring is mostly used for commercial, high traffic environments – such as shopping malls, department stores, hospitals, gyms, professional children playgrounds and other public areas. But lately, many homeowners are choosing rubber floors for their residential homes. You can find them on the market in three common types – tiles, sheets and mats.
Due to its durability, you can plan to use it in the areas such as home gyms, kids playground corners, laundry rooms, basements and utility spaces.

Pros & Cons


Despite many advantages, rubber floors have few drawbacks that are important to understand before you go shopping for a perfect flooring. Some advantages of rubber floors are:

  • Recyclable. Rubber is a natural material diverted from the rubber tree. Rubber floors might also be synthetically made from various petroleum-based monomers. However, it's recyclable and regularly reused for different purposes.
  • Anti-fatigue. Both natural and rubber vinyl flooring have anti-fatigue properties because of its softness and ability to compress. It absorbs impact from footsteps and cushion joints when standing. In that way, it's greatly beneficial for your feet when you stand for an extended period of time. It can also help in the prevention of injuries, as it performs like a sponge.
  • Anti-bacterial. There is nothing in the rubber floor that can encourage the growth of bacteria – it depends on you and your cleaning regime.
  • Durability. Rubber floor is a type of resilient flooring which makes it a very durable surface.
  • Sound-absorbing. Rubber provides high sound absorption which is a perfect solution for a heavy foot traffic area. While not entirely soundproof, the rubber will greatly reduce the sound.
  • Slip resistance. By far, rubber floors exceed the minimum standard of the friction coefficient. That's why they are attractive floor option for healthcare and sports facilities.

The biggest disadvantages of rubber floors include:


  • Installation in larger areas can be time-consuming,
  • The floor might not be completely seamless and the water might go through from the subfloor,
  • When wet, rubber floors are slippery.

Design

For many years, rubber floors were only available in polished black and slate options, but those days are gone. Today, rubber flooring comes in various designs and wide colour palette. From bold orange or green to achromatic grey, this type of flooring has a variety of patterns that mimic natural stone, marble and wood.
Flooring texture is also highly developed, allowing you to choose from coin, leaf and even diamond-plate surface.

Installation

Rubber floors are easy to install – some come using interlocking edges, while others have edge pins responsible to hold the tiles together. You can cut this flooring material according to your needs and then install rubber floor accordingly.
Rubber tiles come also in a glue-down form, but that's a way harder to install alone without the help of a professional.
Most rubber floor options are resistant to moisture damage on both surfaces – the top and the bottom. However, in case you need to place it in a below-grade area like a basement, it's recommended to add a vapour barrier to prevent moisture from below. And some rubber floor options are treated by a manufacturer and are already suitable for wet environments.

Maintenance and Repair


Rubber floors are very easy to clean. It generally requires only a damp mop. For better results, once a week, you should vacuum it first to remove dirt and debris and then mob the floor. The safest option is to use water and a mild detergent.
In case you're using a cleaning product, you need to make sure your floor is approved for it. Many harsh detergents may damage some flooring.
Some types of rubber floors can be polished with wax to make it more resistant, but make sure you strip and reapplied wax when necessary ( it needs maintenance of its own).
There are few materials that can discolour the rubber floor surface such as strong detergents and abrasive cleaning liquids. Oils can also stained rubber floors – a reason any serious home chef should stop and consider before applying it in their kitchens. Cleaning up these spills quickly will protect your rubber floors and prevent stains.
So if you properly and carefully take care of your rubber floors, it may last up to 20 years.
Hence, once you consider the above characteristics it will be easier for you to make the right flooring decision.