Though there are many different types of rubber floors to choose from, recycled flooring is the go-to choice for nearly every application. Reclaimed and recycled flooring options offer intense durability, comfort, and even outdoor weather resistance—all at an affordable price. This is why you will often see recycled rubber floors installed everywhere from commercial gyms to hospitals, restaurants, and retail stores. Recycled flooring is extremely versatile and has a positive impact on the environment, so naturally it has earned its place as one of the best-selling alternative flooring options on the market today. Whether your application is industrial, commercial, or even residential, chances are high that recycled rubber floors will be a perfect fit for your needs.

There are several reasons to love recycled rubber floors, but the most significant is the material’s strength and durability. This is because the rubber used in reclaimed and recycled flooring comes from discarded vehicle tires. Car tires are durable by nature; they are designed to handle extremely rough conditions, whether that means a gravelly road, a dust storm, or pouring rain. Tires contain high amounts of SBR and EPDM rubber, which make the material perfect for high-quality alternative flooring. The durable rubber compound demonstrates excellent resistances to abrasions, impacts, moisture, ozone, and UV rays, so recycled rubber floors can be safely installed in either indoor or outdoor application. Recycled flooring cannot be damaged or discolored from the effects of weather, and the durable nature of its surface ensures a long lifespan when it is installed outdoors.

Recycled flooring is highly resilient and ideal for physically demanding application. Whether your alternative flooring has a thin 1/8-inch gauge or a heavy-duty 1/4-inch, you can expect recycled rubber floors to provide a good level of protection. As common sense suggests, a thicker floor will provide greater protection for both your sensitive sub-floors and anyone that walks across the recycled floors.

Rubber absorbs shock and distributes the movement evenly across the eco-friendly floor. As the movement of impacts, abrasions, and vibrations moves through the dense material, they are significantly reduced before reaching the other side. As a result, many potentially harmful movements do not reach sub-surfaces at all, and if they do they are likely reduced to the point of harmlessness. The recycled flooring acts as a protective barrier or shield, taking on the abuse of workouts, foot traffic, of heavy machinery so that sensitive sub-floors can remain pristine and unharmed. This powerful protection is why recycled mats and temporary flooring are popular as well. Installations never have to be permanent; a durable eco-friendly floor or recycled flooring mat is the perfect solution to provide protection in a specific spot or for a brief amount of time.

Recycled flooring does not only protect sub-surfaces—it protects people, as well! Recycled rubber floors are a popular choice in every commercial location from gyms to restaurants, and that is with good reason. Rubber is very elastic by nature, and recycled flooring is able to provide cushioning around any weight that is placed on top of it. Some varieties of recycled rubber floors have low-end durometers, which means they are softer and more pliable than alternatives. These types of alternative flooring lessen the force of impacts and relieve unnecessary pressure from over-stressed joints and muscles. When someone walks, runs, jumps, or engages in a vigorous workout atop recycled floors, their feet, legs, and lower backs will experience significantly less pressure compared to more traditional flooring types. The recycled flooring is able to prevent fatigue while simultaneously preventing the long-term injuries that often develop due to spending time on harder floors. Since rubber is so forgiving, even falling is safer when it’s on recycled rubber floors.

Another great safety feature of rubber flooring is its natural slip-resistance. Some recycled flooring options feature surface textures to prevent slips, but even smooth-surfaced alternative flooring will demonstrate an element of natural grip. This is all thanks to rubber’s high coefficient of friction, which helps the material “push back” against any feet, shoes, bodies, or furniture that push against its surface. This high friction is perfect to prevent slips, even when the recycled flooring is slick with moisture. This unique quality has made reclaimed and recycled rubber floors the top-choice for locations that experience high volumes of foot traffic, especially those that are located outdoors.

Recycled rubber floors are also very easy to install! Though it is already an affordable choice, recycled flooring is designed for quick and easy, Do-It-Yourself installations. Installation services can prove themselves very pricey, but installing a DIY eco-friendly floor lets you keep your money in your wallet and all of the control in your own hands. You will find that there are many different kinds of recycled floors to choose from, but all will come as either interlocking tiles or rolled mats.

Interlocking tiles are a modular type of recycled flooring that easily connect together with either perforated edges or small connector pins. Each tile connects to another at the edge to create a flooring of any necessary size. Modular floors are installed floating, or without adhesives, because the tiles hold each other in place. To install a modular alternative flooring, simply connect enough tiles to cover the desired space, and carefully set the rubber floor in place. Installation of recycled mats usually requires adhesive, but it is still incredibly easy! All you have to do is roll out the recycled flooring and secure it over the sub-floors with double-sided carpet tape. This type of installation even works for outdoor applications and temporary use. Double-sided carpet tape provides secure installation, but it can easily be pulled up without causing damage to the recycled mats or the sub-floor beneath them.

Wherever your priorities are, you can probably find what you’re looking for in high-quality reclaimed or recycled rubber floors. Not only is recycled flooring eco-friendly and affordable, but it is also one of the most durable and weather-resistant flooring options on the market today. Increase safety wherever you need to and take control into your own hands when you install recycled flooring.