A workshop floor is essential to any workspace. Workshops are the cornerstone of modern manufacturing. Most of the things we own were made in workshops, so it’s no surprise that companies invest so much into having efficient workshops. But, one thing that many business owners overlook is the importance of a quality industrial flooring. And it’s not just business owners. The DIY workshop-enthusiast often forgets that the quality of her workshop floor matters just as much as the quality of her tools and other accessories. At Rubber-Cal, we can say with confidence that—when it comes to floor mats—industrial matting made of rubber is your best option. A workshop floor is often made of harder materials, such as concrete. The problem with these types of floors, though, is that they often pose health hazards, damage equipment, and are themselves susceptible to damage. Rubber industrial flooring possesses qualities that combat these problems. In this article, we’ll start by outlining the benefits of rubber work floor mats. Then, we’ll dive in detail into each of these benefits, giving you a comprehensive understanding of rubber industrial flooring by answering the following questions:

• Is a rubber workshop floor a safe surface?
• What flooring Is used in heavy-duty areas?
• What’s the best flooring to put in a garage?
• What type of flooring is best for workshop?

“Corrugated Wide Rib” Rubber Runner Mats

When it comes to safety, an industrial rubber floor prevents many hazards from becoming actual injury. The most common example of a hazard on a workshop floor is when water spilled, and the floor becomes slippery. Workers often continue working in their workshops despite the slippery conditions. This can have devastating consequences. If a worker loses his footing and falls, you’re out of a worker, and you’re facing costly legal fees. Rubber workshop flooring significantly reduces the risk of accidental slipping and falling, and this benefit is just the first of many that we’ll discuss. Secondly, rubber workbench mats are well suited for specialized equipment flooring because they protect equipment from the potential damages incurred by rumbling against hard surfaces. This even applies to equipment like treadmills. Over time, unprotected contact between a treadmill and a hard floor will slowly damage the treadmill, noticeably shortening your equipment’s lifespan. The final benefit of an industrial rubber mat that we’ll discuss is that it protects your subflooring from damage. All-encompassing industrial rubber matting, when installed over a workshop’s surface, protects the subflooring from being damaged by falling heavy objects. Rubber acts as a barrier guarding its expensive subflooring underneath. As you can see, rubber work mats and other types of industrial rubber flooring can offer you many benefits. In detail, here are the three key advantages that we feel embody rubber’s usefulness:

Is a Rubber Workshop Floor a Safe Surface?

People define safety in different ways. When it comes to rubber floors, industrial safety can be seen in two ways. First, worker safety from slip-and-fall accidents is the most obvious. Because most hard floors become slippery when they are wet, preventative measures against slip-and-fall accidents are of utmost importance—especially in workspaces where excess moisture is commonplace. Many work environments—particularly workshop—often deal with liquid spills and leftover residue. So, when looking to enhance the safety of your workshop floor, rubber industrial mats—such as a diamond-plate mat or ribbed rubber matting—should be your primary consideration.

While preventing slip-and-fall accidents is a good way to view safety, another way of looking at the same issue is through a broader lens. Long-term discomfort can be damaging to the body, and hard floors are uncomfortable to stand on for long periods of time. On places like a workshop floor, workers often stand for their entire shifts, causing bodily fatigue that accumulates over time and wears them down. Thus, worker comfort has become an increasingly important aspect of a business’s concerns over the years. By now, we like to think of it as an essential aspect of working—regardless of whether it’s an office job or one that requires you to stand at a workstation all day. Industrial anti-fatigue floor mats are typically made of rubber, given that rubber’s shock-absorbing and elastic properties make it an ideal anti-fatiguing material. Thus, installing rubber work mats over your workshop floor and your workers more comfortable, which oftentimes leads to a more productive workforce. Conversely, without industrial anti-fatigue floor mats, you put the worker at a much higher risk for problems such as:

• Chronic pain, which could eventually result in long-term disability
• Slouching, which often is often caused by the inability to maintain a “neutral spine.” Deviations from the “neutral spine” position can be caused by the worker’s shifting weight to alleviate pain and strain or by his leaning forward from muscle and joint fatigue.
• Varicose veins, which is caused by veins becoming distended. This can cause your valves to function improperly.
• Joint compression, which can negatively affect a worker’s feet, ankles, legs, knees, and back.

Rubber, according to Craig Freudenrich, PhD., “is a specific type of polymer called an elastomer: a large molecule that can be stretched to at least twice its original length and returned to its original shape.” This happens because of a phenomenon called entropy and an important law of physics called the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Now, this may sound confusing, but we won’t bore you with the minutia. Simply put, when rubber is left at rest, its atomic composition is in a state disorder (or entropy). When it is stretched, its composition is altered. But once the stretching force is removed, rubber will naturally return to its original form. Imagine a rubber band. When you stretch it, you force the atomic links to straighten and tense. But when you release the rubber band, it springs back into its original shape. Because industrial rubber matting is able to stretch under the weight of foot traffic, it’s far more supportive to the body than a hard floor like concrete is.

What Flooring Is Used in Heavy-Duty Areas?

That flooring that is used in heavy-duty areas is rubber flooring. Rubber’s inherent qualities make it the ideal material for flooring in heavy-duty locations. Rubber’s elasticity, which makes it a great anti-fatiguing material, is the same reason for why rubber industrial flooring is an excellent surface for expensive and heavy-duty equipment. Because rubber naturally absorbs shock, industrial rubber tiles absorb the rumbling of heavy machinery, reducing the chance that the machine’s movements damage your subflooring or the machine itself. Think of industrial-sized washes and driers—with those giant drums spinning at ludicrous speeds. Machines like these shake when they operate, banging against any hard subflooring below. Over time, the structures within these machines can accumulate minute damage, thereby shortening their overall lifespans. In this vein, you should also consider the health of your subfloors. Constant abrasive contact between hard floors and heavy equipment can damage your flooring, too. Scratches, chips, and scratches happen regularly to floors like concrete. But, this isn’t an inevitability. Rubber equipment flooring will offer you anti-vibration qualities that protect your equipment and subfloors. Plus, everything will run quieter—which is always a good thing.

What’s the Best Flooring to Put in a Garage?

The best flooring to put in a garage is rubber flooring. Rubber flooring is the best option for a garage’s floor because of rubber’s durability, affordability, and DIY-friendliness. Whether you’re using individual work mats or if you need a fully covered floor, a rubber industrial floor covering is available in many styles; all of which are easy to install yourself. Little technical knowledge is required to set up your new rubberized workshop floor. Because most rubber products—such as stud rubber flooring, rubber coin-flooring, and “diamond” floor pads—stay in place under their own weight, the business owner and the DIY enthusiast both avoid professional installation fees by using rubber industrial flooring.

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