Recently we had a question on our rubber and foam flooring blog from a consumer looking to put either type of flooring in their home gym. Below is the question from the flooring consumer followed by a detailed answer about rubber and foam from Rich Meyer of MyGymFloor.com.

Question from rubber and foam flooring consumer:

Will either rubber or EVA foam flooring placed on hardwood floors for a home gym cause discoloration in the hardwood? Which is a better alternative?

I'd like to purchase interlocking tiles for a home gym where I have an elliptical and weights, but don't want my hardwood floors to discolor from the tiles being unbreathable, etc.

Answer from Rich Meyer of MyGymFloor.com:

That is a great question. The staining and tackiness that can occur to hardwood floors when some types of rubber and foam flooring are placed over the hardwood is called plasticizer migration. Plasicizers are compounds that are used to increase the flexibility of rubber and vinyl floors . Most types of inexpensive recycled rubber flooring sold through mass retailers use low grade compounds that cannot be revulcanized and must be bound together with urethane fillers. These types of rubber and foam tiles will frequently cause staining on hardwood floors.

Recycled rubber flooring that is manufactured from a more homogeneous mix of rubber and as a result can be revulcanized is more expensive flooring option to consumers, but will generally not stain hardwood floors.

The best choice is closed cell virgin rubber tiles which are manufactured using premium, non–recycled compounds and will not cause the staining of hardwood floors. Virgin rubber also has higher physical property characteristics than recycled rubber and will provide greater resiliency over time and greater protection to expensive hardwood flooring over time.

Closed cell EVA foams tiles are non staining but are lightweight and will provide minimal protection to hardwood floors from damage from weights and equipment.