The Best Type Of Gym Flooring To Lay Over Carpet

Imagine stepping into your home gym, ready for an intense workout session. But wait, you’re standing on carpet. Shouldn’t that be enough? Unfortunately, using carpet as gym flooring is not the best idea. While it may provide some protection for your equipment and dampen noise, it falls short in many other areas. Laying gym flooring on top of the carpet is a great solution but which type is best?

Thick rubber mats are the best type of gym flooring to put on top of carpet. Rubber mats are heavy and inflexible enough to compress the carpet underneath to provide a stable base while still protecting the carpet. Rubber gym mats at least ½” thick work best for over carpet.

Key Takeaways:

• Gym flooring offers a practical and efficient solution for setting up a home gym on carpeted floors.
• It provides stability, safety, and comfort during workouts, minimizing the risk of injuries.
• Different types of gym flooring, such as rubber and foam, have their own pros and cons.
• Plush and low-pile carpets have different characteristics that should be considered when choosing gym flooring.
• Proper installation techniques and materials are crucial to avoid any damage to the underlying carpet.
• Gym flooring over carpet is suitable for various exercises, including high-impact activities.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of thick rubber mats as the ideal gym flooring for carpeted spaces. These heavy and inflexible mats compress the carpet underneath, providing a stable base while still protecting it. Rubber gym mats, preferably at least ½” thick, offer the perfect combination of durability, floor protection, grip, cleanliness, and noise reduction.

If you’re looking for good fitness flooring, here are the best options for different situations. Or just buy the best overall gym flooring you can see below.

Do You Need Gym Flooring Over Carpet?

Do you need to have gym flooring if the room is already covered in carpet? Can’t you just put the gym equipment and work out on the carpet?

Carpet is not a good substitute for gym flooring. Carpet is hard to clean and keep hygienic especially when sweating a lot. Gym flooring is easier to keep clean, provides more grip and protection for your equipment. Using carpet as gym flooring will destroy the carpet.

Gym flooring should do a few things;

• Durable
• Protects floor underneath
• Protect equipment
• Provide good grip
• Non-absorbent
• Easy to clean
• Dampens noise

Carpet does quite a few of those things: It protects your equipment, it is often reasonably grippy and it dampens noise. However, it fails horribly on some other points: Carpet absorbs all liquids, it’s hard to clean, and it isn’t durable once you start weightlifting or working out on it.

Suggested: Gym flooring: What do you need?

If you just place gym equipment on top of carpet, the carpet will be torn up quickly and the sweat from your workouts gets absorbed and provides a great place for bacteria and mold to grow. And when your sweat gets in there, it’s hard to clean up. Carpet can also shorten the lifespan of several pieces of gym equipment, especially cardio equipment like treadmills and ellipticals.

So it’s safe to say putting a gym flooring on carpet is a good idea. It will save your carpet and therefore money in the long run.

You can find more about the different types of gym flooring in this article.

What type of gym flooring over carpet?

The best type of gym flooring to lay over carpet is large rubber mats at least ¼”, preferably ½” thick. This type protects the carpet underneath from sweat and cleaning water while also providing a stable base to lift from.

You want something that minimizes all the downsides of having a gym on carpet. You can see those problems above. So what type of gym flooring is best at that?

One of the biggest things is the hygiene. That means you want something that’s easy to clean. But on top of that, you want the fewest number of seams.

No matter how water proof and non-absorbent the flooring is, the seams are where sweat and other liquids can still get through to the carpet underneath. So what you want is large mats of a non-absorbent material.

Also, the material should be relatively stiff. All gym flooring is flexible to some degree but because the carpets underneath will already provide some squish, a harder gym flooring is OK. You don’t want to stack soft on top of soft because it will feel to mushy to walk and lift on. The floor underneath you should provide support and not be made of pillows.

It should also be durable, protect the carpet underneath, dampen noise and preferably look good. Put all of those characteristics together mean that rubber mats are the best option. Rubber mats can be bought in large mats, is pretty easy to lay down, protects the carpet, is easy to clean and some of them look great.

Rubber gym flooring is also available in tile form. Those are good if you’ve got a hard floor underneath that doesn’t flex. However, carpet will still move a little bit which means the seams between the tiles can open up. Also, there are just a lot of seams to begin with. That means mats are a much better option.

Foam tiles are too soft and absorb liquids. They are OK in some cases and are cheap but they aren’t any good to lay over carpet.

Can Gym Flooring Be Installed Over Carpet?

One of the most common questions that arise when considering gym flooring over carpet is whether it’s possible to install it without damaging the carpet or compromising the overall stability.

It’s absolutely possible to lay workout flooring over carpet as long as you use the right materials. Some awareness of the types of carpet, firmness of the flooring, and what kind of activities you’re going to perform on top are also necessary. We’ll get into that below.

If done right, you’ll get a workout floor that provides stability, impact resistance, noise damping, and easy cleaning while simultaneously protecting the carpet underneath.

As with any decision, there are pros and cons to consider when using gym flooring over carpet. Let’s take a closer look at some of the advantages and disadvantages:

Pros of Gym Flooring Over Carpet:

• Enhanced stability and safety during workouts.
• Provides cushioning and shock absorption for improved joint protection.
• Creates a designated exercise area, separating it from other living spaces.
• Easy installation
• Easy cleaning
• Protects the carpet

Cons of Gym Flooring Over Carpet:

• Potential for slight movement or shifting of gym flooring during intense workouts.
• Could compress the carpet underneath. This usually bounces back when removed.

Now that you understand the benefits of gym flooring over carpet and have an overview of the pros and cons, let’s dive deeper into the different types of gym flooring available for your home gym. Each

Gym Flooring Over Plush vs. Low Pile Carpet

When considering gym flooring over carpet, it’s important to understand the differences between plush and low-pile carpets.

Plush Carpet:

Plush carpet, also known as high pile carpet, has a soft and deep texture with longer fibers. Here are the considerations to keep in mind when selecting gym flooring for plush carpet:

1. Flooring Stability: Plush carpet tends to have more cushioning and a less stable surface compared to low pile carpet. When choosing gym flooring, opt for options that provide better stability and minimize the potential for sinking or shifting. Thicker rubber rolls or tiles are heavier and so compress the fibres of the carpet more. This removes the excess flexibility you don’t want. After removing the flooring, the carpet will probably bounce back but not always.
2. Indentation Resistance: Plush carpet is more prone to showing indentations from heavy equipment and high-impact exercises. Look for gym flooring with sufficient thickness and density that can distribute the weight and minimize the risk of permanent indentations in the carpet. However, that heavier weight might permanently compress the carpet.

Low Pile Carpet:

Low pile carpet, also known as flat carpet or short pile carpet, has shorter and denser fibers. When it comes to gym flooring over low pile carpet, these factors come into play:

1. Flooring Stability: Low pile carpet offers a more stable surface compared to plush carpet. However, it may still have some slight give. Opt for gym flooring options that provide good stability and a secure grip on low pile carpet. Since low pile carpet is inherently firmer, you can get away with thinner gym floorings.
2. Impact Absorption: Low pile carpet provides better support for heavy equipment and high-impact exercises compared to plush carpet. However, additional shock absorption provided by gym flooring can further protect your joints and minimize the stress on the carpet. Look for gym flooring with appropriate thickness and impact absorption properties for added comfort and protection.
3. Carpet Protection: While low pile carpet is generally more durable, it is still susceptible to damage from heavy equipment or constant foot traffic. You want the gym flooring to stay in place and not move with every jump or step. This can cause abrasion damage on the carpet.

So, what does that really mean? If you have high pile carpet, use thick, heavy gym flooring, preferably rubber. However, that might leave the carpet underneath compressed. Over time it will bounce back to some degree but maybe not all the way depending on how heavy the gym floor was and how long it was on top of the carpet. However, it will be uniform.

Short pile carpet provides a more stable base to begin with so you don’t need the gym flooring to be as thick or heavy. Any denting or compressing will bounce back better and be less noticeable.

You might want to consider removing plush carpets and just use gym flooring over concrete to keep the carpet safe.

Extra stability

If you’ve got very thick and soft carpet you want to put your gym flooring on, it can still feel a bit mushy. If the underlay is just too soft, the gym flooring can sink down a little when you step on it.

In most cases the carpet will compress a little over time and this will be reduced. However, in some cases, this is still not going to be enough. Gym flooring should be slightly flexible and have some give but definitely not feel soft.

If the flooring is too mushy and you sink your feet in it while stepping on it, there are a few things you can do;

• Get thicker/stiffer gym flooring
• Put a sheet of plywood between the carpet and gym flooring

Thicker rubber is stiffer and heavier. The extra weight means the carpet underneath gets compressed more and faster. In most cases that alone is going to make a big difference. Soft carpet is mushy but also compresses easily. So extra weight is going to make a big difference. Going from 3/16” to ½” rubber mats is a huge difference. It’ll easily weigh twice as much just because there is more material.

Besides the weight, thicker rubber mats are also stiffer. That means even if the carpet underneath was just as fluffy as with a lighter mat, you would sink into it less because the mat is just less flexible.

That means the deflection in the mat is going to be spread out over a bigger area which feels better. However, combine this with the heavier weight and therefore the carpet is more compressed already, the feeling is much better.

Go for rubber mats at least ½” thick if you think this is going to be a problem. ½” is going to be relatively easy to find. Thicker than that does exist but it’s a bit more difficult to find in big sizes. Usually the really thick mats are smaller. That’s not too big of a problem but it means you’ll have a few more seams in your home gym.

If you want to completely eliminate any softness from the carpet underneath, you can simply cover the carpet with a sheet of plywood and then lay (thin) rubber mats on top. You can choose to only to this places where you lift weights. That’s where the flex in the flooring is the most detrimental after all.

The gym mats you can see below, are available in many different thicknesses and sizes.

Factors For Choosing The Right Gym Flooring Over Carpet

When selecting gym flooring to lay over carpet, there are specific considerations to keep in mind to ensure a successful and effective setup. Let’s explore these considerations in detail:

1. Stability and Flatness: The gym flooring you choose should provide stability and maintain a flat surface over your carpet. Look for flooring options that have a sturdy construction and offer features like heavy interlocking tiles or heavy mats.

This will prevent the flooring from shifting or buckling during workouts, ensuring a safe and stable exercise environment. The weight compresses the carpet so there is less room for the floor to move. Also lay the flooring from wall to wall so it can’t move around as much.

2. Thickness and Impact Absorption: Opt for gym flooring with adequate thickness and impact absorption properties. Thicker flooring will help distribute the weight of equipment and absorb the impact of exercises, protecting both the carpet and your joints. Plusher carpets require heavier or stiffer gym flooring to reduce movement.

3. Weight/Firmness: This is similar to the first two points but it’s worth driving home. Heavier and stiffer gym flooring is good for over carpet since carpet is already a bit soft. Heavier flooring will compress the carpet to create a more stable surface. heavier flooring will also be inherently stiffer

4. Carpet Protection: The primary purpose of gym flooring over carpet is to protect the underlying carpet from damage caused by heavy equipment, foot traffic, and workout routines.

Choose flooring options that have protective features like non-slip surfaces and sufficient thickness to prevent indentations or tears in the carpet.

5. Moisture Resistance: Moisture can seep through the seams in the gym flooring and damage both the carpet and the flooring underneath. Rolls have fewer seams than tiles. If you really want to use tiles, be aware the spills and using excessive water when cleaning can leak through to the carpet and cause stains. Rubber and PVC are generally water-resistant. Foam is not.

6. Noise Reduction: Carpet already dampens a bit of noise, especially if there’s an underlay under it. Rubber and foam gym flooring reduces even more noise and vibrations. The thicker it is, the more it will dampen but also the heavier and more expensive it becomes.

Since carpet already dampens some noise, you can use thinner gym flooring than you usually would. Or enjoy the extra quietness.

7. Ease of Installation and Removal: Choose gym flooring that is easy to install and remove, especially if you plan to rearrange or relocate your home gym in the future. Using flooring that doesn’t have to be taped/glued down is preferable, especially since that would damage the carpet in the first place.

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