Rubber flooring is the covering of floors using a rubber material, rubber floorings are available in a wide range of options from
- Rubber mats – these can be used as entrance/door mats or can be spread over a certain area indoors.
- Interlocking rubber tiles – these are mainly used for general flooring either indoors or outdoors
- PVC Rubber tiles these are have high similarities with the rubber interlocking tiles and they are also available as interlocking tiles.
- Rubber rolls – commonly used in gyms, hallways, schools etc. these are made from a heavy and more resilient material.
- Checkered rubber tiles – though no longer commonly the checkered surface provides extra grip and are a very good example of a slip resistant floor, this option is ideal for commercial gyms.
- There are other types of rubber flooring suitable for various purposes
Rubber flooring is slowly becoming popular and a choice of flooring especially for commercial areas with heavy usage such as Gyms, Garages, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Schools, Hospitals Playgrounds, and Auditoriums amongst other places.
The edge that rubber flooring has over other types of floorings is that it is versatile, easy to clean, resilient, durable, low water absorbent, shock and impact absorbent as well.
Rubber interlocking floor tiles and rubber rolls are the two most common type of rubber flooring used. These two types of rubber floorings are used almost everywhere be it at home, outdoors or in the commercial setup.
Though the benefits of using rubber floors are so overwhelming and tempting, there are two sides to every coin meaning to say rubber floorings has its drawbacks as well.
Rubber interlocking tiles and rubber rolls have got their major property similarities in the sense that they are both durable, resilient and easy to install. However, they do have their own disadvantages, here we will look at rubber flooring major disadvantages centering on the two common types of rubber floorings.
Disadvantages of Rubber Interlocking Tiles
- When new rubber they produce an unpleasant scent, and the smell can last for a couple of months, so when installing rubber floorings indoors especial at home it is of paramount importance to look for a less odor rubber material.
- Easy and fast to install the tiles on a small area, whereas it is time consuming to install them on a larger area.
- Though rubber is water proof, the seams on the interlocking rubber tiles allows water to flow through to the subfloors thereby compromising the quality of the subfloors.
- Though rubber cannot easily crack, it scratches easily anything sharp or point if dropped on the floors can scratch the flooring.
- Installing rubber flooring is cost effective and economic but the rubber flooring upfront cost is very high, good rubber quality and thickness is expensive.
- Rubber mats or tiles can be branded, and once they are customized they cannot be rebranded since the branding is inlaid permanently on them.
Disadvantages of Rubber Flooring
- Rubber rolls are not as easy to install, they require a bit of some expertise when installing them, and they also require adhesive when installing.
- Rubber rolls are heavy and hard which makes them a bit difficult to fabricate they tend to leave a rough edge after you cut them.
- Rubber rolls with untextured and have a smooth surface which makes it slippery when it is wet. Spills need to be urgently cleaned for safety reasons.
- Just like interlocking rubber tiles, rubber rolls also produce that unpleasant smell which can last between 6 – 12 weeks, which is a total put off for many making them prefer other types of flooring which are odorless like carpets and porcelain tiles
- Rubber rolls are not resistant to heat and fire, incases of fire rubber flooring easily burnt. The type adhesive used when installing rubber rolls also helps to fuel the fire as well.
- If a piece of rubber flooring is cut, this cannot be repaired but have to replace the entire roll
We are always at your service to assist you in any way regarding the best flooring option for you, contact us.
