Visual representation of product rating from review using stars
Solid flooring for home gym
Verified Purchase
Self-installed in
Self-installed with box cutter, ruler, and hammer
AL
from
Loudoun County, VA
wrote...
I do recommend the Dura Lock Rubber Tiles from Rubber Flooring Inc. (RFI). Even though I did not order a sample, between their website and those of their competitors, I was able to obtain a good perspective on the product. Having evaluated a half-dozen online companies, RFI had the most reasonable price and availability for my budget. Please read on for further details on my experience with order/delivery, product usage, assembly, and best practice suggestions. ORDER & DELIVERY Ordered forty-five 3/4″ Dura Lock Tile tiles on Tue, 11/24 and received via LTL freight on Tue, 12/15. Your personal experience may vary but my delivery guy was kind enough to offload the pallet of tiles directly into my garage. Individual tiles are easy to transport but do weigh approximately 20 pounds each. FOR CONTEXT The 3/4″ tiles were ordered to support a basement home gym project in a 12' x 16' space. The rubber tiles would be sitting on top of 1/4″ vinyl plank flooring. The flooring had to support the lifting and dropping of free weights onto the floor as well as an 800+ pound weight rack. I ordered knowing that I would have to make cuts to some of my tiles to accommodate the layout of my room. THE BUILD I could not complete my flooring until 14-days after receiving delivery of the tiles (please see the ″RUBBER SMELL″ section below for more details). After organizing the tiles in rows and stacks, it took me several hours to completely lay down all the tiles and another day for them to completely ″settle down″. The interlocking tiles all fit together nicely without any significant gaps, grooves, or humps that would pose a tripping hazard. RUBBER SMELL (i.e. off-gassing) The rubber tiles did have a very strong and heavy rubber smell. Due to inclement weather and lack of outdoor space, I had to store my rubber tiles in the basement room for my home gym. After separating all the tiles to expose as much surface material on all tiles, I had to run two fans and two air purifiers 24-hours a day for 2-weeks to help dissipate the smell. After 14-days, there is still a rubber smell but quite faint and bearable for my family and I. BEST PRACTICES This is pretty obvious but do measure the space for the tiles to ensure you order the correct number and type of tiles. If you experience strong and heavy off-gassing, I do recommend separating all the tiles and lay them out in an open area that has a strong circulation of fresh air and direct access to the sun. Do keep a box cutter (with multiple sharp blades) available and measure carefully before cutting. If making cuts to your tiles, having a T-ruler to make your measurements and guide your cuts would be helpful. A rubber mallet or just a hammer to make sure the interlocking pieces come together and lay flat was a plus for me. Keep a portable vacuum around because the tiles will produce some small crumbs during the installation process. For cleaning, I've been using S!MPL3 GR33N from my local hardware store without any issues and damage to the tiles. If your order size requires delivery of the product on a pallet, please clear enough space on your property to receive the order and/or make it easy to transport the tiles to their final destination. I hope this review helps anyone looking at purchasing and installing the Dura Lock Rubber tiles.