When you’re building an outdoor gym flooring is the biggest consideration. Rubber tiles offer excellent performance but it’s important to choose the right tile. In this guide, we’ll discuss what to look for and why we recommend SPORTEC® UNI Outdoor.
Can rubber gym flooring be used outside?
Yes! Rubber gym flooring can be used outside, but you should ideally use rubber flooring that is designed for outdoor installations.
Outdoor gym tiles have enhanced protection against:
- Mould
- UV light
- Abrasion
- Impacts
- Wet weather
- Scoring and pitting
While you could use any rubber tiles to create an outdoor gym there are gym tiles made specifically for outdoor applications. We recommend using these specialised tiles because they perform significantly better outdoors.
A good product we use is SPORTEC® UNI Outdoor. SPORTEC® UNI Outdoor tiles offer the same user feedback as the SPORTEC indoor tile range but are made from a denser rubber with a special binder for all-weather performance.
Outdoor rubber tile performance characteristics
Outdoor rubber gym tiles have a similar feel underfoot to indoor tiles but there are significant differences in how they wear.
Outdoor tiles are tougher and more durable. The denser rubber offers better abrasion resistance, which is important because stones and debris will inevitably gather on the tiles.
The denser rubber also flexes less in extreme temperatures, and it isn’t affected by temperature fluctuations. You can use outdoor rubber gym tiles in tropical climates and dry, arid climates without any difference in performance.
Outdoor gym tiles can also sometimes have enhanced UV protection to stop the colours from fading. This is important in sunny climates.
Grip and safety
The coarse granular structure of outdoor rubber gym tiles is perfect for safety because it provides outstanding grip. The surface beds into trainers with no slippage even in wet and slippery conditions. This improves safety and user confidence.
SPORTEC® UNI Outdoor tiles are fast drying due to their open-pored structure and the EPDM top layer provides robust weather protection.
The tiles are simply installed loose over the subfloor – there’s no glue required. We can install them with our without underlay to suit your requirements. It could be that you are designing a gym that will also be used by children, in which case an underlay is essential.
We offer a variety of colours so you can create a personalised floor design that matches your branding. Get in touch with us to find out more.