The proliferation of personal training and boutique studios in urban centres has increased the number of clients searching for flooring with acoustic properties that enable activity without disturbing the neighbours.

In search of maximum insulation, we’ve focused our efforts over the last few years on creating two simple and clever acoustic solutions that offer an alternative to our Confortsonic insulating system. These solutions, which we launched in April at FIBO 2022, consist of one-layer and two-layer flooring which is easy to install, with a high durability and impact absorption capacity, and which offer up to 28.3 dB of noise reduction.

At Paviflex, we’re continually carrying out tests and trials with new materials and formulations that provide our ultra-compact rubber and EVA flooring with better acoustic capabilities. We work on both the joins of the tiles, as well as their thickness and density, to achieve better results and solutions for our clients all over the world.

Flooring underpins and plays an active role in the entire workout, with the right choice of flooring making a workout more enjoyable, more impactful, not to mention safer and better for the body.

We have some exciting new launches from our partner Ecore with Ebb and Flow flooring combining all the benefits of traditional gym flooring – durability, safety, acoustics and so on – with a woven vinyl surface layer for a sophisticated aesthetic. It’s made using reclaimed rubber for eco-friendliness and is available in a range of colours.

Meanwhile, Ecore’s new Performance flooring is engineered to meet the demands of a wide range of athletic activities: eight variants allow you to match flooring with workout style, from light strength and conditioning to extreme strength and Olympic-style lifting.

photo: GYM GEAR

We’re increasingly seeing our customers aware of the impact the right combination of flooring can have on the look and feel of a gym, as well as the added benefit of the protection it gives to the sub-floor together with the positive impact on a gym’s acoustics.

The Gym Gear team recently completed a full refurbishment project for Brio Leisure, at their Northwich Memorial Court site. The leisure centre required an increased floor area for the free weights, functional training and HIIT spaces. For this project we used a combination of shock pad underlay to manage the vibration and acoustics, covered with our premium rubber tiles and turf tiles. The turf tiles are rubber tiles with a thick pile artificial grass surface, which is perfect for functional training areas where sleds may be used.

We also combined our turf tiles with a contrasting black sprint track for visual effect. The free weights area features our premium EPDM topped rubber tiles, which were used to protect the sub-floor from any dropped weights. Oak lifting platform inserts were embedded into the rubber flooring to provide a seamless floor level, and create better space efficiency around the half racks. The result is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also means there’s less of a potential trip hazard.