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Heated exercise room suffer extremes of temperature and humidity. You need a flooring surface that is kind to the feet but will not be effected by moisture and heat, and not provide a home for mold growth. Exercise rooms need to dry out at night otherwise it can become contaminated with diseases such as legionnares. On this page we will look at the pros and cons of each option. For good sources of each, see our resources section.

Bare concrete

If your space has a bare concrete floor, concrete stain is a cost effective and attractve method to transform bare concrete to a beautiful floor finish. Concrete is suitable for warm climates. In a climate with cold winters, concrete loses heat to the outside environment very easily. However, in a climate with warm winters, concrete can function effectively.

The photo above shows a stained concrete floor
in a S. Miami yoga studio. It has the appearance of ceramic tile.

Wood Flooring

Wood flooring is not a good choice for heated exercise rooms. Even pergo and other wood laminate forms of flooring have cracks and joints where moisture can penetrate. The cracks and joints inherent in wood flooring provide entrances for moisture and a home for mold growth. When the floor is walked on, spores shoot up from between the seams and contaminate the air. When perspiration contacts the wood finish, it can degrade the finish, even if the finish is polyurethane. This will result in cupping of the floorboards and with time, deterioration of the surface.

Carpet

Heated exercise rooms suffer extremes of temperature and humidity. The best surface found up to this point is unpadded carpet. The most suitable carpet is a commercial grade 30 oz. cut fiber olifin or nylon carpet. It is preferable to get it with water resistant coating on the weave of the fiber, often called sanitary or unilock backing. The coating protects the adhesive from moisture generated by perspiration which will degrade carpet adhesive.

Cut fiber carpet is easier to clean than loop carpet, as loop carpet is tough to clean when contaminents become embedded in the loop.

There are higher tech carpets with antimicrobial carpet matting. A pvc product called PEM---Poly Extruded Matting is available through www.yogaflooring.com. This product is guaranteed to last in a hot yoga room for 10 years, and with proper care can last much longer. You will save money on steam cleaning carpets as frequently, and it will contribute to a much healthier environment in the yoga room.

Cork flooring

Cork flooring has recently become available as a tile or sheet product. The most important consideration with cork is the moisture content of the floor on which the cork is to be applied. Cork flooring will not bond to a damp surface. Do not use it for wet areas. Cork has the advantage of being anti fungal and anti microbial. It is soft on the feet. But it is very susceptible to bubbling as the polyurethane finish you must apply can deteriorate from perspiration, and moisture can get under the cork in a room with high heat and humidity. If you are in Canada, check out the following excellent resource for cork flooring: Interiors Only.

Vinyl Composition Tile

Available in a tremendous selection of patterns and colors, vinyl composition tile is a good, low-cost material for use in all areas of a facility and is very easy to keep clean when waxed and buffed. It is easily installed over most materials and will outperform most other options.

Rubber flooring

New forms of rubber flooring have come to market which are softer than VCT and have excellent wear resistance.

Home Depot is an excellent place to start looking at flooring options.

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