Can One Floor Work for a Home Gym and a Dance Studio?
Related Product: Sport Plus Designer Foam Tile 10 mm x 2x2 Ft.
What to Use as Home Gym and Dance Flooring
When building a home studio and gym, it’s tempting to look for a dual-purpose floor that you can use for your workouts and your dance practice. As you explore multi-purpose flooring options, you’ll need to consider the following features.Support and Firmness
Your flooring needs to withstand and support different demands. A gym floor must sustain heavy gym workouts, meaning it needs significant strength to support weight and must be resilient enough to withstand repetitive movements that could damage other floors.
At the same time, that floor must also support delicate dance movements. It needs to provide optimal shock absorption for dancers, but your home gym dance floor also can’t be so forgiving that it doesn’t provide a supportive surface.
Durability
Gym and dance floors are exposed to different types of wear and tear, so you’ll need a floor that can withstand both types of use. Heavy machines and dumbbells can be damaging, so a gym floor needs to be strong and durable. Those products can quickly damage dance-friendly surfaces, which tend to be softer.
Texture
Even finding a floor with the right texture for dance and gym use is a challenge. Dancers require a highly specialized surface that has the right amount of “give” for dance without having too much traction, which could restrict movements. When you’re building a home gym, you’ll usually need much more traction to provide extra stability while doing floor exercises or lifting weights.
Does the Perfect Gym and Dance Flooring Exist?
Since home gyms and home dance studios each have such specialized flooring needs, there isn’t truly a perfect product that works well for both purposes. Ideally, it’s best to purchase two separate floors and create a specialized space for each purpose. Most installations favor one discipline over the other, since the flooring qualities are so vastly different for these different uses.Home Gym and Dance Flooring Options
While it’s usually best to choose entirely different flooring products for your home gym and your home dance studio, we realize that may not always be possible thanks to your budget and space limitations. We recommend the following hybrid options to help you get the best results and strike a balance between a space for a gym and for dance practice.Sport Plus Foam Multipurpose Base + Marley Vinyl Overlay
The Sport Plus Designer Foam Tiles work well as a base layer. These tiles help protect your subfloor and are resistant to wear, so they work well for your home gym. The tiles are easy to install and lightweight, so they’re also highly portable. Crafted from EVA foam, they’re cushioned to help protect dancers and athletes. You can use these tiles on their own for your gym.
When you want to use the space for dance, we recommend using the Rosco Adagio Marley Dance Floor as a dance overlay. These vinyl rolls are almost seamless and are the industry standard for barefoot dance. When placed over the foam tiles, the marley surface creates a versatile dance surface. It’s also moisture-resistant for easy cleaning, plus it’s suitable for use in basements, which may be prone to moisture.
While this flooring combination is highly versatile, installation can be a bit more involved, and the marley layer does add to the overall cost. We also offer a Home Dance Floor Package that includes 25 Sport Plus Foam Tiles, 20 LF of Rosco Adagio Touring marley, and tape, fitting a 10.5x10 ft. space.
EZ Portable Tile System
The EZ Portable Dance Floor Tile can double as a dance floor and a gym space. This vinyl tile system is designed for tap, aerobics, and dance, but is not recommended for ballet, so it may or may not work depending on the styles of dance you practice. The tiles are strong and durable, and they’re also suitable for bodyweight and cardio exercises.
The tiles are crafted from commercial-grade materials and are designed to last. The modular flooring system features an easy, DIY-friendly installation, so you can quickly set it up. Ramped border pieces are also available to create clean, finished edges and help reduce the risk of tripping.
The tiles are low-maintenance, and they’re a professional-grade option for tap and aerobics. However, they lack impact protection, so they can’t be used with heavy weights. While you could add a rubber roll or rubber tiles on top of the vinyl tiles, this solution isn’t recommended.
Dedicated Dual Zones
The best solution for gym and dance flooring is to create two zones in your home and then choose different flooring products that are best suited to each purpose. For example, create zone A, a gym area, where you can install any gym floor product that meets your needs. In zone B, your dance area, you can purchase and install a separate dance floor product.
Creating two zones allows you to buy highly specialized flooring to meet the unique needs of your workouts and your dance practice. Chances are you’ll be most pleased with the flooring results with this layout, since you don’t have to compromise on either type of flooring that you choose.
How to Choose the Best Gym and Dance Flooring for Your Needs
For truly optimal performance, it is recommended to invest in two separate surfaces for dance and gym use, but hybrid approaches can work. Your ideal setup will depend on many factors, including the space you have available, as well as your budget.As you plan your home gym and dance studio, start by assessing your available space and your needs. Consider the types of workout activities and dance styles you’ll be using the space for, and which flooring qualities are most important for each.
Contact the Greatmats customer service team to request product samples or reach out for a custom quote. We’re happy to help you choose the best home gym dance floor solution for your needs.