What Are The 5 Best Protective Gym Floor Covering Options?

Gymnasiums are great locations for accommodating large crowds – far beyond traditional sporting events like basketball games. The size and often central location of gymnasiums make them ideal for banquets, concerts, fundraisers, and other events. Some facilities are hesitant to host these events, as the concern for potential damage to their expensive wood floor exists. There are options, however, to protect gym floors with a variety of protective coverings. This allows for a high-traffic, “street shoe” event while still maintaining the excellent condition of the gym floor.

When considering protective gym floor coverings, the list of options may seem overwhelming and confusing. You certainly want to find an option that is durable, easy to install, and cost-effective. What are the different types of coverings? Do some provide better protection than others?

1. Vinyl Gym Floor Covers

Vinyl gym floor covers are also ultra-protective and durable. Our Gym Floor Cover 32 oz Vinyl features a three-ply fabric that’s waterproof to protect your floor against spills. This slip-resistant floor cover is crafted from fire-retardant materials that meet codes, making it a safe investment in your gym. Lay-flat seams also help to prevent tripping when you’re using your gym for an event. The cover resists mildew, fungus, and bacteria, allowing for long-lasting use.

Since the cover is sold by the square foot, you can order just what you need while staying within budget and minimizing any product waste. Installation is quick, even when you’re dealing with a large coverage area.

If you’re looking for increased slip resistance, the Gym Floor Cover Plus 27 oz Vinyl might be a better choice. This cover is made of three-ply vinyl fabric and features a raised diamond plate pattern for enhanced slip resistance. The surface exceeds ADA and OSHA slip-resistant surface requirements, and the material is also fire retardant for increased safety. It’s available in a dark gray and tan option and is sold by the square foot.

2. Protective Carpet Tiles

Large carpet tiles are another desirable gym floor covering choice. There is no adhesive required, they are comfortable and stylish, easy to install and remove, durable, and slip-resistant. If a professional and classic look with superior protection is what you’re seeking, this may be the ideal option. The look and feel of the gymnasium will be completely transformed. There are no wrinkles or ripples that sometimes occur with other floor coverings, and with the carpet surface on the tile, the concern of people slipping is basically non-existent. Also, the tiles are designed for multiple uses – providing for years of protective beauty. They are simply vacuumed, steam cleaned, or spot scrubbed as needed and stored until the next use.

Even when other options are high quality and easy to lay, the use of adhesive and the potential for movement and rippling do exist. With protective carpet tiles, like our Gym Floor Covering Carpet Tile, there is no adhesive or tape, as the weight of individual tiles is heavy enough that they stay put once positioned next to one another. Durable carpeting creates a warm and welcoming aesthetic, adding comfort for all sorts of events. These tiles are available in three colors, so you can choose the look that best compliments your gym.

Where other floor coverings require 2 or 3 people to install, with carpet tiles, only one person is needed. The carpet tiles are simply piled on a large cart, the installer pulls one off and lays it, moves it forward a bit, and repeats the process for an easy temporary installation. To remove the tiles, the reverse method is all it takes.

3. Gymnasium Carpet Rolls

Combining the benefits of carpet tiles and vinyl floor covers, carpeted gym floor cover rolls are becoming a popular choice. The GymPro EcoRoll Carpet Floor Cover is available in 6-foot wide rolls that can be quickly and easily rolled out for events. These rolls feature a carpeted surface that’s made of 100% recycled polyester, so they’re an eco-friendly investment for your gym. The carpet is available in gray, a versatile color that will work for all sorts of gym color schemes and events.

The non-slip backing helps keep the role in place, and the rolls are slip-resistant for visitor safety. The rolls can be cut to length and hook and loop seaming tape is used at the seams to connect them together. The tape is also reusable, unlike tape used to connect the vinyl rolls.

While carpet tiles need to be stacked by hand, storage racks are available to roll these covers back up.

4. Tarp Floor Covers

Tarps are a desirable option because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to lay down and store. They are available in a variety of colors are tear-resistant and are designed to stand up to foot traffic. A commercial tarp, although lightweight, is typically heavy-duty enough to lay down tables and chairs without worry of it moving around too much. They will usually have built-in grommets every 16-20 inches, providing the ability to tie down the tarp.

A few things to consider are the durability of the fabric that the tarp is made from, coatings on the tarp providing for slip prevention and even fire retardation, and whether or not sizing is standard or customizable. Additionally, will it maintain the same quality after each use? If a gym floor will need to be covered frequently, a heavier-duty option may be a better choice. If you are considering tarps, make sure you check to make sure they are recommended for this application.

5. Rubber Roll

Another durable, long-lasting, and low-maintenance option is rolled rubber. Not only will the roll provide protection, but it will also absorb shock and sound. If environmentally friendly material is important to you, it’s notable that most are made from recycled rubber material, and some could even contribute to LEED points in green buildings. Rubber rolls are a low-cost, resilient protective option.

For example, the Rubber Flooring Roll Geneva ¼ Inch Regrind is an economical rubber roll that’s available with various color fleck options. This durable flooring is a great choice for cardio areas since it provides shock absorption and slip resistance. Another benefit to the floor is that it’s easy to clean and maintain and offers excellent, long-lasting protection for your gym floor.

Installation may be much more involved than the other gym floor covering types, however. Due to the weight of the rubber rolls, the installation will likely require multiple people and is generally reserved for times when high-impact protection is needed. Installation involves laying the rubber roll, unrolling it, and cutting the lengths to fit the area needing protection. They are designed to lay side-by-side with little to no space between rolls, and the use of double-sided floor tape or adhesive holds the rolls in place until it’s time to remove them. When installing over hardwood, a protective paper under the rubber rolls may be desired to prevent chemical reactions between the floor finish and the rubber material.

Storage Racks and Accessories

Regardless of the protection you choose, it’s imperative to also consider how and where the flooring will be stored. A storage rack is an excellent choice – specifically one that has wheels to reduce damage to the floor by even weight load distribution. This will also allow for ease of movement. A good storage rack will also have extra trays to store any items you will need for laying or removing the covering, such as clips and cranks.

Our Premium Safety Storage Racks are available in 6-, 8-, and 10-roller options for all of your storage needs. Leg extenders add stability, and the storage trays can also hold extra rolls of tape. Two hand cranks make it easy to maneuver your gym floor covering, and the cart makes it easy to quickly roll up and lay out flooring. These racks are backed by a 20-year warranty for your peace of mind.



Additionally, the Storage Rack Cover is an excellent accessory for your storage rack. This cover is made of durable 18-ounce vinyl, so you can use it for years to come. It fits Premium and Standard Safety Storage Racks, keeping your rolled flooring clean when you’re not using it. The covers are available in 14 brilliant colors, so you can coordinate them with your school’s colors.



A Walk Behind Tape Dispenser is another excellent investment that makes installing your floor covering for hardwood gym floors easier and faster. It holds 3-inch vinyl tape and the walk-behind design makes the application process faster. You can use the dispenser to easily join floor cover sections together.

Choose Greatmats

Regardless of what you go with, Greatmats can provide you with what you need. Many reputable businesses and organizations have relied on the quality, service, and dependability Greatmats is known for, and they have been able to protect and transform their spaces with Greatmats products. American Fork High School, for instance, has had superior results from Greatmats and has been impressed by the ease of installation and storage of the protective carpet tiles, making it unproblematic to use their beautiful new gym for multiple purposes. Among other satisfied customers, Event Rentals, Inc., found Greatmats to be the best option for vinyl cover rolls, as they provide unmatched durability without the wrinkles that occur with other brands.

When you’re ready to go to work, it’s time to let Greatmats go to work for you. With numerous options and price points, as well as value and service beyond comparison, Greatmats has it all. The exceptional and professional team at Greatmats is ready to answer any questions you have about protective gym floor covering, and they will help you order the option that is best for your needs. Visit greatmats.com, or, call toll-free 877-822-6622.