There are three main types of gym floor covers on the market: carpet rolls, carpet tiles, and vinyl. Facility Armor refers to these products as Court Armor Roll, Court Armor Tile, and Court Armor Vinyl. All offer protection for your gym floor, but there are some major differences you should know about. Let’s take a look:
Carpet Rolls
Carpet rolls for protecting gym floors come in a variety of materials and weights, but ultimately, provide a lightweight, storage-friendly option for protecting your gym floors. These are usually stored on a racking system and can be easily deployed and retrieved by only two people. Being low-profile allows the stepping from the exposed surface (i.e., basketball gym floor) to covered surface (carpet roll) with minimized risk of tripping. The material also lays out flat for a wrinkly-free surface and is easy to clean with a standard vacuum cleaner. Court Armor Rolls and Court Armor Rolls MAX by Facility Armor, for example, protect both from scuffs, scrapes, and dents, as well as spill protection from beverages or any other liquid. They are also anti-microbial treated to prevent the growth and spread of bacteria and mold.
Carpet Tiles
Carpet tiles are heavy duty tiles that are laid down on a gym floor to provide maximum protection against shoes, boots, chairs, or equipment that could otherwise damage the surface of your gym floor. While carpet tiles tend to be heavier and less storage friendly than carpet rolls, they offer more robust protection. A carpet tile generally consists of a carpet top cloth and a synthetic bottom, such as rubber. They are typically stacked onto a flat-top cart made to hold the weight of many tiles. A larger storage space is needed to accommodate several full cart loads. It’s recommended for two people to deploy carpet tiles, often laid out in offsetting patterns to prevent shifting by foot traffic, to cover an entire gym floor in a timely manner. Carpet tiles can be cleaned with a standard vacuum cleaner. Facility Armor’s Court Armor Tile incorporates the same anti-microbial treatment to its top cloth as its Court Armor Rolls.
Vinyl Rolls
Vinyl Rolls, such as Court Armor Vinyl, have been the industry standard for many years when it comes to gym floor protection. This is in large part due to the lower cost in comparison to more modern options such as carpet rolls or carpet tiles. While vinyl rolls do have their benefits, such as low initial cost, large coverage area with minimal seams, general protection against foot traffic and furniture, and the ability to be deployed and retrieved using a racking system, they do come with cons in comparison to other options. Vinyl rolls are heavy and cumbersome and can be difficult to clean. Also, due to the nature of the material, they tend to show wrinkles when laid out, which can be aesthetically displeasing.
Each option for gym floor protection has its own strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately the best option depends on the needs and budget of each facility. Whether you need the ultimate protection of gym floor carpet tiles, the versatility and ease of use of carpet rolls, or the cost effectiveness of vinyl rolls, Facility Armor has you covered with the best products on the market in each category.
