How to Install Interlocking Rubber Tile Flooring in 12 Easy Steps!
Interlocking rubber tile flooring is one of the most versatile flooring solutions on the market. Commercial gyms utilize the tiles for their shock-absorbing properties. Playground floors are often covered in interlocking tiles, taking advantage of the tile’s outdoor durability. The rubber tiles can even be found around the perimeter of an ice skating rink where the draining ability of the tiles is essential.
Now each and every application may take advantage of a different function of these multi-faceted tiles, but they all value the ease of setting up the interlocking rubber tile flooring. Virtually anyone can assemble the tiles, provided you can manage the weight of a single rubber tile. Want to know how to install rubber tiles? Just follow my lead, and you’ll be walking atop your new, cushiony flooring in no time!
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Interlocking tiles – Contact your friendly, neighborhood Rubber Flooring Expert who can assist you with the right quantity for your area.
- Plastic connector pins
- Rubber mallet
- Utility knife
- Straight edge (e.g., ruler, carpenter’s square)
- Chalk
Preparation:
- Make sure the subfloor is structurally sound and relatively level. Concrete, wood, asphalt and compacted dirt are all acceptable surfaces for rubber tiles.
- Use a broom or vacuum to clear the subfloor of foreign matter like dust, dirt and other debris.
- Run a damp mop over the area to remove any oil, grease and other foreign substances that may complicate installation. Then, let the floor dry completely.
- Remove the rubber flooring interlocking tiles from its packaging, and let them sit on the subfloor 24 hours prior to installation. This allows the tiles to stabilize to the ambient temperature of the area, ensuring a straightforward installation and a consistent end product.
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #1: To preempt the possibility of a strong rubber odor, wipe the tiles with a damp cloth. Then, let the tiles air out by placing them outdoors for two to three hours. This allows some of the rubber smell to dissipate.
Installation:
Start by inserting the plastic connector pins into the pre-drilled slots on two adjacent sides of each tile. Use your hand to press the
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #2: Stack the rubber tiles in piles of five to ten pieces. Now, begin to insert the connector pins into the slots of adjacent sides while the tiles are in a pile. This makes it much easier to insert the pins and also saves plenty of time.
- Take one of the tiles, and place it in the corner of the area you intend to cover. Make sure that the plastic connector pins that are inserted in the tile point along the perimeter of the area.
- Grab another tile, and align the connector pins of the first tile with the pre-drilled slots of the second tile.
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #3: If you are setting up the rubber flooring interlocking tiles in a room, position the tiles as close to the wall as possible. The wall acts as a guide, and the plastic pins and slots will naturally align.
- Slide the second tile towards the first tile so that the pins enter slot. Push the tiles together with your hand as far as you can. When you begin to feel resistance, use a rubber mallet to carefully tap the second tile towards the first to seal the gap.
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #4: To avoid damaging the tile with the rubber mallet, hit the tile at an angle towards the other tile. Try not to hit the same exact spot on the tile, as this may damage the tile.
- Continue to work down the first row until you reach the corner on the opposite wall or border, and then move on to subsequent rows until the entire area is covered. If you need to cut a tile to fit in the remaining area of a row, continue to step 6. If not, skip to step 12.
- To trim a tile to fit, first measure the length of the remaining floor that needs to be covered with measuring tape. Note this number in your head.
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #5: To ensure a more accurate measurement, lay the measuring tape along the surface of the tile that is adjacent to the uncovered area and extend it towards the wall or border.
- Now, take the tile you will be trimming, turn it upside down, and mark the tile using chalk at the measurement you took earlier for the uncovered area.
- Hold a straight edge across the marks you made, and snap a line across the length of the tile. Follow this line to cut the tile.
- Grab your utility knife and run it down the chalk line, using the straight edge as a guide. Run the utility knife several times through the tile to make a score line.
- Rubber Flooring Expert Tip #6: Trimming rubber tiles is in no way like cutting butter or a gelatin dessert! Be patient, as a hasty cut may damage the tile. It may help to lubricate the knife with a solution of water and soap before cutting.
- Grab the rubber tile close the score line and bend the tile towards yourself in a tearing motion. This allows the score line to “break open.
- Run the utility knife down the score line to complete the cut. Connect the trimmed pieces to the uncovered areas. Make sure you proceed slowly an with safety in mind. The utility knife need be sharp and proceeding with caution is highly suggested.
- Voila! Your rubber flooring is ready to rock! Dust off your hands, and treat yourself to a nice, cold glass of lemonade.
Interlocking rubber tile flooring is a great flooring option for both the cost-conscious consumer and the determined DIY-er. The interlocking mechanism of the tile eliminates the use of messy adhesives and keeps professional installers and their premium installation fees at bay. Now that you’ve how to install rubber tiles, what DIY project will you tackle next?
