

This is the best out of all the rubber floors I have seen (Ecore Aurora) Calendared rubber as the top layer (on top of vulcanized) reduces offgassing somewhat.Virgin rubber, not post-consumer recycled (especially not tires).Look for these attributes when choosing a healthier rubber floor: The odor does go down, but may never fully go away. Tarkett lists their flame retardants as Huntitte, Hydromagnesite, and Aluminum Trihydrate.Īll of these components contribute to the offgassing. And some rubber gym floors are mixed with vinyl, like the brand Roppe, which I do not consider an improvement at all.Ī rubber and cork mix like those from Ecore can be quite good.įlame retardants can be added. Some manufacturers use sulfur in their binding agents. Vulcanized is preferable from a toxicity and offgassing standpoint over polyurethane bonded rubber. Vulcanized and virgin rubber are usually heat pressed. Polyurethane glue does have noticeable offgassing. Tarkett makes a rubber flooring where almost all ingredients are on the Declare label.Īnything labeled rebonded rubber uses a polyurethane adhesive to hold the flooring together.

Rubber flooring can be made with recycled SBR rubber (most often tires), new rubber (synthetic or a synthetic/natural mix), and EPDM virgin rubber color chips. I don’t believe any brands are 100% natural rubber. I have seen brands that are part natural rubber and part synthetic, like Mondo Sport. In theory, you can make rubber flooring out of natural latex. Synthetic rubber is more durable than natural rubber latex. Recycled rubber might be marketed as “eco-friendly” because it’s recycled, but otherwise recycled rubber flooring is not what I would consider healthy. I’ve tried looking at many different kinds of rubber flooring types and I will go over which ones are the healthiest.īecause rubber can sometimes be the only option under heavy weights and equipment, it could be used in some areas of the gym, but it should be minimized as much as possible. They all have what I would consider fairly strong to very strong offgassing levels. Synthetic rubber floors come in various types and thicknesses. Emergency Housing for Chemical and Mold Sensitivity.How I Recovered from Chemical Sensitivities.How “High Performance” can Help Prevent Mold.
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