Rubber Flooring Installation

Rubber tiles are among the easiest flooring materials to install. Some tile products use interlocking edges, while others use a system of edge pins that hold the tiles together. Tiles are easily cut with a sharp knife. There are also glue-down forms of rubber tiles available, though these are less common for DIYers since they are more complicated to install.

Most rubber flooring is highly resistant to damage from moisture on both the top and bottom surfaces of the material. However; if you are installing it below grade, such as in a basement, you may need to include a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from seeping up from underneath. Some rubber floor tiles also come specially treated to make them suitable for wet environments.

Rubber flooring tiles may themselves be water-resistant, but the installed flooring is loaded with seams that can let water through to the subfloor below. This is true for any type of resilient flooring tile—it simply can’t be reliably sealed against moisture penetration. Therefore, it’s not a great option for very wet areas, such as bathrooms with showers or tubs, or at least the immediate area around the shower or tub. If you want to use rubber flooring in these areas, sheet products are a better choice.

Warning

While rubber is fairly resistant to catching fire, synthetic rubber materials, when they do catch fire after being exposed to sufficient heat, may produce toxic gases. To guard against this, choose products that do not contain PVC materials. If the flooring was glued down, the adhesives may also be susceptible to fire.