# Anybody put down interlocking foam mat tiles down in the basement?



## velvetfoot (Sep 23, 2011)

Something like this?
http://www.greatmats.com/products/dense-foam-mats.php

I'm thinking it would be moisture resistant and easy to clean.


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## jimbom (Sep 23, 2011)

Don't have this product.  Ten twelve years ago we put some recycled crumb rubber mats in a batting cage outdoors.  Definitely an improvement over concrete.  Those mats have been heavily used and still in excellent condition.  I think the school put recycled crumb rubber mats in their weight room.  Don't know how those are holding up.

Flame spread, smoke generation, etc?  I couldn't tell from the link.  I might buy one and put the propane torch to it to see what happens.


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## midwestcoast (Sep 24, 2011)

My wife's cousin has them in his basement. Great for the kids to play on down there. Its been at least 3 years and they seem to be holding up okay, but I don't know how much traffic they see. 
Ive never asked him about them.


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## Frozen Canuck (Sep 24, 2011)

These & others with a high recycled content work well. Yes spills are easier to clean with a product that is removable/cleanable/replaceable. Make sure you properly seal the concrete floor prior to installation. If you dont & moisture gets through or is trapped you will likely have a nasty mold situation on your hands as neither the foam nor the rubber products breathe.


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## velvetfoot (Sep 25, 2011)

I was at a couple of stores just now looking for basement flooring ideas.
I saw that recyled rubber stuff.  It has a pretty rough texture.  Might not be too comfortable.


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## snowleopard (Sep 25, 2011)

I haven't been able to open your link to see which ones you're talking about, but I have some I bought at Sam's Club (Costco-type box store).  It comes in primary colors or gray.  I used it for a couple of years in a basement between a washer/dryer and a water tank, so there was plenty of water exposure.  I wanted something down so that I could sort dirty laundry on the floor, and so that if something fell out of the dryer while I was unloading, it wasn't going straight on the old concrete floor.  I really liked it.  When I moved, I took it with me and it's on the floor of my pantry, almost four years in that application.  I have no complaints, and the texture is nice for barefooting it.  Relatively cheap, as I recall, so if you were to get some, you could stockpile a package or two to replace high-traffic areas if they start to wear--but honestly, after six or seven years, no complaints.  HTH


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## velvetfoot (Sep 25, 2011)

It must be a different product.  I'll have to keep looking.


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## begreen (Sep 25, 2011)

The great mats, this looks like a clever solution. They are reasonably priced, go down quickly and should help insulate the cold basement floor. I suspect that they will dent easily by chair and table legs, but you can get load spreaders (2x2 little plastic protectors) that should help. However, if there is a table with chairs that are moved frequently (like a card table), I suspect the product would show wear pretty quickly from moving chairs back and forth on it.


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## webbie (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm going to look hard at this stuff.

I have carpet down in the office and jam room - and I hate the thought of damp (as it sometimes is) carpet.

My builder buddy was telling me about the new "man cave" epoxy cement finishes....that some pros put down, and that sounded great too - maybe with area rugs.


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## webbie (Sep 25, 2011)

I wonder if they breathe - that is, if there is water or dampness under them, does it eventually leave...or leave quickly enough? Maybe you have to pull up some of them in such a case.

I have a small area of similar stuff down under my weight bench and around it - in the basement. They work very well.


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## webbie (Sep 25, 2011)

Yep, one of the comments says the folks take them up to dry them after they get wet.....


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## velvetfoot (Sep 25, 2011)

Let me know if you make a choice.


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## Frozen Canuck (Sep 25, 2011)

One thing Velvet & Web, that you want to keep in mind when shopping for products like these (made of foam/rubber) or other highly flammable products is the flame spread rating on the product. You should favor products that have been treated with an agent to retard flame & therefore carry a lower spread rating. As this is a residence & not a commercial building, building code does not address this issue to a large extent. Now if it were furniture on the other hand, testing would have had to been done & passed to a given level & you could feel safer about your purchase. Just saying take the extra time, read the package & check the websites. If you are unsure or cant find the info then look at commercial products that have been tested. Best fire insurance is never having a fire & with most of us being wood burners the ignition & fuel parts of a fire already exist.


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## cottonwoodsteve (Oct 3, 2011)

When they get older and "dry" they have a terrible static problem that can zap your tv or other electrinics.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 3, 2011)

I didn't know that.
I'm currently thinking along these lines:
http://tinyurl.com/6k6kera


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## cottonwoodsteve (Oct 5, 2011)

The type I had static problems with are the soft foam type.

There are three types.

Cheap dark gray foam type.
Dense rubber type.
Plastic type

The image shows a harder type. I don't know if they would have a static problem.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 5, 2011)

Yes.  It's not rubber.  Rubber, I've found so far, is mostly all recycled and doesn't look that great.
This stuff seems a little like rubber but I'm sure it's plastic.
Interesting that nowhere on the box or tiles is there any indication of what it's made of.


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## begreen (Oct 5, 2011)

The tiles look like a knock off of Roppe and Pirelli floor tiles. Those products are rubber. I've installed them in a couple facilities and a boat's engine room. It gets glued down with a special epoxy mix. We  were surprised when we bought our house that it also had Roppe rubber flooring in the kitchen. I kept it when we remodeled. The tiles stand up very well. I see that Roppe also sells a vinyl tile now, but I haven't tried that product.

http://www.roppe.com/default.asp


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