Laying rubber tiles on the ground

Where and what is rubber tile used for?

Bruises and fractures are a direct consequence of the fact that children and adults go in for sports in areas paved with FEMs (figured paving elements) or rolled up with asphalt and fenced with concrete curbs. Rubber tiles reduce the chance of injury from falls on hard and uneven ground. Playgrounds and recreation areas in private homes are becoming much safer. 

The main advantages of rubber tiles

What are the reasons why rubber tile has soared to a high level in the ranking of building materials in the shortest possible time? Here are its undeniable advantages:

• High wear resistance. The tile is not erased, does not chip off, is not damaged by heavy solid objects falling on it. 
• The appearance of the coating does not change from many years of use in public places, such as playgrounds or at the entrances to supermarkets. For example, the Ecoresin tile has a 10-year warranty in open-air operating conditions in places with a large human flow.
• Water resistance. The tile is not afraid of precipitation, it can be used not only on the streets, but also by the pools, both outdoors and indoors.
• Anti-slip surface. Ice does not form on rubber tiles, the rough surface prevents slipping.
• Depreciation. The rubber tile springs a little, weakening blows against it and, thereby, preventing or mitigating injuries.
• Simple care. It is enough to wash rubber tiles regularly with a jet of water from a hose. No additional reagents or cleaning agents are required.
• resistance to natural factors. The material is not afraid of solar ultraviolet radiation, atmospheric precipitation, does not grow moldy.
• Diverse design. There are many options for coloring and geometric shapes of rubber tiles.

When should rubber tiles not be used?

Rubber tiles are not fire resistant and may even ignite. Therefore, it cannot be mounted near barbecues, stoves, fireplaces and tandoors. Any ember will burn through it and can lead to a fire. Many samples of rubber tiles have a fire hazard class KM4. This means that the substance is flammable and can release toxic substances when burned. Therefore, the use of rubber tiles is possible and permissible only with the strictest observance of fire safety rules.

Step by step instructions for laying rubber tiles

Installation requirements

Rubber tiles can be laid on concrete, asphalt concrete, asphalt, cement-concrete screed, ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, metal, sand and gravel base, compacted soil, wooden flooring. Installation is carried out only at an ambient temperature above +10°C.

Tools and materials

Installation of rubber tiles is simple, you can do the work yourself. To do this, you need simple tools:

• Roulette for marking;
• Building level to set the recommended slope of the site;
• Shovel for digging soil under the base;
• Manual roller or vibrating plate for compacting sand and gravel;
• Knife for cutting tiles;
• Rubber mallet for tamping tiles and removing air from under them.

Surface preparation

The site for mounting the rubber tile must be marked and all debris removed. If laying on the ground is planned, then the roots of the plants must also be removed, and then generously treated with herbicides. The site needs a slope of about 2 degrees for water flow.

Stacking

On the ground

1. For laying on the ground, tiles with a thickness of 40 mm or more are used, such models, for example, are enough in the catalog of the Ecoresina company. 
2. First, a recess is made up to 200 mm deep with sides at a right angle. The bottom is leveled and compacted with vibrating plates. 
3. Rubber borders are placed around the perimeter. The site is covered with geofabric and covered with crushed stone of the smallest fraction. For a sports ground, the layer thickness is 100 mm, for a garden path – 70 mm. Crushed stone is also compacted with a hand roller or vibrating plate. 
4. The geofabric is spread again and a layer of sand up to 70 mm thick is laid – sand that is carefully compacted. The slope of the horizontal surface is controlled by the building level.
5. The first row of tiles is laid close to the rubber curb. The next row is placed with a shift of half the width of the tile so that the seams do not match. By blows of a rubber hammer, air is removed from under the tiles. After the site is completely paved, it is sprinkled with fine sand and swept, trying to fill any gaps. The final stage is the last ramming with a vibrating plate.

On the sand

1. Before laying on a loose base, a concrete screed 100 mm thick must be poured into the bottom of the excavated recess. 
2. Then rubber curbs are installed, the resulting surface is primed with a mixture of polyurethane adhesive and rubber crumb. 
3. After drying, the tile itself is glued.

On a solid base without glue

Installation of rubber tiles with a thickness of more than 40 mm on a solid base is possible without glue. Since one 500×500 mm module weighs at least 7 kg, the tile will stay in place due to its own weight, restrictive rubber borders, frictional forces between the tile and the base. But installation must be carried out without gaps.

On a solid base in glue

1. To begin with, cracks and large irregularities are repaired in the base, it is cleaned with an industrial vacuum cleaner and primed with a special primer or diluted polymer adhesive. 
2. After the primer dries, glue is applied to the base area (the type of glue is indicated by the tile manufacturer in the instructions) and leveled with a notched trowel. 
3. A tile is placed on top and air is removed from under it with a rubber mallet. 
4. Between themselves, the tiles are also fastened with glue, the protruding excess is immediately removed.

The main mistakes when laying rubber tiles on the ground

The process of installing rubber tiles is simple, but has its own secrets. The most common styling mistakes are:

• Installation at ambient temperature below +5°C;
• Installation at ambient humidity above 70%;
• Poorly cleaned laying surface;
• No slope for water runoff;
• Laying tiles near sources of open fire, such as barbecues.

Do not forget also about the wrong choice of the tile itself, for example, smooth tiles on the stairs or by the pools.

What to look for when choosing rubber tiles

The choice of a specific brand and variety of rubber tiles depends on the conditions of its use. Namely:

• Tiles for outdoor use must be frost-resistant. For example, Ecoresina products can withstand temperatures down to -45°C;
• Tiles for sports and children’s playgrounds should have increased wear resistance;
• Tiles with a smooth surface must not be laid on the steps of stairs and near swimming pools.

In general, rubber tiles are an unusually promising material for the improvement of urban gaming and sports areas, and, in particular, backyards of private cottages. The disadvantage, in fact, is only one – low resistance to fire. However, the advantages greatly outweigh this disadvantage.

Examples of laying rubber tiles

Popular questions and answers

Olga Orlova, head of the “Industry” direction of the Institute of Oil and Gas Technologies, answers questions from readers on laying rubber tiles: