Rubber flooring - any experience or thoughts?

(29 Posts)
PinkOlives Thu 23-Jun-11 20:14:19

hi - im thinking of using studded rubber flooring for my new kitchen , i dont like anything else and its the only material i think that will look quite interesting in my kitchen knowing the way i'll have thngs and its warm! there are some very nice vibrant colours but im going to go for white if i can find it!!
any thoughts?
www.therubberflooringcompany.co.uk/shop/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=catshow&ref=00007

if all else fails i'll be looking for other flooring ideas, although bored already grin

baz2010 Thu 07-Mar-13 23:11:05

Hi fussyChica we just ordered red tiles from these guys www.everyfloordirect.com, i got a sample of both this and the high gloss red laminate from them to compare as i was a bit sceptical. I love the rubber. Very modern and beats vinyl hands down. The laminate was a bit to glossy tho but very nice. They said I would get at least 10 year wear out of it in my kitchen I'm happy with that. How long did yours last?

fussychica Thu 14-Feb-13 14:51:28

Had red rubber flooring in a bathroom about 30 years ago very cutting edge no problems at all but wouldn't consider white.

bonzo77 Thu 14-Feb-13 14:12:45

I got ours from kimpton flooring (google them). It looks fine but we only have it in bathrooms not kitchens. My brother has it in his kitchen. Cleaning it is fine, it needs to be sealed then it doesn't absorb stains, I used the amitco emulsion from John Lewis. The studs don't seem to cause a problem. It is awkward stuff to lay nicely, you need to use someone who has done it before. You must latex screed the floor first as any imperfections really show up badly as the tiles go edge to edge with no grouting to create room for errors. Also, the thinner stuff seems to be easier to get right than the thicker one. When you order the tiles get the right adhsive from the supplier at the same time. I echo the previous poster that the colours are often a bit dull. When I researched mine thee was a company near Swindon (I think) who had amazing colours (bubble gum pink, grass green etc) but they were more expensive.

Oh, and its completely different from vinyl: much harder wearing.

Mandy21 Thu 14-Feb-13 13:59:26

We don't have rubber but a vinyl copy of the studded rubber flooring in our bathroom and I'd never have it again. We have it in a black/brown colour way and it is impossible to keep clean. The texture means that dust / fluff / just bits "stick" to it so you can't sweep it, you have to mop it or get down on your hands and knees to scrub it. It is really impractical in my opinion.

fapl Thu 14-Feb-13 09:31:32

We have studded vinyl in our ensuite bathroom, only ever bare feet etc. and there is still a brownish hue around the edges of the studs. There is no way I would go for studs in a kitchen. How about something like Amtico? We have that in our main bathroom, warm underfoot and very easy to clean. John Lewis normally stock a decent range to view.

mamasaara Wed 13-Feb-13 23:03:32
mamasaara Wed 13-Feb-13 23:03:04

Sorry, meant to say http://www.therubberfloorstore.co.uk/

mamasaara Wed 13-Feb-13 23:02:13

Wouldn't recommend white for a kitchen floor, maybe something with slated tile effect, a bit on the grey, darker side? It's nice and warm for the feet, also non-slip, but def don't choose a light color. If you want to see some samples, go to http://www.therubberflooringstore.co.uk

hester Mon 27-Jun-11 21:41:46

shock My dream of rubber flooring has now turned to dust.

GeneralissimoVonBobbington Mon 27-Jun-11 20:40:33

I second Janmoomoo - we have White vinyl and it looked dirty the minute we put it down. It had a greyish pattern on it which helped, but it was just a nightmare. I once got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed and it still looked dirty.

headfairy Fri 24-Jun-11 21:25:10

I have rubber flooring in my kitchen.. its not the studded one, but flat tiles. We inherited it when we moved in and to be honest I will never have another rubber floor. Admittedly it's in a really impractical colour - sort of eau de nil - which I imagine looked great when it was new, but it absorbs every stain. If ds drops even a teeny splash of ribena unless it's cleaned up that second it stains like crazy. I absolutely hate it, have to wash my floor every day. We're actually in the process of getting some quotes in to replace it with some Karndean flooring.

PinkOlives Fri 24-Jun-11 21:11:00

i received two samples in the post already and they are fine, small but ok, one did look a little dusty though

PinkOlives Fri 24-Jun-11 21:09:38

you're right duex they dont do brilliant white, ive seen a warm white but its not white enough for the cupbards, im not sure what else to put . ive seen samples and they have been sent to me by other companies. but i actually ordered from meadeeflooring a sample this morning as it looked quite white. there are completely mixed reviews on this, maybe rubber without the studs, or is that too boring .
confused now, i really like the look but i dont want a dirty white floor but also not motivated by tiles!

MrsSharp Fri 24-Jun-11 21:04:54

OP - I'd just go to your local independent flooring shop, someone who does a variety of flooring (contract/residential) and ask there. Definitely see samples before buying - another advantage of a real shop rather than online - seeing every possible sample in the flesh without the hassle of waiting for the post etc.

Deux Fri 24-Jun-11 20:24:23

The other thing I meant to say is, have you actually seen any samples in a shop?

When I went to look I was disappointed because the colours were not as vibrant as I expected. The greys and blues looked good but bright green eg was a bit sludgey.

I was surprised how grubby the samples in the shop were and it showed especially on the light and bright colours.

I think rubber flooring would work best in a fairly dark and muted colour.

Deux Fri 24-Jun-11 20:20:17
Deux Fri 24-Jun-11 20:17:38

I was looking at rubber flooring fairly recently and I was told by one of the approved retailers that you can't get white rubber flooring. At least not pure brilliant white. Apparently it is not possible.

You can get studded vinyl flooring in pure brilliant white though. It looks just like the rubber flooring.

janmoomoo Fri 24-Jun-11 14:49:10

It sounds lovely, but are you sure you want white? I have inherited a white kitchen floor, altho it is tile. But it is a complete nightmare to keep clean, every little spec shows. I mop it at least once every day and it is still filthy most of the time.

PorkChopSter Fri 24-Jun-11 12:56:28

I would have loved white rubber studded flooring in our bathrooms but was warned off it because of the difficulty in cleaning it around the studs. I also looked at glittery safety flooring lino (google Altro) as an alternative, and resin floors (again, glittery wink) but couldn't justify the cost for the small area involved.

jicky Fri 24-Jun-11 12:50:40

We have rubber floor in the kitchen, but not with studs. It is hard wearing, easy to clean, warm to touch and pretty good.

The studs just look like dirt traps, but then I hate anything in the kitchen that dirt might stay ( because I hate house work rather than OCD)

PinkOlives Fri 24-Jun-11 12:11:20

ooh different reviews . they do sell it in rolls as well which i pressume is better than tiles? my floor is stone, very cold!.
have you replaced yours Lovelydaffs.
im just not sure what to put instead?
mrssharp any ideas who, ive found lots on net and they are cheaper than the £45 one but im not sure of quality ordered samples though.

MrsSharp Fri 24-Jun-11 10:41:09

Try contacting your local independent retailer too - I work in one and we've just done a commercial job (in an office reception) with studded tiles (supplied and fitted for a lot less then £45 sq mt). The tiles we fitted didn't need to be fitted on a screeded floor - no prep required or adhesive - just a bit of skill required in cutting around awkward shapes etc.

LovelyDaffs Fri 24-Jun-11 10:35:12

I had studded rubber flooring a few years ago in my kitchen and wouldn't have it again tbh. We had completely gutted the house and the kitchen led into the playroom, which led into the garden so I thought it would be perfect especially as my dc's were all babies/toddlers. It is costly as you have to have a screed laid down, ours already had a concrete floor and we thought that would be fine, but apparently not. My thinking was that it would be warm and easy to clean, but actually those studs are a pain as the trap food/mud/crap around the sides. Two of my three were in high chairs, so still a lot of food ending up on the floor and it was a nightmare bending down to scrape off dried wheatabix every day or be organised enough to do it immediately, which wasn't easy with three dc's. We also found that even though we had it laid down by the manufacturers contractor we did get bits lifting in between the rolls which didn't look great.

Nope, expensive and a pain - sorry.

PinkOlives Fri 24-Jun-11 10:28:10

oh no, i'll do a search. as with everything there are different qualities though which i gathered from my search, the pricing differs there are branded ones and wholesale even a company on ebay which says theirs is italian not chinese on every line (defensive!) . so do a good search. its generally £45 per 500x500tile but ive found it for half that so it depends on what you are looking for. My units are lacquered white so im looking for white flooring

hester Thu 23-Jun-11 22:09:05

Try searching the threads here: I think I read white rubber flooring doesn't really work, it goes a bit like old chewing gum. I MAY HAVE REMEMBERED THIS WRONG.

White rubber does sound very nice. Have you worked out how much it will cost? (I haven't got that far yet.)

Add your message here

To post you need a valid nickname and password. Log in if you are a returning member, or join for free.

If you have forgotten your nickname or your password, you can get a reminder.