About Foam Flooring

Foam flooring commonly comes in interlocking tiles, mats, and rolls and is usually made of high density Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam. EVA foam is the material commonly found in flotation devices, handle grips, children's toys, flip flops, and yoga mats. High density EVA foam has a number of home and commercial applications. In fact, the options for using EVA foam flooring are almost unlimited.

Popular foam flooring applications include:

Pros and Cons and EVA Foam Flooring

Pros

• EVA foam flooring provides soft and comfortable cushioning underfoot making it a safe floor for everyone from a falling child to a fighting MMA athlete.
• The mix of softness and support provided by EVA foam flooring is valuable to those on their feet for extended periods of time as it has anti–fatigue qualities.
• Foam interlocking tiles are easy to install and are just as easy to remove if you need to replace a tile or move the flooring to another area.
• EVA foam flooring is flexible and shock absorbing making it great for home workouts and athletes involved in mixed martial arts (MMA) and other aggressive activities.
• Foam floors are waterproof and are great for areas that may experience excess moisture or liquid spills.
• The Ethylene Vinyl Acetate used in foam flooring is sound dampening, provides good heat insulation for your floor, and is more fire resistant than some other floors such as carpet. Foam flooring is often given a B rating by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) unless specific fire retardants are added to the material.
• Foam floors are resistant to most stains and oil and require very little maintenance other than sweeping up debris, wiping up spills, and damp mopping with mild soap and water from time to time.
• EVA foam flooring is cost effective, fun and easy to use, and is very versatile with its many possible applications.

Cons

• Sharp objects such as high–heeled shoes and knifes may poke into EVA foam floors creating a mark which does not usually hinder the flooring other than cosmetically.
• Heavy objects such as workout equipment, tables, couches, and other furniture may cause indentations. Depending on the length of time and the weight of the object placed on the foam floor, the indent may or may not fade when the object is removed.
• Quality EVA foam floors will not bleed colors to flooring and subfloors beneath, however, some very inferior foam products may.
• EVA foam may fade in direct sunlight, however some interlocking foam floor tiles are double–sided and can be flipped and used again once faded. This is not typical though as most foams floors are usually only finished on one side while the other side is often raw foam.

For more on EVA foam flooring from buying to installing and cleaning, check out these links below.