How do I choose the right rubber tiles for my application?

Choosing the right rubber tiles starts with the area you need to cover and how it will be used, rather than with the product itself. Tiles made from PU-bound rubber granules are used in a wide range of settings, with their properties tailored during manufacture to each intended use. The range is therefore organised by application: home and garden, play and sport, fitness, horses and dogs. Once you know the application, the choice becomes much narrower.

Next, consider the sub-base. On a bound sub-base, such as concrete, screed or paving, water runs off through channels beneath the tiles, following the surface gradient. On an unbound sub-base, such as stone chippings or crushed stone, water drains vertically through the tiles and the layers beneath them. Not every series is approved for both types of sub-base. Some tiles are also suitable for a laying course of stone chippings, while others require a bound sub-base or a plastic honeycomb grid.

How the tiles will be used then determines the thickness and properties you need. Under play equipment, playground safety tiles are tested to BS EN 1177 to establish their critical fall height. This increases with tile thickness, so choose tiles to suit the free height of fall of the equipment. In a training area, shock absorption and impact sound insulation matter; outdoors, water permeability and the ability to withstand frost are important. Where a fire classification is required, tiles with an EPDM wearing layer can achieve Cfl-s1 to BS EN 13501-1.

Colour and surface affect how the area looks over time. An EPDM wearing layer is coloured throughout; it resists UV exposure and retains its colour over time. Tiles made from recycled tyre rubber granules (ELT), by contrast, get their shade from a coloured binder that coats each granule. Tile format, edge profile and the way the tiles are joined also affect the choice: a jigsaw interlock with a rounded profile leaves barely visible hairline joints, while push-fit connectors create a visible grid pattern.

Each product description in the shop lists these properties, so you can compare two series directly. If you would like to see the shade and feel the surface for yourself beforehand, order a product sample. If you have questions about the area, the sub-base or the appropriate thickness, technical advice is available by telephone, email or in person.