Yo so last month I got this crazy idea to turn my messy garage into a home gym. Everyone’s doing it, right? Figured I should probably not just dump mats on the concrete and call it a day. Needed legit sport flooring. Started searching online for local NJ companies. Big shocker – typed “sport flooring companies nj” and got flooded with options. Felt kinda overwhelming straight away.
Starting the Dig
I clicked through a bunch of websites. Looked kinda the same after a while. Photos of shiny gyms, school courts, that sorta thing. Hard to tell who actually knew their stuff for a home setup like mine. Focused on companies that mentioned “residential” or “home gyms” specifically. Found maybe four or five that seemed promising based in North Jersey.
Making the Calls (And Emails)
Here’s the pain part. I poked their contact forms or straight up called. Wanted quotes, you know? Told them my garage size and what I wanted: something cushy for weights, good for jumping around. Simple. Surprised how different the responses were.
- One dude just sent a generic PDF price list. Useless.
- Another guy asked a million questions, wanted pics of the garage floor condition, space measurements. Annoying, but made sense later.
- Two companies promised a quote after a quick call but ghosted me. Pissed me off.
- One company, they actually suggested sending someone out to look. Okay, getting warmer!
The Quotes Saga
Finally got two serious quotes. Let me tell you, comparing them was a nightmare. Like reading different languages!
- Quote One: Gave me one price for the whole job. Materials. Labor. Everything. Included moving some stuff out of the way first.
- Quote Two: Had like five line items. Floor prep cost. Base layer cost. Top layer cost per tile. Installation cost. Plus some fee. My head spun. Had to email back asking “Okay, what’s the actual bottom line?”
Big price difference too! Like, why?! Both supposed to be similar material thickness and coverage. That’s when I demanded samples. No way I’m dropping cash without feeling it underfoot.
Seeing and Feeling Is Believing
Met the sample dude from Company Two at their warehouse. They had a little setup showing the tiles. Felt good. Sturdy. Had bounce. He explained the base layer thing – how it helps on uneven concrete and absorbs shock. Made sense after seeing my slightly sloped garage floor. Company One just shipped me a single tile sample. It was… fine. Felt thinner? Seemed cheaper.
The Shocker Moment & Booking
Went back to Company Two ready to book. Then bam! Their quote jumped up. Why?! Turns out I missed the line about delivery cost being separate for my town. Sneaky! Almost walked. We argued. They came down a bit. Still higher than Company One’s total price, but… after seeing their setup and the sample quality, plus the fact they actually wanted to prep the floor right… I bit the bullet and booked with Company Two.
The Installation Day Grind
Took them two days. These guys worked.
- Day One: Cleared the garage (we moved everything out the night before). Power-washed the concrete. Found some old oil spots. Used some special cleaner they had. Had to wait for it to dry overnight. Hung around watching that part. Boring.
- Day Two: Rolled in the base layer foam stuff. Cut it to fit around the edges. Then clicked in the interlocking sport tiles. Like giant puzzle pieces. Trimmed the edge trim thingy. Looked slick when done. Sweeping lines and all.
Overall solid job. Tidy. Cleaned up after themselves. Got the keycard lock fixed they bumped into accidentally too. Big plus.
Walking Away Thinking
So, searching “sport flooring companies nj”? Wild ride. Learned:
- Get multiple quotes, but demand details! Ask “What does this ACTUALLY include?”
- Prices can hide fees. Look for the bottom line total cost, including delivery AND moving stuff if needed.
- Samples are non-negotiable. Touch the stuff!
- Prep matters. Especially on old garage floors. Don’t let them skip this if yours is funky.
- Be ready for surprises. Stuff pops up. Quotes change. Companies ghost. It sucks, but push through.
Expensive? Yeah. Worth it? So far, my knees say YES every time I drop a deadlift. No more concrete pain. Mission accomplished.
