So I decided I needed new sport flooring for my home gym because the old mats were basically falling apart. Started Googling “sport flooring company NJ” like crazy last Tuesday afternoon. Man, that search showed me a million options – felt totally overwhelming at first.
The Research Chaos
I grabbed my laptop around 8PM with some cold pizza and just dug in hard. Checked every listing in my area, clicking through websites while scribbling notes on scrap paper. Some sites looked super professional while others seemed like they were made in 2005 – dead serious, one had flashing neon text! Prices were all over the place too, like shockingly different for basically the same rubber flooring stuff.
What I kept seeing:
- “Free installation” promises (later found out most charge extra for padding)
- Wildly different thickness measurements (anywhere from 3mm to 8mm)
- Zero actual customer photos – just stock images of shiny gyms
The Phone Call Circus
Next morning I started calling companies. First dude straight up told me “We don’t do residential, too small job” before hanging up. Second place had the manager screaming at someone in the background whole time I was asking questions. Third one? Kept pushing me to buy vinyl instead for “better aesthetics” when I specifically said I wanted rubber tile.
After six calls I was so frustrated I nearly gave up. Then finally found this place in Edison that sounded normal. Guy named Mark actually listened, didn’t rush me, explained all options without salesy crap. Quoted me same day when others took three days just to email back.
The Installation Day Madness
They showed up Wednesday 7AM sharp – kinda shocked me since contractors usually run late. Two guys unloaded like twenty huge rolls of rubber flooring. Watching them work was crazy – they moved furniture like ninjas and had this laser measuring gadget I’ve never seen before. Whole time I’m thinking “hope they don’t scratch my wood floors underneath”.
Then disaster struck when they peeled off the old mats. Found some mold patches underneath where the old mats trapped moisture! Had to stop everything, run to hardware store for mold killer spray, wait two hours for it to dry. Contractor looked pissed but didn’t charge extra for the wait time.
Installation took forever because of that setback. They didn’t leave until almost 8PM. But man, seeing that perfect seamless flooring? Totally worth the headache. The smell was awful though – strong rubber odor lasted four days even with windows open.
The Aftermath
Now one month later, the floors still look brand new even with my daily workouts. No more joints hurting from thin mats – my knees thank me every squat day. Lesson learned? Don’t trust websites. Don’t trust phone promises. Definitely go see actual samples before buying. And always check under old flooring for nasty surprises!
