(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best protective flooring

First thing anyone should buy is Deluxe Audio Strap. Can't stress that enough.

Vive-N-Chill is also really useful. It may seem silly, but it actually works really well. When I use any other headset for active gaming I really miss it.

Hyperskin covers for the controllers are awesome, comfortable, add grip and help with the occasional wall scrape. Though personally I ditched the headset one as I feel like it may trap in heat. Does look cool though. But the controller ones are a must have.

One of my absolute favorite VR accessories: 1" MMA floor tiles. Worth every penny. Way better than any thinner solutions and you can really kneel/roll around on the ground comfortably and stand for hours on it. Can be disassembled for transport and does not slide on carpet. They seem to be holding up to heavy duty long term use so well they should last for years through multiple generations of headsets.

My favorite face cushion for personal use is the stock foam one. Comfortable, breathes, and absorbs moisture and wicks it away. Nice to break out the fancy faux-leather ones for guests and stuff, but the original stock ones are the best for serious game sessions, at least in my opinion. Just hand wash it on occasion.

These guitar hangers are cheap and awesome for hanging controllers from when paired with some 10 foot usb micro cables for charging. Maybe not as cool looking as the special charging stand, but a whole bunch of pairs are great for different VR controllers if you have more than just a pair to deal with.

And, if/when you ever tire of the Base Stations' function to remotely power up/down automatically being fussy, slow or intermittent, then remote power outlets will make you happy. They make the base stations spring to life and sync in a few seconds compared to the slow blue tooth routine and power off when you want them off.

I buy my supplies on Amazon. (I loathe shopping with a passion, so online for me - even Peapod for groceries.) My elder guy will ONLY eat Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay so my choices are more limited. Amazon also has very good deals on Care Fresh bedding and both the Oxbow and the Care Fresh are Prime.


For the housing, cages are WAY too expensive in my opinion. This has been a great solution for us. I cooked up this system when my elder gal was paralyzed and not able to use the litter box as well as she used to. We also needed a "squishy" floor for her and Poncho's arthritis.

First layer (on top of hardwood floor): Whelping Mat - get a few to rotate. They wash up great in the laundry and we actually also use these for camping. They're soft but do absorb water (mine splash in their water dish more than drink it) and dry quickly.


Second Layer: Rubber Mats - they have these at our gym. THEY ARE AWESOME. We got a set of 6 for the rabbit area and then I bought 12 more for our workout / weights / stretching area. They clean up great with some of this Seventh Generation Spray - this spray was recommended by the coach at our kettlebell gym - it disinfects without the use of harsh chemicals or antibiotics so it's much safer for bunnies AND people. This stuff is awesome for cleaning ANYTHING.

Then we put some carpet squares, a huge "litterbox" (I use a low 24" x 36" rubbermaid w/o the lid - much better & cheaper than a "real" litter box. Oh, and of course toys.

There are all kinds of Puppy Play Pens on Amazon too. Look for Prime so you don't have to pay to ship it. If you have an enthusiastic young bunny, get the 48" H pen. It seems excessive, but my parents had a 3.5 pound little dude who could EASILY hurdle the 36"H one.

I have also used the Whelping Mats (there are smaller size ones) on top of the rubber tiles and under the litter pan to collect any "misses" - our boy bunny likes to "aim high" and overshoots sometimes.

Overall, it's very customize-able, portable, and MUCH MUCH easier to clean.

Thanks for the reply!

I'm aware I have my chair where my dining room should be, but the ceiling fan is currently the only source of light in the room and since I don't have an actual dining table set (i use a tv tray table) it's been my only real solution given what I have.

I hadn't considered Hues, I thought they were awesome when the first came out and always wanted some. I will definitely explore that idea.

As for as woodworking, it's only hand tools, so i'm not too concerned with the noise. Hand chopping mortises is about the loudest activity involved and that can be mitigated with using a rubber coated mallet. I was thinking about getting some of These To both prevent the shavings/dust from embedding in the carpet, and also to help with noise mitigation through the floor. If all else fails, bribery with fine wooden gifts, with promises to keep the louder activities to normal daylight hours should suffice.

I'm currently thinking about around 78sq ft for a woodworking area. 13ft across the back windowed wall, and 6' deep into the living room. The space wouldn't totally be reserved/closed off, i just need room to be able to maneuver a 5' or so board without smashing into my furniture. this would leave another 78sqft of space from the end of my "Shop area" to the edge of the opening to the hall, and (drawing a imaginary hall from the door edges to the hall) 32.5 sqft without infringing on the dining area or a direct path from door to hall. Like this

Thank you for the color suggestions. I do not have "the eye" for that kind of stuff, just individual wood piece color/staining.
And thank you for the encouragement to embrace my own style, even if its out of place in a BFE hick city.

You are doing a great job!

I would make sure your litter truly is "99.9% dust free" - so watch carefully when you pour it to see how much dust it produces. Also, scoop it every day (or twice a day) to reduce the ammonia, which could irritate his airways.

You could talk to a vet about bronchodilator therapy. It's not used by itself, and most cats do not need it, but it can be used symptomatically based on clinical signs (wheezing, noisy breathing, etc).

Air purifiers are probably only helpful if they are effective for the size of the room where he spends most of its time. Ideally you would have one for each room he spends time in, so that you can be sure it is actually circulating there.


You could try covering the carpet in the room he spends most of the time in? I use these for my foster kitten room. These ones have a bit of a chemical odor to them, so if you go this route make sure to let them air out (preferably outside) for a little while. You can get more fashionable ones like this, too. Alternatively, lots of low pile rugs might help - they are much easier to vacuum thoroughly.

Overall, asthma is not curable. Medication helps, but clinical signs may still be present. In humans that develop asthma as kids, spontaneous resolution is common - but we do not know if this is true for cats with asthma.

Cover your floors (especially where they’re most likely to run) with something like these then throw a carpet over the top of it, and you should be good to go. As a drummer living in an apartment, I’m sure they will help greatly and appease your neighbors until your kids learn to walk a bit more gently :)

I cut and pasted this comment from one I made a while back. It's very condensed, but if it looks like something you'd like to try I'd be happy to give much more detailed steps. I learned completely on my own watching Youtube videos. There's a learning curve but it wasn't bad. Just expect to make mistakes.

• Found a pepakura file
  
• Bought foam mats from a hardware store (1/2" thick)
  
• Printed out the pieces of the file using the pepakura software and then transferred them to the foam
  
• Cut out
  
• Hot glue
  
• Sand down (you can sand down the foam itself or apply body filler Bondo to smooth out edges)
  
• Apply plastidip
  
• Paint
  
  For all the bells and whistles I had to get creative and find random things around my job (I work in an industrial area so I had a bit of an upper hand there) as well as use ordinary items from the hardware store e.g. the light and tubing.

NP. I have the Ohio Power Bar and it's badass. I love it. The Ohio Bar is similar with spinnier collars and different knurling markings. Honestly, a deadlift bar would be awesome, and won't necessarily be whippy enough to bother you on squats and bench unless your numbers are pretty high (350-400+), and I've seen those in the boneyard too.

https://www.amazon.com/Interlocking-Exercise-High-Density-Protective-Equipment/dp/B077NXZKPP/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1520957377&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=puzzle+flooring&psc=1 This is what I bought. I do burpees, box jumps, and all sorts of shit on this flooring and haven't had a single instance where it's come apart. Just have one set and looking to get two more to cover the whole open-floor area in my garage.

I purchased a set of those interlocking play mats on Amazon and I love them. I bought the white ones so that I can better see my work as I pin it down.

I really love that these are 24" wide, instead of the standard 12" that most blocking mats for knitting/crochet seem to be. So for large projects, you fuss with fewer squares - and for smaller projects, one square is more than enough to get the job done. I guess the only downside is that you'd need a larger space to store them. I just tuck them in the back of my closet.

I've never used the mats with the grid, but I can certainly see the value. Me, I just use a yardstick and blocking wires. It seems to work just fine for my needs.

You will want to get a power rack, olympic barbell (with clips), bench, assorted plates, and a rubber mat. That's all you need for a starting strength lifting routine.

If you can find one, go to Play It Again Sports (or similar secondhand sports equipment store) where you can get used equipment. I got a very simple power rack for about $120 along with an Olympic bar and plates for cheap. Make sure to get a rubber mat for your floor so you don't destroy it with deadlifts. Also, don't forget accessory items like chalk, motivational posters, weight belt, and some sort of stereo/iHome. You should be well under $500 if you are patient and look in the right places. Just make sure to check for quality when buying used e.g. the barbell isn't bent.

Edit: yard sales too.

Due to the Index using Display Port, I had to come up with a way to play it outside my office without running a long cable. The solution i came up with was to drill a hole through the wall and make that room a VR room. I absolutely love it!

Another view

Headset & Controllers

EDIT:

For those who are interested, here are links to some of the things I used for the room:

Foam padding (Blue)

Foam padding (Black)

Velcro (used to hang the foam on the walls)

Utility Wall Hooks (To hang headset and controllers)

Cable clamps (for managing base station wire) Screws for cable clamps

Cable pass through wall port

Great idea, it looks good. How long have you had it on there? Where do you sail? I may give it a try myself.


On a semi-related note. I pulled out the interior hull liner on my '85 Jeanneau and painted but I'm thinking of relining with interlocking gym matt material like this stuff:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RD90SK?psc=1



My hope is that I can velcro it up for insulation and still have it be removable for cleaning.

Good tips thanks! I’m planning on printing out pieces of paper with quick instructions. Wish the lab was piecemeal like robot repair (stand alone exe) - might be tricky to describe pulling the sphere toward your head...

Going to get these disposables
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07PQB45KB/ref=ox_sc_act_image_4?smid=A2MQR1TB40DDHV&psc=1

And now I’m contemplating a cable management system vs a foam floor (kids type with puzzle piece assembly). Gaffers tape around the foam floor. Then shoes off.

Lots of mixed reviews about cable management systems. I have essentially unlimited ceiling height, and am eying a swivel. I’m imaginging running a ratchet strap up across the play space (tight) and then attaching the swivel to the strap at midpoint and adding a block to the cable so it doesn’t slide through the swivel too far.

Center Swivel
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07T8GXTCV/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=A8QS2LDO4K4S1&psc=1

And other support swivels
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0777H24ZG/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=AN3HMS2D505PT&psc=1

Kids floor mats:
https://www.amazon.com/Stalwart-Interlocking-Flooring-Exercising-Playroom/dp/B01D1X0U3O/ref=asc_df_B01D1X0U3O/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167148646512&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9426578871373252278&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014226&hvtargid=pla-273886514766&psc=1

Get a jump rope mat.
Like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/EliteSRS-Jump-Rope-Mat-Fitness/dp/B077TB8QDC

https://www.elitesrsfitness.com/collections/accessories/products/jump-rope-mat

Yoga mats are not designed to handle the impact from jump rope. It won’t offer much protection from the concrete.

If you are lucky enough to be near a public playground, they sometimes have a vinyl flooring outside. That surface is very good for jumping rope. The other surface that is good is the hardwood floor use for indoor basketball courts.

I’m thinking about setting up a home gym in my (unfinished) basement and am looking at the following for flooring:

Equine Stall Mat, Bed Mat, Barn Flooring, Kennel Floors - Heavy Duty Rubber Mat 4' x 6' x 1/2" (Qty of 6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N01YIJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_V5QDDbSE45K3X

BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles, Blue, 144 sq. ft.(Pack of 36) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IDRWPCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h6QDDbHKADPYJ

The thinking is I’d put the rack and such on the stall mats and then surround the stall mats with the foam tiles. Anyone have something similar or have an opinion on this?

Both are 1/2” but I’m wondering if the two will truly be level with on another. Not looking to trip over a slightly raised edge.

Also, would stall mats adequately protect the concrete floor from dropped weights. I’m not one to throw weights around but sometimes you need to bail.

Any and all thoughts welcome!

I use these and have been pretty happy with them:
https://www.amazon.com/IncStores-Interlocking-lightweight-gymnastics-plyometric/dp/B00TEC1RCK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474082407&sr=8-1&keywords=1%22%2Bmma%2Bmats&th=1&psc=1

Sometimes they run a sale on their site as well.

Wrestling mats are going to be pretty expensive, as are the premium judo mats. If you're just working out of your garage, you should just get some foam puzzle mats for whatever space you're covering. That's going to be probably good enough for bjj, although you may want to put down extra padding for throws and takedowns.

I currently have these spread out in an 8x6 foot area (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017J8ZC3K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1), but I think something more substantial is needed to both protect the floor and also for stability)

I bought it on Amazon! Here it is. Used a really sharp utility knife to score and cut it to fit the space. Pretty straightforward!

I ordered this for my apartment, high quality flooring, depending on how much space you want to cover, it could work:

XMark Fitness Flooring

This could also work if you have a larger space to cover:

Interlocking Fitness Mats

Just search for 3/4 Inch Eva foam. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IDRWPCM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474091737&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=100+square+feet+eva+foam&dpPl=1&dpID=51drAhFhUpL&ref=plSrch

Edit: this is 1/2 inch you want a least 3/4 inch eva

Amazon. It was these Incstores 1" MMA mats. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TEC1M20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_d0AFxbNYYXSMK
They're the same my work uses in their mocap studio.

I use a rubber mat I bought on Amazon over my concrete floor. My DLs are still in the mid 300s, though, so I can't speak to heavier weights.

https://www.amazon.com/XMark-Fitness-Ultra-Thick-Equipment-x/dp/B005UAFH3A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542307825&sr=8-2&keywords=XMark+Fitness+weight+lifting+mats&dpID=41S5SMJ31JL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I also got something similar on amazon but the shipping wasn't free. I like the 2' square pieces a bit more than the 1' square pieces as you can fit larger projects on one section with fewer fiddly joints. This company makes a few different colors too.

You could try a rubber floor mat like this one (random one found, not necessarily the best or most economical).

I bought them on Amazon with a defunct account, but they were red-blue mats similar to these.

24"x24"x1"

10 tiles

40 square feet

$90 (I think I paid around $120).

You could use this as your underlayer. https://www.amazon.com/BalanceFrom-Puzzle-Exercise-Interlocking-Tiles/dp/B074J6Y2JL

The tricky part will be the actual putting turf, which can get expensive and may be difficult to find small/custom sizes.

I used some “eco carpet” from Lowe’s but wasn’t that impressed. After all the trouble of putting together my own cheap green, I decided $150 for a 4x12 BirdieBall wasn’t so bad