Treadmills are helpful equipment loved by many people. This appliance is always recommended to be located on the ground floor.
Therefore, if you have your own apartment, you can almost place your machine anywhere on your ground floor.
If you live in an apartment building and don’t live on the ground floor, you can wonder, “Can you put a treadmill upstairs?”
Let’s find the answer in the following article!
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Can You Put A Treadmill Upstairs?
It is okay to put a treadmill upstairs.
The answer is yes. Most buildings today are structurally strong, including floors that can support the weight of the treadmill.
The heaviest residential model available is around 350 lbs; some products, such as the Peloton Tread machine, can weigh up to 455 lbs.
Let’s say you weigh 300 lbs (although that’s rare), and you’re standing on a machine that weighs about 350 lbs. The floor will then bear a total weight of 650 pounds (just you and the treadmill).
This total weight sounds like a lot. However, most standard buildings today can handle that weight without risk.
How Much Weight Can Your Floor Take?
The answer will depend on the build quality of your building.
A properly constructed floor can withstand up to 50 lbs/square foot. As a result, a 100-square-foot room will support 5,000 lbs without the risk of structural damage.
Just make sure the total weight of the furniture in your room does not exceed the limit of the floor, and you don’t need to worry about suddenly falling into your downstairs neighbor’s dinner!
If you are still worried, try the following tips to eliminate all risks:
Tip 1
This tip will work for you if you have a good understanding of your building’s structure. If so, it is wise to position your machine on top of a brace, which further increases the weight-bearing capacity of your floor.
Also, it is okay to place your treadmill on a load-bearing wall.
Tip 2
If you can’t locate the floor joist, there is another approach anyone can use: buy a lighter machine.
While even the biggest treadmills won’t harm a well-built floor, you can eliminate all worries when purchasing a lighter model.
When your mood becomes more relaxed, your exercise will be more effective.
You also benefit significantly from smaller treadmills, as you can move them into position more efficiently, and they won’t take up too much of your space.
Some Upstairs Problems With Treadmills And Solutions?
Noise is also a severe problem
If you don’t live in the dingiest and most flimsy apartments, you won’t need to worry about exercising on the treadmill spilling the floor.
However, floor collapse is not the only reason you should worry! The treadmill’s noise and vibration can also be an issue.
As we all know, the sound that we hear is mainly transmitted through the air. Yet air is a poor conductor of sound waves and worse than solid objects.
Therefore, the moderate sound you hear while exercising with your equipment can be an annoying noise to the neighbors downstairs. The reason is that noise travels through the floor better than through the air.
Therefore, in most cases, people living downstairs will be disturbed by the noise of your exercise.
Tip 1
Before placing a treadmill in your room, it is essential to check the level of sound transmission in the building.
To do it, you can try standing on tiptoes and dropping your heels to the floor while asking a friend downstairs to check the noise level.
If your friend can clearly hear the noise caused by the heel hitting the floor, the people living down there will be affected when you use the treadmill.
Tip 2
You might consider investing in a carpeted floor, which can help you reduce the noise your machine makes during your workout. An anti-vibration mat for treadmills is also a wise choice.
We highly recommend placing your fitness equipment at an angle to reduce vibrations. The reason behind it is that the walls will absorb some vibrations and noises.
When Using A Treadmill In an Apartment Or Condo?
Placing this exercise machine on the upper floors of your own home can cause problems. However, the solution is simple, and you need to talk about it with other family members.
However, if you live in an apartment building, things will be significantly different. The fact is that the vibrations created by treadmills can propagate throughout the building in which you live.
For example, a treadmill at 50 decibels can make 100 decibels of noise to any of your neighbors below your floor. This noise is almost like a passing train.
If you live near train tracks, you know how annoying it is when a train passes by. It’s the same feeling your neighbors feel every time you exercise.
That’s why most apartment owners forbid the use of treadmills. Even if the apartment you live in doesn’t have an express ban, it’s essential to consider the impact of noise before placing a treadmill in your room.
Tip 1
If you’re planning to buy a piece of exercise equipment, you should find a way to move up to the ground floor, so your workouts won’t disturb your neighbors.
It is alright to choose a condominium that has a fitness center or gym. Yet, the overall price of apartments in these condominiums is often more expensive.
If you don’t want to change your apartment, you can try gypcrete soundproofing, treadmill mats, and other types of noise reducers.
Tip 2
You should go to your neighbors downstairs and say sincerely: “Perhaps I will exercise on my treadmill every day. Can you tell me what time frame you are not at home?”
No one would be disturbed by practicing when the people living downstairs are not at home. You won’t have to worry about someone knocking on your door and complaining while jogging on your treadmill.
With just a little honesty with the neighbors, they will be comfier with you practicing at home, avoiding complaints to the apartment management.
Watch the following video to see how to move a treadmill upstairs with a corner turn
Tip 3
If you are a bigger person, you should start with brisk walking.
If you are a bigger person out of shape, it is wise to start with brisk walking.
It will put less load on your floor. Yet, it also puts less stress on your joints. If you start with running, hurting yourself is pretty common.
Conclusion
Hopefully, through this article, we have helped you answer, “Can you put a treadmill upstairs?” Yes, you can do it in most cases. However, you need to apply the tips we provide to avoid disturbing the neighbors downstairs.
Thank you for reading! Please share this article if you find it useful!
Good day, readers! My name is Jason Gwinn, a 35 years old man who specializes in physical fitness. With 15 years of experience being a personal trainer, I will help you conquer the fitness challenges. Besides guiding you through my unique workouts, I can also help you choose the best fitness equipment to assist you in achieving your goals and exercise regimen.
