Treadmill Cover Information: Treadmill Cover Materials and Warranty
The treadmill deck is the material that forms the hard surface you run on. In other words, it is the bearing surface. This article distinguishes the deck from the tread, which is the tread that moves along the deck.
Important
Treadmill manufacturers don’t provide much information about the actual construction materials of their decks. These days, most treadmills, especially if they’re priced above $1,000, are built with decently strong tread decks (usually medium density fiberboard with a duo phenolic coating, all discussed in detail next).
However, strength is not the beginning and end of everything. If strength was the most important thing, more treadmill manufacturers would use metal. Metal is used, but not extensively.
What are the objectives of building the roof?
Like I said earlier, if strength was the only goal, metal or steel decks would dominate the day. But strength is not the only goal. Quality covers should:
- Be strong
- be sustainable
- Have some give (i.e. slightly flexible, but not bouncy)
- Minimize noise (i.e. mute noise if possible)
- Have a smooth surface to minimize tread friction
What materials are used?
You’ll often see references to solid wood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and metal as materials used for treadmill decks. For coating, you will typically read about phenolic coating. The article explains these different materials.
Materials
1. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
MDF is created by breaking down wood into fibers (sawdust) and then forming the fibers into a solid treadmill deck with wax and resin. Typical thickness is 3/4″ to 1″. You can read more about MDF here.
MDF is the predominant material used for treadmill decks.
2. Solid wood
The deck is made from 3/4″ to 1″ solid wood. The problem with solid wood is that it’s hard to find a piece of wood that’s perfect. MDF, although not perfect either, ensures a consistency that is difficult to find with solid wood.
Particleboard: Particleboard is not the same as MDF. Particle board is not fiber based. It is a solid wood composite product. The result is that particle board is much weaker than MDF. MDF is denser and stronger.
Avoid treadmills with decks that use particle board. You’ll be lucky to get a year out of it.
3. Metallic
Metal decks are not as prevalent as solid wood or MDF decks. It is heavy and does not create as “smooth” a surface as wood or MDF. Running on metal or steel just isn’t as nice as solid wood or MDF.
What material do I recommend?
Double or triple skinned MDF top with phenolic resin facing.
the coating
Some treadmills are coated on both sides (double coated, sometimes also called triple coated), while lesser quality treadmills coat only 1 side of the treadmill deck. The best cover is coated on both sides, which helps reduce warping. It is also better at reducing friction with the tread deck along the entire surface area that the tread is moving over.
The best material used for lining:
Phenolic: This is the best coating material. You’ll pay more for phenolic siding, but it’s worth it.
What is phenolic resin coating?
Phenolic resin coating is a plastic resin. When a treadmill deck is coated with phenolic resin, it is not necessary to wax the wooden deck.
Can you build your own if your original deck breaks?
Yes, but it’s not advisable unless you really know what you’re doing. Simply hitting a sheet of plywood or MDF won’t do it. The deck must be properly coated and ensure that it attaches securely to the treadmill.
The last thing you want is for your deck to break while running or walking.
This is why it is important to have a lifetime warranty on your treadmill deck. The decks often break or crack (especially with low-priced treadmills).
Cover Considerations
replacement frequency
The range in the number of hours of use that treadmill decks are good for is staggering. Some lower-end treadmill decks are designed for 500 hours, while others guarantee their decks for life. Naturally, the intensity of use and the weight of the users will affect the duration of a treadmill deck.
Is it reversible?
Some treadmill manufacturers make reversible tread covers so you can get more mileage out of them.
Is reversible good?
It depends. Some manufacturers make treadmill decks that are guaranteed for life without investment. Others do not come with a lifetime guarantee and cannot be reversed. These may have the shortest shelf life. Then there are treadmills with reversible decks that theoretically double the life of the treadmill deck.
The guarantee
Ideally, the treadmill you buy will have a lifetime warranty on the deck. This is indicative that the manufacturer stands behind the platform and in the event that the platform fails, you will get a replacement.
damping technology
Cushioning technology is cool these days. Treadmill cushioning technology includes the amount, type, and quality of treadmill cushioning.
