Hardwood flooring are stunning, long-lasting, and straightforward to maintain clear. They shine up like a champ. Their sturdiness and ease of upkeep have made them a perennial favourite for many years. However the wooden may be worn down by the repeated actions of an workplace chair rolling throughout the identical space many times. When that occurs, it leaves behind a worn patch that’s visibly lighter in colour than the remainder of the wooden round it.

Restoring worn-down hardwood to its authentic colour is subsequent to unimaginable with out sanding the entire ground and marking it. That’s not solely costly, however it’s also time-consuming. Happily, there’s a higher approach: a chair mat.

A chair mat can shield your hardwood ground for pennies on the greenback in comparison with retroactively restoring it. All kinds of chair mats exist, with totally different colours, supplies, and sizes obtainable. We can assist you discover the one which’s best for you.

Key issues

Measurement

How massive of an space does the chair mat want to guard? Some chair mats have a tongue or protrusion on one facet that’s meant to guard the ground below a desk, the place your ft are. You probably have an under-desk footrest, you in all probability received’t want an extension on the chair mat, however in case you don’t, you need to positively think about it.

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The format of your room may also be a figuring out issue within the measurement of the chair mat you want. In case your workplace chair resides in cramped quarters with submitting cupboards and different workplace gear taking over ground house, you’ll want a smaller ground mat. Keep away from pointless returns by measuring the world the place the ground mat will likely be. Then, simply to be on the secure facet, order a mat that’s an inch or two smaller than your measurements.

Thickness

The thickness of chair mats for hardwood flooring isn’t a essential concern until the producer ships the product rolled up. If that occurs, a thicker mat will take longer to flatten than a thinner one. If a chair mat is thicker than 0.1 inches, it’s in all probability meant for use on carpets and rugs.

Grip

Extra necessary than thickness is the grip on the again or underside of the chair mat. If it has little spikes, meaning it’s a chair mat for carpets. For hardwood ground safety, the again of the mat must be easy and never slippery. If it slides round on the ground whenever you’re rolling your chair or whenever you’re strolling on it, it can act like an enormous piece of sandpaper in opposition to the ground. That can defeat the entire level of getting the mat within the first place.

Options

Materials

Clear chair mats are standard as a result of they permit the color of the ground to point out by means of — and you probably have hardwood flooring, you doubtless need to present it off. Not all clear supplies are created equally, nonetheless. The identical may be mentioned for non-translucent mats.

• Vinyl: This is without doubt one of the least costly supplies obtainable. It’s simple for producers to make vinyl clear or opaque, so vinyl is broadly used for chair mats. It’s also very light-weight, so it tends to slide and slide on hardwood flooring. If it doesn’t have a non-slip backing, you’ll be able to nonetheless anchor it by placing the legs of your desk on it. Both possibility would overcome the slipping downside.
• PVC: That is one other cheap materials that shares some widespread properties with vinyl. It additionally shares some issues, like slippage. With the right backing, nonetheless, PVC is an efficient materials for a chair mat.
• Polycarbonate: Polycarbonate is a tricky, naturally clear plastic that’s typically utilized in bullet-proof glass and airplane home windows. It’s broadly used as a lens in glasses and is sort of proof against warmth. Chair mats constructed from polycarbonate are powerful and sturdy. They’re additionally a bit costlier than vinyl and PVC.
• Tempered glass: Glass chair mats are fully unbendable. They’re clear and heavy sufficient to remain in place on any ground. They’re additionally the costliest materials for chair mats. They usually include prolonged producer warranties, which is one thing that different mats normally don’t have.

Shade

Clear ground mats are the preferred, however black mats are additionally considerably widespread. Some producers provide a variety of colours spanning the rainbow. Nevertheless, these are the exception relatively than the rule.

Antistatic

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Some chair mats are listed as antistatic mats. That is helpful in case you’re a pc technician repairing or constructing PCs and laptops. Static discharge may be lethal to uncovered pc parts, so these technicians must have a static-free mat below them always.

Odor

Plastic mats typically have a definite odor after they first arrive. If a mat is listed as BPA-free, it shouldn’t have any odor to it. In case your mat does have an odor, unbox it in an open house (like a storage), and provides it 24 hours to air out earlier than placing it in place.

Outer lip

Some chair mats for hardwood flooring have a lip across the edge to forestall your chair from rolling off the mat onto the naked ground. Consider it as a roadside curb in your mat. It’s a pleasant characteristic, however it could additionally journey you up whenever you’re strolling across the mat.

Chair mats for hardwood flooring: costs

Cheap

Cheap chair mats for hardwood flooring typically price lower than $35. These no-frills mats are normally constructed from vinyl or PVC.

Mid-range

Something within the vary of $40 to $70 is the medium worth vary. These mats are sometimes manufactured from polycarbonate and may have a significantly better non-slip backing than the cheaper mats. Some mats on this vary could also be thicker and bigger, too.

Costly

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On the excessive finish of the worth vary, you’ll discover mats that price greater than $70. You may pay as much as a number of hundred for a tempered glass mat. The primary determinants of the worth will likely be thickness, measurement, and materials.

Environmentally pleasant chair mats are manufactured from plant-based polymers and are licensed by the U.S. Division of Agriculture as bio-based. They’re costlier than plastic mats.

Ideas

• You don’t must order thick chair mats to be used on hardwood flooring. Mats which can be 2.5-millimetres thick ought to suffice.
• Mats which can be rolled up for supply will have a tendency to twist after being unboxed. Place them outdoors straight within the daylight on a sizzling day. The warmth will assist them flatten out.
• Chair mats have two sides. Whichever facet is the smoothest is the highest. The rougher facet is the underside and is meant to maintain the mat from sliding on hardwood flooring.

FAQ

Q. The chair mat I bought retains slipping. Are there any tips I can use to maintain it nonetheless?

A. Flip the mat over and unfold a skinny layer of glue throughout it. Make certain the glue is unfold evenly and let it dry. As soon as it’s dry, flip the mat again over. The dried glue ought to add a little bit of traction to forestall the mat from slipping.

Q. Are there another methods to maintain my chair mat from sliding?

A. Sure. Put double-sided tape below every nook of the mat. Change the tape each couple of months, although, or it could not come up in any respect.

Q. What’s one of the simplest ways to scrub my chair mat?

A. You possibly can mop the mat simply as you’ll the remainder of the ground, however that leaves a residue of water below the perimeters. That water should be wiped away with a fabric to forestall mildew and decay below the mat. Because you’re going to should get down in your palms and knees anyway to do this, you may as properly clear the mat whilst you’re down there. Use a smooth fabric dipped in a combination of gentle cleaning soap and heat water.