Using flooring material as chair mat??
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The front part of our plastic/gripper teeth mat stuck out beyond the rug at the desk, and it scratched our wood floor. GRRRR. Now there’s a piece of cardboard under that section. Not pretty. But it makes the mat usable.
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I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper, then put it under the desk.
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I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper, then put it under the desk.
@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper
Is there a special kind of glue for flooring?
Although at this point, I wonder if we're getting close to the price of a store-bought one...
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@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper
Is there a special kind of glue for flooring?
Although at this point, I wonder if we're getting close to the price of a store-bought one...
@ShiroKuro said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper
Is there a special kind of glue for flooring?
Although at this point, I wonder if we're getting close to the price of a store-bought one...
Or.... If you are looking for frugal, just get a piece of plywood the size you want. Thick enough to support without bending. A little stain perhaps and some clear finish should give you a good amount of use. Or maybe an epoxe paint? Super durable, just make sure to apply and let it dry out of your living area. Depending on your rug depth, run a few drywall type screws of the appropriate length through to grab the rug and make it stay put.
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@ShiroKuro said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper
Is there a special kind of glue for flooring?
Although at this point, I wonder if we're getting close to the price of a store-bought one...
Or.... If you are looking for frugal, just get a piece of plywood the size you want. Thick enough to support without bending. A little stain perhaps and some clear finish should give you a good amount of use. Or maybe an epoxe paint? Super durable, just make sure to apply and let it dry out of your living area. Depending on your rug depth, run a few drywall type screws of the appropriate length through to grab the rug and make it stay put.
@Rontuner said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
Depending on your rug depth, run a few drywall type screws of the appropriate length through to grab the rug and make it stay put.
Oh that’s a good idea. This is in the (finished) basement by the way, and I’m guessing that under the carpet and whatever underlayment might here there, is just concrete.
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Liquid nails or any construction adhesive will work, although as Ron points out the only reason for using flooring over the plywood is to make it look like flooring rather than plywood.
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@wtg said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
Hopefully no underfloor heating…..
Nope, not in that room. But the basement bathroom actually has it! And the bathrooms on the main floor as well. I would not have installed those if it had been up to me. We've only turned them on once, to make sure they worked.
@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
as Ron points out the only reason for using flooring over the plywood is to make it look like flooring rather than plywood.
Good point, I wasn't thinking about the cosmetics of it!
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I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper, then put it under the desk.
@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I’d glue the flooring to the plywood, maybe with a bit of trim around it to act as a bumper, then put it under the desk.
Smart idea.
You might add the cost of the flooring, the plywood, and the adhesive plus the work and compare that to the cost of the expensive mat. -
Maybe there is a place you can get a piece of sheet vinyl or even self-adhesive squares to attach to the plywood base for another more affordable option? Or if you want a little bit of rolling resistance then thin carpet squares on top of plywood? Lots of options!
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I'd just get a real chair mat. The flooring will look like it does not belong, while the chair mats just kind of go away.
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer”
― Douglas Adams -
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Maybe there is a place you can get a piece of sheet vinyl or even self-adhesive squares to attach to the plywood base for another more affordable option? Or if you want a little bit of rolling resistance then thin carpet squares on top of plywood? Lots of options!
@Rontuner said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
Or if you want a little bit of rolling resistance then thin carpet squares on top of plywood?
That was my thought as well.
@Mik said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I'd just get a real chair mat.
@CHAS said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
You might add the cost of the flooring, the plywood, and the adhesive plus the work and compare that to the cost of the expensive mat.
I think @Mik and @CHAS are right. I'd be surprised if the DIY version ends up being much cheaper, unless you already have some plywood lying around the house and can get flooring on the cheap at Habitat for Humanity or a clearance price at a home center.
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I'd just get a real chair mat. The flooring will look like it does not belong, while the chair mats just kind of go away.
@Mik said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I'd just get a real chair mat.
He tried that already and the see-through kinds didn't work on carpet (they sink in). The one you linked says it work on carpet though, and it's not very expensive, so I'll take a closer look. Of course, it says it's back ordered through Nov...
@wtg said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I'd be surprised if the DIY version ends up being much cheaper
Yes, this is the question. I think he was thinking he could just buy one box of floor boards and be done with it. That would most definitely be cheaper. But if that's not really going to work, and if the one Mik linked doesn't work or isn't available, then we'll end up getting him something like what I have (to the tune of maybe $170)
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The clear plastic one that Mik linked to isn't getting very good ratings. People say it's too thin and it's not lasting.
@wtg said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
The clear plastic one that Mik linked to isn't getting very good ratings. People say it's too thin and it's not lasting.
Good catch, I just saw that it's not currently available and didn't look too much further.
Similar products on Amazon are all much more expensive.
The jury is still out!
Stay tuned!
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I'd just get a real chair mat. The flooring will look like it does not belong, while the chair mats just kind of go away.
@Mik said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I'd just get a real chair mat. The flooring will look like it does not belong, while the chair mats just kind of go away.
I used real chair mats before, and found that chair mats didn't work well on thicker (not "low pile") carpets. For the home, typically one chooses thicker carpets for comfort, which work against plastic chair mats.
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@Mik said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:
I'd just get a real chair mat. The flooring will look like it does not belong, while the chair mats just kind of go away.
I used real chair mats before, and found that chair mats didn't work well on thicker (not "low pile") carpets. For the home, typically one chooses thicker carpets for comfort, which work against plastic chair mats.
@Axtremus I think this is our problem, although I am obviously not in there as much as Mr SK is, and I should go down there and compare his carpet to the one in my home office. Because the carpet in my home office is too thick for a regular chair mat. The one I got works ok, but anything thinner would not work.
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Also, I think the photo @Axtremus posted looks fine. If Mr SK can figure out an option that doesn’t involve buying $150 worth of supplies, then a handmade solution could be fine. If not, then he’ll probably buy one of those bamboo floor mat options, since that’s what I have.
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If you’re going to explore all of the options, (and I know you want to
) you might consider the ultimate - remove a section of carpet and install either tile or wood flooring in the cutout.Or perhaps marble. Carerra is nice.
