Using flooring material as chair mat??

ShiroKuro

@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!

CHAS

@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.

Rontuner

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!

Mik

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.

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/glass-chair-mat-46-x-36-clear?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=[ADL] [PLA] [tROAS] (Safety %26 Security - Prime) - {Bury}&utm_term=4582489643404671&utm_content=(Safety %26 Security - Floor Mats)&adlclid=ADL-aa5caf67-d760-40fc-a6ef-98809ab7e09e

Mik

https://www.staples.com/staples-45-x-53-berbermat-low-pile-carpet-chair-mat-rectangular-w-lip-crystal-clear-vinyl-20232-cc/product_567298?cid=ps:ms:dot:nb:pmax:furn&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%23PMAX%2F_(1)_BNG_(2)_US_(5)_Feed Only_(9)_Office Furniture|&utm_term=2330208737218790&utm_content=Office Furniture Feed Only

wtg

@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.

ShiroKuro

@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)

wtg

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.

ShiroKuro

@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!

Axtremus

@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.

ShiroKuro

@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.

ShiroKuro

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.

Steve Miller

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.

ShiroKuro

@Steve-Miller said in Using flooring material as chair mat??:

ou might consider the ultimate - remove a section of carpet and install either tile or wood flooring in the cutout.

Oh no, absolutely not!!! We'll stick with the path of least resistance -- i.e., leaving the flooring as is!!

WTF-Beta

Using flooring material as chair mat??