Keeping your playmat from moving is essential for safety and function, and several effective methods exist, including using anti-slip backings, underlays, or choosing the right mat type and size for your specific floor surface.
Playmats can shift for various reasons, from foot traffic to the type of flooring underneath. Fortunately, there are straightforward solutions to secure your mat and prevent unwanted movement.
Simple Solutions for Mat Stability
Here are several ways to keep your playmat firmly in place, drawing directly from common and effective techniques:
Utilize Anti-Slip Aids
- Double-sided Tape: A quick and cheap and simple solution involves using double-sided tape applied to the underside of the mat and secured to the floor. This provides a strong bond to prevent sliding.
- Anti-Slip Underlay: Products like the Teebaud Premium Anti-Slip Mat and Rug Underlay offer a premium solution. These underlays are placed between the mat and the floor, creating friction that holds the mat steady without adhesive residue.
Choose Mats with the Right Backing
The material and design of the mat's underside significantly impact its grip on different surfaces.
- Rubber-Backed Mats: Opting for Rubber-Backed Mats inherently provides good grip, especially on hard floor surfaces like wood, tile, or laminate, as rubber creates natural friction.
- Specific Backing for Floor Types:
- For carpets, Choose Mats with a Claw Backing. These backings feature small, gripper-like teeth that dig slightly into the carpet fibers, anchoring the mat firmly.
- For hard floors, Choose Mats with a Flat Backing. A smooth, flat backing made of materials like rubber or PVC maximizes contact and friction with hard surfaces, preventing slips.
Consider Mat Size and Type
Sometimes, the solution lies in the mat's overall design and how it interacts with the space.
- Larger Mats: Generally, Larger mats are less prone to movement than smaller ones simply because they have more surface area in contact with the floor and are heavier, making them more stable.
- Fitted Mats: For specific areas, Fitted Mats that are cut or designed to precisely fit a space offer superior stability as they fill the entire area, leaving no room to shift.
- Well Mats: Well Mats are designed to sit within a recessed area or "well" in the floor. This design naturally prevents any horizontal movement, keeping the mat perfectly in place.
By implementing one or a combination of these methods, you can effectively prevent your playmat from moving, ensuring it stays exactly where you need it.
