An office worker moves his or her office chair more than 300 times in the average eight-hour workday. Chair mats are an ergonomic tool that reduces the likelihood of repetitve stress injuries and lowers fatigue. Chair mats also protect your rugs, carpets and flooring from damage caused by chair casters. There are three factors to consider when choosing your chair mat.Show All ItemsI work from a home office situated in a carpeted room, where I sit for hours at a time next to a computer screen.To protect the flooring and provide a smooth rolling surface, I acquired a plastic chair mat from an office store.However, I soon found that I was extremely unsatisfied with the performance of my new chair mat. Despite buying a thicker version, my chair wheels still rested in "divots" in the mat. In the chair mat's defense, I am on the "huggable" side at 240-ish . . . But nonetheless, sitting in divots defeats one of the main benefits of the mat in the first place--the ability to roll and move the chair freely.
Also, my work table is about 6 feet long. My computer sits on one half of the table and the other half is left open for other tasks. This plastic mat wasn't big enough to allow me to roll my chair to the other side when working on non-computer things.After a bit of searching I found that you can in fact purchase longer, thicker and more heavy-duty chair mats that would meet the needs I was trying to fill. These bamboo ones look like an excellent choice, but they are not cheap.With that in mind, I decided to make my own. All said, I spent less than $75 USD on this mat and am perfectly happy with its performance. It is made from laminate flooring, particle board, and a bit of wood trim, all of which is available from any home improvement store.If you find yourself in a similar predicament and don't want to shell out big bucks, here's how to make your own wooden chair mat. Thanks for taking a look! Step 1: Prepare laminate flooring piecesShow All ItemsThe cheapest box of laminate flooring I could find was about $30 USD.
One box covers an area roughly 4 feet by 5.5 feet, which is perfect in front of my 6-foot work table. A smaller mat can be made by simply not using all of the boards from the box.For this use, the cheapest laminate is the best choice not only for price, but because it is perfectly smooth. The more expensive laminate flooring styles have slight waves, gouges and mars to imitate real wood. That looks nice in a dining area, but is the opposite of what a person would want in this application. The boards are made with a tongue-and-groove system that allows them to snap together along both the longer sides, as well as the narrow ends. Both the tongue side and the groove side have portions that extend out past the upper finished surface of the board, which are generally hidden once the boards are installed. (The groove side has a 1/2" tab that extends out from the bottom of the board that locks onto the bottom of the tongue side of the opposing board.)For this use, however, these extending portions must be removed from any areas that will become the perimeter of the assembled mat.
I began by trimming away the bits from the narrow ends of all boards using a cross-cut sled on my table saw. Then, along the lengths of two boards I trimmed away the tongue from one board, and the locking tab below the groove from the other. These two boards will be the end pieces on the right and left sides of the assembled mat.See photo notes for additional details. Chair floor mats may significantly extend the life of your carpet! Office chair matting may also have a positive impact on employee performance. These allow employees to smoothly roll alongside their desks. Increased employee mobility can increase comfort and the ability to work in teams. Most of all, chair matting protects carpet and hardwood surfaces from damage. This makes our selection of protective chair mats ideal for use in offices and in homes. Our products are constructed of clear plastic that will not hide your beautiful carpet designs from sight! matting comes with a Lifetime Warranty. These products are guaranteed not to crack or curl from regular use.
Chair Mats - Carpet Protect your carpeting with these American-made Carpet Chair Mats. New: Carpet Chair Mats now feature AnchorBar cleat system to hold mats firmly in place without damaging underlying carpeting! Comes with a Lifetime Warranty! Mat will not damage underlying carpet. AnchorBar cleat system holds mat firmly in place. Guaranteed not to crack or curl from normal wear and tear. Chair Mats - Hard Floor Protect hardwood floors without sacrificing appearance! , a clear solution for preventing cracks and scuffs to hard floor surfaces. Prevents damage to hard floor spaces. Guaranteed not to crack or curl under normal use Effective in protecting hardwood, vinyl, tile, marble, and terrazzo! Product: A to Z Product: Z to A Walk-N-Clean Dirt Grabber Mat 60-Sheet Refill Pad, 30 x 24, Gray (CWNWCRPLPAD)$112.13/Carton Crown Indoor/Outdoor Wiper/Scraper Mat, 48 x 72, Brown (CWNCS0046BR)$73.58/Each Crown Fore-Runner Outdoor Scraper Mat, Polypropylene, 48 x 72, Gry (CWNFN0046GY)$76.29/Each
Guardian WaterGuard Wiper Scraper Indoor Mat, 36 x 60, Charcoal (MLLWG030504)$55.53/Each Guardian Platinum Series Indoor Wiper Mat, 36 x 60, Black (MLL94030535)$50.39/Each Guardian Air Step Antifatigue Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 144, Black (MLL24031202)$64.20/Each Universal Cleated Chair Mat for Low and Medium Pile Carpet, Clear (UNV56807)$54.44/Each Deflect-o Anytime Use Chair Mat for Hard Floor, 45 x 53, Black (DEFCM21242BLK)$62.95/Each Guardian WaterGuard Indoor/Outdoor Scraper Mat, 36 x 120, Charcoal (MLLWG031004)$102.17/Each Guardian EcoGuard Diamond Floor Mat, Fan Only, 24x36, Charcoal (MLLEGDFAN020304)$18.76/Each Guardian EcoGuard Diamond Floor Mat, Fan Only, 24x48, Charcoal (MLLEGDFAN020404)$25.02/Each Floortex ClearTex Ultimat Polycarbonate Chair Mat for Carpet (FLR1113423LR)$97.90/Each Platinum Indoor Wiper Mat, Nylon/Polypropylene, 36 x 120, Black (MLL94031035)$89.65/Each Crown Super-Soaker Diamond Mat, Polypropylene, 34 x 58, Slate (CWNS1R035ST)$64.02/Each
Crown Industrial Deck Plate Anti-Fatigue Mat, Vinyl, 36 x 60, Blk (CWNCD0035DB)$94.50/Each EverLife Lip Chair Mat Multi-Task Series for Hard Floors, 45" x 53" (ESR132123)$46.13/Each Guardian WaterGuard Indoor/Outdoor Scraper Mat, 48 x 72, Brown (MLLWG040614)$86.74/Each Crown Comfort King Anti-Fatigue Mat, Zedlan, 36 x 60, Royal Blue (CWNCK0035BL)$55.35/Each Guardian Air Step Antifatigue Mat, Polypropylene, 24 x 36, Black (MLL24020302)$14.91/Each Crown Classic Berber Wiper Mat, Nylon/Olefin, 36 x 60, Brown (CWNCB0035BR)$47.27/Each Floortex Advantagemat PVC Chair Mat for Low Pile Carpet, 36 x 48 (FLRPF119225EV)$44.55/Each Guardian Outdoor Rubber Scraper Mat, Polypropylene, 48 x 72, Black (MLL14040600)$84.01/Each Guardian WaterGuard Indoor/Outdoor Scraper Mat, 48 x 72, Charcoal (MLLWG040604)$78.36/Each 3m Cushion Mat, Antifatigue & Antimicrobial, Vinyl, 36 x 60, Black (MMM34826)$137.45/Each Universal Cleated Chair Mat for Medium Pile Carpet, 46w x 60l, Clear (UNV56808)$45.84/Each
Crown Industrial Deck Plate Anti-Fatigue Mat, Vinyl, 24x36, Black (CWNCD0023DB)$37.23/Each Crown Dust-Star Microfiber Wiper Mat, 36" x 60", Charcoal (CWNDS0035CH)$51.76/Each Crown Dust-Star Microfiber Wiper Mat, 36" x 120", Charcoal (CWNDS0310CH)$111.50/Each Es Robbins Foldable 36x48 Chair Mat, Task Series for Carpet (ESR120082)$38.99/Each Guardian Soft Step Supreme Anti-Fatigue Floor Mat, 24x36, Blk (MLL24020301DIAM)$30.90/Each Guardian Flex Step Rubber Anti-Fatigue Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 60 (MLL24030500)$65.07/Each ES Robbins EverLife Chair Mats For Medium Pile Carpet, Clear (ESR121821)$28.39/Each Crown Needle-Rib Wiper/Scraper Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 48, Brown (CWNNR0034BR)$25.60/Each Crown Classic Berber Wiper Mat, Nylon/Olefin, 36 x 60, Gray (CWNCB0035GY)$47.27/Each Crown Classic Berber Wiper Mat, Nylon/Olefin, 36 x 120, Brown (CWNCB0310BR)$94.53/Each Es Robbins Foldable 36x48 Chair Mat, Task Series for Hard Floors (ESR130082)$33.15/Each
EverLife Lip Chair Mat for Carpet up to 1/4", 45" x 53" (ESR120123)$46.73/Each Guardian Indoor Wiper Mat, Nylon/Polypropylene, 48 x 72, Black (MLL94040635)$64.23/Each Guardian Platinum Series Indoor Wiper Mat, 36 x 60, Gray (MLL94030530)$41.81/Each Universal Cleated Chair Mat for Low and Medium Pile Carpet, Clear (UNV56806)$38.41/Each Crown Tire-Track Scraper Mat,36 x 60, Anthracite (CWNTE0035AC)$59.42/Each Crown Rib Wipe & Scrape Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 60, Charcoal (CWNNR0035CH)$40.06/Each Deflect-o Polycarbonate Chair Mat, 45w x 53l, Clear (DEFCM11242PC)$98.15/Each Crown Cushion-Step Mat, Rubber, 36 x 72, Marbleized Black (CWNCU3672BK)$129.55/Each Crown Cushion-Step Mat, Rubber, 36 x 72, Marbleized Gray (CWNCU3672GY)$136.10/Each Crown Ribbed Anti-Fatigue Mat, Vinyl, 27 x 36, Gray (CWNFJS736GY)$16.97/Each Crown Antistatic Comfort-King Mat, Sponge, 24 x 60, Gray (CWNZC0025GY)$37.78/Each Deflect-o No Bevel Chair Mat for Low Pile Carpet, 36w x 48h, Clear (DEFCM21112)$44.56/Each
Es Robbins 46x60 Rectangle Chair Mat, for Carpet up to 3/8" (ESR128371)$55.65/Each Es Robbins 46x60 Rectangle Chair Mat, Multi-Task Series for Hard Floors, Heavier Use (ESR132321)$71.48/Each Floortex Advantagemat PVC Hard Floor Chair Mat, 45 x 53 (FLRPF1213425EV)$46.42/Each Guardian Clean Step Outdoor Rubber Scraper Mat, 36 x 60, Black (MLL14030500)$44.33/Each Guardian Air Step Antifatigue Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 60, Black (MLL24030502)$31.59/Each Guardian EcoGuard Indoor/Outdoor Rubber Wiper Mat, 24x36, Charcoal (MLLEG020304)$19.01/Each Guardian Indoor/Outdoor Wiper Mat, Rubber, 36 x 120, Charcoal (MLLEG031004)$93.25/Each Guardian EcoGuard Indoor/Outdoor Wiper Mat, Rubber, 48 x 72 (MLLEG040604)$71.80/Each Guardian Rubber Anti-Fatigue Mat, Polypropylene, 24 x 36, Black (MLL24020300)$28.41/Each Guardian Golden Series Indoor Wiper Mat, Polypropylene, 36 x 60 (MLL64030530)$37.75/Each Guardian Free Flow Comfort Utility Floor Mat, 36 x 48, Black (MLL34030401)$49.32/Each