Will Rubber Mats Damage Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors can easily get damaged from area rugs or rubber mats that why hardwood floor manufactures came up with an idea of putting a rug pad underneath to protect the floor from getting damaged or getting ruin over time.
Will rubber mats damage hardwood floors. Rug pads are great for keeping area rugs from sliding around on hardwood floors but the wrong one can leave marks and hurt your floor. It s perfectly safe to use with all hardwood flooring and finishes. Will rubber backing rugs harm a laminate floor. In that scenario you would probably want to contact the manufacturer to make sure that there is no risk of damage to your floor.
In commercial spaces they call them walk off rugs because they want you to walk off all the stones or dirt or grit and grime on the bottom of your shoe. Rubber backed mats can dull your floor s shine and even cause some discoloration. I learned it the hard and expensive way. Many area rugs have rubber or latex backing to prevent them from slipping.
However in some cases certain finishes used on the hardwood can have a chemical reaction with the rubber. On smooth laminate floors that s a safety precaution that can prevent a. It is more expensive to have my hardwood floors refinished if it gets damaged by a cheaper or less effective mat. Placing a rubber or latex backed rug onto a laminate floor traps wetness beneath the rubber allowing a bubble to form on the floor because moisture gets trapped between the synthetic materials forming the wood or stone and the coating or finish with which the floor is laminated.
Natural rubber pads are also far more eco friendly than plastic pads. The only way to safely use a rubber backed rug on a hardwood floor is to put it over a safe rug pad. However in most cases the rubber mats are installed over concrete. Should i get rubber floor mats.
The backed rugs prevent the floor surface from drying naturally. To protect your hardwood floor use a combination felt and rubber pad to keep your area rugs from sliding. Rubber backed rugs can damage your hardwood floors. If you have a hardwood floor do yourself a favor and stay away from rubber floor mats.
The chemicals in the rubber can leave permanent marks on the floor or discolor the wood. Natural rubber is the best overall option for hardwood floors in terms of both safety and performance. Homeowners can tape the rug pad to the bottom of the rubber backed area rug. Natural rubber also has very strong gripping power but will never stick to your floors.
Or any rubber backed floor mats in general. Hardwood flooring is a different beast as a softer more porous material. In most cases rubber mats will not damage a hardwood floor.