Tacky mats are a common type of temporary floor protection used in construction and renovation projects. They are crucial in maintaining cleanliness and safety on job sites, and their ease of use is straightforward. Read on to learn more about these mats and how to use them properly.
What Are Tacky Mats?
A tacky mat is a mat with an adhesive surface placed at entrances or exits of workplaces. Its non-slip, sticky adhesive grabs contaminants from footwear and wheeled carts like hand trucks, keeping floors clean and undamaged. It comes with peel-off layers for multiple uses before replacement. The number of layers varies by manufacturer and product, but most include around 30 layers.
Consider these Tacky Mats 4pk (30 sheets per mat) as an example. This product features 30 peel-off layers, and the pack includes 4 anti-microbial adhesive surface mats sized at 1200mm x 460mm.
How to Use Tacky Mats?
Position each tacky mat at entrances or exits until it covers the entire doorway or high-traffic area. Remove the protective film to expose its sticky adhesive surface, then stick it onto the floor. Workers can then walk over the mat but make sure each footstep contacts the adhesive surface to trap dirt, dust, and debris, keeping the floor clean.
Once the top layer of the mat becomes dirty or loses its adhesiveness, peel it off to reveal a fresh, clean layer underneath — you can do so until all layers are used up. Dispose of the used layers and replace the entire mat as needed.
Best Places for Sticky Mats
The best places to install tacky mats are in front of clean room or building doors. These entrances are where dirt from outdoors enters, making it crucial to trap contaminants at this point. The hallways that lead up to these areas are also great spots for these mats to keep the floor underneath grime-free.
Tacky mats adhere well to a variety of flooring types, including tile, concrete, laminate, vinyl, and low-pile carpeting. For using just a few individual tacky mat sheets in different locations, we recommend using a tacky mat frame. The frame features a tacky, non-slip bottom that ensures it stays securely in place on any type of floor surface.
How Long Can Each Layer Last and When Should It Be Replaced?
Each layer can endure approximately 50 walkthroughs, depending on the amount of dirt or debris carried on footwear, including airborne dust. With 30 layers, workers can continue without needing to change the entire mat frequently, especially when only one is used for short-term projects. However, frequent replacements are necessary when using multiple mats to cover a larger area over the long term, along with having spare tacky mats on hand.
Tip: When removing the top sheet, find the tab and pull it up slowly. Roll the old sheet into a ball as you go to prevent dirt and dust from flying into the air.
Tacky mats truly are a great addition to your temporary protection setup, keeping your floors clean and undamaged during construction or renovations.
For more information on floor protection, Corry Board, or other similar sheeting to correx, contact us via hello@s-pgroup.com or call +44 (028) 9442 8611. SP Group is a temporary floor protection supplier based in UK and Ireland.