A chair mat placed on a carpet is bound to move around as the chair mats rest on the carpet piles’ position. So when you walk over the mat, the force transfers through the carpeting, moving the mat along with you.
This is a common occurrence with plush mats with have no rubber backing. You can keep chair mat from moving on carpet by using mats with non-slip backing or by attaching a gripper pad.
Let’s delve deep into more details on how to keep chair mat from moving on carpet.
How to Keep Chair Mat from Moving on Carpet
Table of Contents
1. Select the Appropriate Mat
One way to ensure your chair mat stays in place is by using the right type and size for your need. When working out, you would need a workout mat, not a throw rug so keeping exercise mat from sliding on carpet, starts with choosing the right one.
If your intended purpose for the mat is to place it beneath an office chair or furniture you’ll need the appropriate chair mat. These mats are designed differently depending on the intended use and the type of carpet you have.
Choosing a quantity mat is also important if you do not want your chair mat to slide around, a thin, flimsy, and cheap mat is certainly going to roll up and move around more than a dense mat with thick backing.
To get a quality chair mat, look out for its thickness, materials, and additional features. A regular chair mat needs to be at least two millimeters thin, but if you intend to place the mat over a carpet, it should be at least three millimeters thick so it can grip better to the carpet’s fiber.
If you have a deep pile carpeting, you will need a mat that is at least five millimeters thick.
The material the mat is made from also impacts its ability to move around, you can opt for chair mats made from wood, bamboo, sisal, and tempered glass but keep in mind that the heavier and more durable the material the mat uses, the less likely it is to slide around underneath a chair.
Read: How to get gum out of floor mat
2. Install a Non-Slip Backing
For extra grittiness you can opt for a chair mat with a built-in non-slip backing, this helps the mat to grip better to the carpeting. It could be a layer of rubber or grippers attached to the back of the mat, and it will be enough to keep the mat in place.
When your mat has a non-slip backing like grippers or claws, it grips your flooring better and digs down deep into the carpet pile, this holds it in place and keeps the chair mat from moving on the carpet
However, it is important to choose non-slip backings carefully, attaching some claws and grippers on your carpeting can tear it up and cause great damage. Opt for a carpet-friendly backing.
Related: How to keep yoga mat from sliding
3. Attach a Gripper Pad
You can also keep chair mat from moving on carpet by installing a separate rug-to-carpet gripper pad. Simply spread out the gripper pad on the floor and place the chair mat over it to serve as a template guide to, cut the pad to the appropriate sizing.
Lift the mat and trim off about one inch along the edges of the pad’s perimeter. Finally, place the gripper pad on the floor again and attach the mat on top using an adhesive.
If your gripper pad has an adhesive side, place it with it face up so that it can adhere to the backing of your chair mat. Check to confirm if the gripper pad has adhesive, as some are made out of a gummy foam material.
Read: How to make gym mats less slippery
4. Gripper Tape
If you have a large chair mat you will need a rug-to-carpet gripper tape or an all-surface rug gripper tape because gripper pads are only available in distinct sizes for smaller chair mats. To install gripper tape onto your mat, follow these steps:
- Flip the chair mat overexposing its backside. Then roll out the gripper tape along the length of the mat.
- Cut the tape at least two inches shorter than the actual length of the chair mat.
- Spread out the tape over the backside of the mat with the adhesive side down. Ensure to center the length of the tape along the length of the mat and gently press it down.
- Also place a piece of similar sized tape along the opposite edge of the chair mat, ensuring it has the same one-inch spacing.
- Flip the mat over and place the tape-side on the carpet!
5. Weigh it Down
If you do not want to attach anything to your mat backing you can also keep it from moving by weighing it down. This is a simple approach and you’ll need something that isn’t going to get in your way and cause you to trip or diminish your mats beauty.
You’ll need something that is heavy enough to weigh down the mat but will not obscure the carpeting or mat in the process. This method keeps chair mat from moving on carpet temporarily and you’ll need to eventually seek lasting solutions.
Related: How to keep floor mats from sliding on vinyl floor
Conclusion
This article highlights ways on how to keep chair mat from moving on carpet, this starts with choosing the right chair mat in the first place. A thick dense mat of high quality will adhere better to your carpet, you can also install gripper tape, non-slip backing, or weigh the mat down with a heavy item.
These are simple and effective methods you can use to secure your mat firmly to your carpet and keep it from slipping.