Outdoor Mats—Using Rubber for Patio Flooring

Patios are an absolutely wonderful addition to any home. But to really enjoy them you definitely want to make sure you have the right kind of patio flooring for your needs. With a number of patio flooring options out on the market, picking the right one for your home can seem like a daunting task. Rubber can be the answer to all of your outside flooring ideas! Rubberized outdoor mats can offer protection to sub-flooring, a softer surface to stand on, and in some cases even anti-slip and cushioning qualities too—not to mention they’re extremely durable! Rubber surfacing is available in a range of styles, not just matting. For example, there are rubber patio tiles and runners as well. And many of these products are made from reclaimed and recycled materials, which makes them not only eco-friendly but wallet-friendly too.

If you’re raking your brain trying to figure out how to make your patio more comfortable, safer to enjoy, and protective of the original flooring while being durable as well—consider these 7 reasons for using rubber!

1. Added CushionIf you have little ones, chances are that they’ll spend some time playing on the patio. But a patio made out of concrete or stone, can be a very painful surface to land on after a fall. Many rubber patio tiles come in bright colors that are attractive to children and resemble puzzle pieces. If you want something a little more mature, there are muted colors, as well as items in plain black for a more grown-up look. Whatever the case may be, having rubber patio flooring will make the surface softer to stand on (due to rubbers natural elasticity) as well as to land on if you or anyone else should take a tumble.

2. Anti-Slip ProtectionWhenever you are considering outside flooring ideas, don’t forget safety! Outside flooring should be secure and offer traction and grip, especially in wet conditions. Rain, snow, or even just water from the sprinklers, can make any surface slippery. Rubber mats often come with raised patterns, such as diamond plate, coin-sized circles, and deep ridges (just to name a few), which are specially designed to help people stay on their feet when moisture finds its way to the surface.

3. Subflooring Protection

Like previously stated, there are many patio flooring options and they can all be made out of a wide variety of materials. Most of these materials can be costly to repair, and if enough damage is done, the whole patio may be ruined. For example, if you have cut stone as your patio flooring, and a single stone is cracked or broken—it’s going to be very hard and expensive to replace that one single stone. Utilizing rubberized outdoor mats won’t just offer you comfort and stability, but the material can actually work as a buffer between falling objects and the subfloor below. Rubber can stand up to more abrasive conditions, so it can easily handle something heavy and bulky landing on it.

4. All-Weather Resistant

Rubber is a remarkably tough material that can handle many hard weather conditions, whether it’s sun, rain, or snow. And this is largely due to the fact that many rubber products, especially those being utilized in outdoor applications, are made out of recycled and reclaimed tires. Vehicle tires are designed to stand up against extreme weather conditions, such as harsh direct sunlight, ozone, extreme moisture, and many other abrasive situations. This, paired rubber’s natural resistance to water and a high coefficient for friction, makes the material perfectly suited to fulfill and answer all outside flooring ideas and concerns.

5. Durability

Outdoor mats have to be durable and long lasting. Aware of the unique environmental situations that are often encountered in outside applications, rubberized patio flooring has been designed to offer the highest quality possible. That, paired with the toughness of the material, makes this material perfect for patio flooring options.

6. Variability

As discussed, patios are unique structures—but they can all have similar needs. Similar needs, however, do not translate to similar solutions, especially not when it has so much to do with aesthetic sensibilities! Rubber surfacing comes in a variety of styles, such as patio tiles, matting, or runners. The beauty with runners is that they can be custom cut to adhere to nearly any length required (within 50 ft.), and with tiles and mats, wider spaces can be covered just as easily.