Yellow Floors Underneath Mats

Yellowing or discoloration of floors underneath floor mats and/or entrance mats?

From time to time customers complain that mats cause the floors beneath them to discolor. This complaint has applied both to carpet and hard surface floors such as vinyl or tile. The discoloration is usually a yellow or brown color. The most likely cause for this is moisture. There are several potential ways that moisture can cause discoloration.

• Moisture from the ground comes up through the floor until it reaches the floor surface. This moisture normally evaporates and goes unnoticed. Placement of a mat on the floor prevents the evaporation, therefore trapping the moisture, thus causing the discoloration. This seems to be most common at entrances where cold or warm air enters buildings when the door is opened causing condensation (sweating).
• Placement of mats on freshly cleaned and still damp carpet. This prevents carpet from fully drying, thereby causing discoloration.
• Moisture from the back of mats. If not properly dried, the back of mats can be damp, thereby providing moisture to cause discoloration. (Floor Mat Rental Service Companies are guilty of this!!)
  
• There can be a reaction between chemicals in the rubber backing and the floors or floor finishes used on hard surface floors.
• Lack of exposure to sunlight. It is common to see floors change color when they are covered by counters, file cabinets, etc. This is caused by both lack of exposure to sunlight and restricted airflow.

In most instances where mats are placed and floor discoloration results, the customer is faced with a difficult decision. Use no mat and the floor doesn't discolor, however, the floor is damaged by tracked in soils, moisture and dirt, and the entire area deteriorates. Or use a mat and protect the floor with resulting discoloration in the area underneath the mat. Of the two, most customers select the latter.

Corrective actions: Discoloration can usually be removed by stripping and rewaxing. In the case of carpet, professional carpet cleaning is usually required.

Looking for other answers related to floor mats, entrance mats, or anti-fatigue mats?

Contact Mats by JayTam, Inc; sales@matsbyjaytam.com or 888-582-6628.

Mats by JayTam, Inc., has a full line of floor mat and anti-fatigue mat solutions for your business or home. Make just one visit to Mats by JayTam, and you’ll find we do it all – big or small, from entrance mats to entrance systems, from anti-fatigue mats to scraper mats, and from custom logo mats to any other commercial mat or industrial mats. We provide quality matting solutions, specializing in Waterhog Entrance mats, Happy Feet, and Hog Heaven Anti-Fatigue Mats. Most of our products are Green Building certified which also included the Waterhog Mats.

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