Floor Coverings and Rubberized mats : Things you should know

If you own a wood, vinyl, linoleum or cork floor coverings you should be aware of the concerns caused by rubber or rubberized products sitting on these floors. Rubber and natural latex contain chemicals that will discolour all of these flooring types. These stains are often dark orange (like nicotine stains) and can be permanent.

Rubber is a common component of area rugs as it prevents slipping of the rug over slick surfaces. Natural latex (natural rubber) and synthetic rubber both contain chemicals (known as plasticizers) that will leach into a floor’s surface. Hardwood, vinyl, linoleum (brand name = Marmoleum) and cork are all susceptible to these plasticizers.

As consumers, we forget about some of the products that rely on rubber as part of their function. Rubber tires are a perfect example of “forgetting” about what they are made of. Clients in a high-end motorcycle showroom installed 2500sf of beautiful vinyl flooring. They achieved a tough, sleek, modern, edgy floor that beautifully showcased their product. It quickly became apparent that they bikes were leaving behind “burnt” looking vinyl. Large, dark orange stains began appearing wherever and whenever a bike had been parked for more than a night. It dawned on the flooring sales people that the rubber of the tires was discolouring the floor.

If professionals “forget” what is in their products, homeowners are more than likely to forget that their beautiful whitewashed oak hardwood floors cannot accept rubber backed. That means those mats in the entranceways or in front of the kitchen sink could be doing damage to their beautiful and expensive floor. Only after the mat has been moved do they discover the horrible orange stain directly under the mat.

Area rugs are also problematic. Some medium and almost all higher end carpet and rug retailers carry “Acceptable for Use with Hardwood” tags on their carpets. You can be confident these rugs will not discolour your flooring. The problem comes when bargain hunters frequent low-end retail shops to purchase their flooring décor. Only after taking it home and causing their floors to stain do they recognise that their bargain basement rug caused thousands of dollars of damage to their valuable floor.

Rubber comes in many forms and in many products. Natural latex is also part of “rubber” products and can also cause issues with vinyl, hardwood, linoleum and cork floors. Know your flooring and know your décor products. Together these two pieces of knowledge will help save you from an expensive lesson in plasticizers.