The Official Stall Mat Discussion Thread & Gallery

[Philpug]

I have seen these mats in gyms and workshops but I never thought about them for my application, home shop until recent. Over the years, my garage workshop has been were old area rugs would go to die. I was finally fed up with tripping over edges and trying to get filings and garage out of them so I started researching options. I looked here and the conversations were all over the place in different threads thus is why I thought I would start an official thread on the subject.

I started to look for these on various sites and found the best deal to be at Tractor Supply Co. for $39.95 for 6x4 mats. We went to our local store and we were lucky to find them in stock. With all of the recent home projects happening, they were out of stock for a couple of weeks and just received a shipment.

In doing research on how to cut and trim the mats, most videos said to use a carpet knife and NOT any power tools. We started with the knive but found the edges to be rougher that I would like. I then tried a jig saw and that worked perfect and a helluva lot faster with much less effort.

Loading them up, they are damn heavy
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Laying them out. I did end up staggering the seams.
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I used almost power tools
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Getting it all back together
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All in all I am very happy with the results.

Please share your projects here with pics.

 

[dkroth]

They are unexpectedly heavy and unwieldy.

We have two of them to protect the floor from free weights. One from Tractor Supply and one from CountryMax. There are different textures if that matters to you.

I almost want to take one to the range. I wouldn't be surprised if it stopped a .22lr.







.

 

[SolarColumbia]

The thick ones I got for my gym area are 6'× 4' also and I recall just shy of 100#. Carrying them down the enclosed stairwell was a treat.

 

[KenB]

Pictures no worky.

 

[Philpug]

Pictures no worky.

Should be fixed now. I hate Vbulletin

 

[MarkG]

I've thought about them as 'work mats' for times I'm lettering a wall or something, until I saw the weight of these things. Not something you want to tote around regularly.

 

[jkeyser14]

I love the tractor supply mats. I keep them under my tractor to catch any dripping fluids and I also cut one up to use as a soft edge on my plow so I don't tear up my gravel driveway. I cut mine with a bandsaw, but I can see a jigsaw would do just as well.

 

[Shea]

We know of people who have used stall mats in the garage for things other than gym activities. The size and thickness of these mats are not exact, so don't expect them to match up like tile, for example.

Also, keep in mind that they are recycled rubber and that the mix of materials can vary. As a result, some are better at resisting solvents and other automotive fluids than others. One person in particular had an oil spill he didn't notice right away before cleaning it up. It partially covered two mats. One showed no effect, while the other began to deteriorate at the surface a month or so afterwards. Of course if this happens, you can just pull it up and replace it.

 

[lis2323]

I also used 4x6’ x .75” textured rubber mats. Mine have the ribbed bottoms to minimize sweating.

 

[Philpug]

It has been a little less than a week and the smell is finally going away. Clean up is easy, and they are more more comfortable to stand on than the concrete (obviously) and better than the carpeting which was suseptible to retaining shards of metal.

 

[Hal]

I have used them in my sugarhouse for years. I have dropped wood and hot ashes on them, rolled full syrup barrels (300+ lbs.) on them and generally abused them. Last year I finally punched a hole in one of them with a demo hammer while removing eight inches of "global warming" that built up as a result of heavy rains during the early spring, while the drains were still frozen. I didn't even notice the hole until we picked up the mats to clean under them this year.

 

[CombatNinja]

If you have the right climate these can be a durable, worry-free and cheap flooring solution. If you live where it is humid and your slab has an appreciable amount of water vapor that migrates up through it, these are a nightmare. I have seen these with essentially a carpet of black mold underneath after being down for a couple of years.

 

[Piggywutz]

I like them. I have them laid out in front of my workbench and tool boxes. Nicer than standing on just the concrete.

 

[Philpug]

I was reading through the reviews on TSC, the only complaints and reasons they are not getting 5 ster reviews is the smell. Didn't these people read other reviews before purchasing? Yes they smell for a while. Why are you surprised, deal with it, it goes away.

 

[lis2323]

I was reading through the reviews on TSC, the only complaints and reasons they are not getting 5 ster reviews is the smell. Didn't these people read other reviews before purchasing? Yes they smell for a while. Why are you surprised, deal with it, it goes away.

Agreed. They smell when they purchased them.

It would be different if they complained the smell went away eventually. [emoji23]

 

[CrazyAirborne]

can you drive a car on these?

 

[lis2323]

If you have a valid drivers license.


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[ScaldedDog]

Until I get something down on the floor, I'm using stall mats. The one shown is a remnant, but I'm going to move it to the back, and use a new full one under the front. Not perfect, but not a bad solution, for awhile.

Mark

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[rebelranger]

Scaldeddog - is that Ex a powerstroke? What lift is that?
Fyi coming from a gym owner its cheaper to get rubber rolls then the stall mats AND they smell less, shed less, and are truer to size.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Scaldeddog - is that Ex a powerstroke? What lift is that?
Fyi coming from a gym owner its cheaper to get rubber rolls then the stall mats AND they smell less, shed less, and are truer to size.

It is! A 2001 7.3 with 165k on it. I've had it for 17 years, and I think it's my all time favorite vehicle.

The lift is a Rotary SL210. See my thread on it from a couple of days ago in General.

Mark

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[coljar]

One of my wife's horse trailers came new with fitted 1" mats and are really heavy and difficult to handle when removed to bleach and pressure wash the trailer.

She has bought a bunch of them for her horse stalls through the years.

 

[TitusLloydPullo]

Very cool.
Any ideas on sealing the joints so oil and other vehicle leaks don’t go threw?

 

[Toomanytools?]

Very cool.
Any ideas on sealing the joints so oil and other vehicle leaks don’t go threw?

You could use black silicon as you slide mats together.

 

[adrenalinejeeper]

We have bought, installed, and moved many of these throughout the years for our horse stalls. They're easiest to move with two people(duh. Or the tractor...), carry them from the middle of a short side and let it fold down in half like an upside down taco. It is much easier than trying the 4 corner method and letting it sag in the middle. With one person, you can throw two C-clamps on it to give yourself some handles, or use those plywood carry handles.

We have always cut them with a straight edge and a box cutter. Elevate the mat a little so the cut edge separates more with each pass and you'll be through it in 3-4 passes. I found it much quicker than a jig saw for long straight cuts, but we keep the jig saw out for cutting around plumbing or other small obstacles.

I despise stall mats, so I wouldn't put them in my shop, but that looks clean and I hope they work out well for you. Nice work!

 

[Philpug]

After a few months, these do shrink a little. I just had to snug everything up.

 

[lis2323]

After a few months, these do shrink a little. I just had to snug everything up.

What style and thickness? I have over twenty in place for over three years now with no shrinkage.


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[.mike.]

I have a bunch, some for a 12x22 gym space, and some for parking my subcompact tractor. The mats protect the floor from the bucket and the counterweight. Gorilla tape on the seams will keep them from shifting, same with mending plates underneath.

 

[Philpug]

What style and thickness? I have over twenty in place for over three years now with no shrinkage.


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4'x6' from Tractor Supply. I am in a pretty dry environment in NV.

 

[lis2323]

Interesting. Thanks.


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[BetterDays]

We have 1k sq ft basement gym covered in the mats (4"x6"x3/4" with a smooth top, thankfully), plus extras going into the back of the basement. I will be moving some into my small workshop area in the garage (10' by 10'?) when everything else is put away.

Godsend for the gym and security, as they block the walkout basement door. If someone wants in, they will be fighting for it!

 

[HKlassen]

I purchased 10 Stall mats that have button top finishing on one side. My primary purpose was to provide some cushioning on the floor due to arthritis. I've had them with the button side up for a couple of weeks, and there is a huge difference in how my legs and feet feel, so they worked. However, wheeling things (carts, tools, boxes, etc) over the button top is a bit annoying. I'm curious if most people have the button side up, or down toward the floor. I would assume that with the button side down you'd at least have some air movement, which would be good, but wondering if that would diminish the cushioning capability. Any thoughts?

 

[Philpug]

I would assume that with the button side down you'd at least have some air movement, which would be good, but wondering if that would diminish the cushioning capability. Any thoughts?

Button side down, especially since I have rolling cabinets, tables and racks.

 

[lis2323]

Button side down, especially since I have rolling cabinets, tables and racks.

My 3/4” matting is textured on top (small shallow buttons) and ribbed on the underside for condensation.


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[PoorUB]

I have no idea what brand they are, but a friend gave me a pair of heavy commercial use floor mats 35 years ago and I am still using them in my shop. They are getting tough looking, but in pretty good shape.

 

[GreenIron]

Has anyone placed the Tractor Supply Stall Mats under their Fabrication Table?

My "In Progress" garage concrete floor has two coats of clear protective sealer applied. Whey the garage is complete, I'll wash the floor down and apply another two coats. I'd like to help prevent grinding sparks, welding and torch slag from damaging the coating.

--- Thoughts?---

 

[GreenIron]

No one??

 

[MFortie]

I use them in my horse corrals...

 

[yugami]

Not sure I would want to breath burning rubber fumes.

I've got a few of these in one area of my shop, tile over the machining and auto area and a bare spot for welding/plasma.

 

[RivennHewn]

Not just for flooring anymore.

Mats make great countertop/work stations.

Both durable and easily replaceable.

 

[sns1938]

I've been considering the stall mats or something like this which are recycled rubber rolls instead.

I would expect the rolls to be less hard wearing, but I have a workbench area and exercise area (no free weights) and would like something a little nicer looking than the stall mats.

Anyone else looked at these? Shipping doubles the price for me, so I'm looking (slowly) for a local source. I need to do about 8' x 24', and there's one pole in the middle. Hearing about moisture, (I live in a dry area, but still) I was thinking I'd use some concrete sealer like you use before putting down wood floors directly over concrete.