COMMERCIAL V.S. RESIDENTIAL SHOWER MATS

One of the most popular keywords our prospective customers search for is “SHOWER MAT”. If you have done this search you most likely have come across a lot of inexpensive, small mats that are sold only in standard sizes and look roughly like this:

These are not the shower mats you will find in our store. Our commercial shower mats can and often are used in homes. Sometimes they are much better choice over the residential-style mat but not always.

WHAT IS COMMERCIAL SHOWER MAT?
Commercial / Industrial shower floor mats are heavy duty PVC (Vinyl) mats are usually manufactured in large rolls and cut to customers specifications.


WHAT ARE THE SIZES AVAILABLE?
Size of a mat is limited only by the maximum size of a roll. Roll sizes vary from product to product. Vast majority of these mats come in 3 or 4-feet-wide rolls that range from 33-50 feet in length. The largest rolls we have ever had were 4 feet x 60 feet. Rolls that large are a bit uncommon as the get very heavy and are much more difficult to handle while cutting.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
Designed to freely drain the water through the mat all the way down to the floor and provide good airflow so the water would dry fast. Commercial shower mats usually have some texture on the surface for more traction to reduce the risk of a slip-and-fall accident. Mats with more aggressive texture are less comfortable to stand on with bare feet but where the safety is the priority, this tradeoff is easy to justify. HOW THICK AND HEAVY ARE THEY?
Most of commercial shower mats have thickness varying between 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch and weighing roughly about 1 pound per square foot. Being so heavy they are stable on any surface just because of the share weight. Smaller pieces may be relatively easy to “kick around” but commercial shower stalls usually have walls on 3 sides so these walls would hold it in place.Showers with partitions above the floor allow for usage of large mats and they are heavy enough to stay in place.
HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
If used in or around showers where people walk bare foot - they would last number of years. Direct sunlight is really the biggest enemy of any floor matting and products not designed for UV exposure may start deteriorating within a few months. But we are talking about a mat being "baked" in the sunlight 7 days a week. For locations as such we strongly recomment choosing from these 3 products below that have tested well under the sun:
Vintek VinGRATE mats. To view click - HERE


Vintek VinAIR mats. To view click - HERE



Vintek VinTUBE mats. To view click - HERE


These products are perfect for use in outside showers or around swimming pools even where they would be exposed to ultraviolet.

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While for the reasons above commercial shower mats are superior to cheaper solutions designed for residential showers, sometimes these cheaper mats may work better for you:

• SCENARIO 1
  You have a pre-manufactured shower tub that roughly looks like this:
  
  Or your tub may be rectangular but still have corners on the bottom that are nicely rounded and curve up. These pre-manufactured tubs usually can be very slippery and our mat could slip from under your feet too. There would be nothing to stop the mat as these tub corners on the bottom would just bend the matting edge and direct it upward.
• SCENARIO 2
  Some pre-manufactured shower tubs have floor meeting the sides at 90-degree angle that would frame the matting and stop it from moving. However, the bottom of the tub is made at a pretty steep angle to direct the water towards the drain:
  
  Regardless that your body weight would push the mat straight down, the bottom would still direct it towards the drain. To make it more dangerous these per-manufactured tubs usually are very slippery and the bottom of the mat would not have anything to “grab onto”.
  
  SOLUTION - for these type of shower tubs, you may want to look for the mats that have suction cups like one shown below:
  
  
  Just a note:
  If your tub floor has some texture to it and suction cups don’t stick to the surface but you still need some additional traction, you may want to consider self-adhesive strips:
  
  This is not a very attractive solution but it is better than none.

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Pros and Cons of using non commercial shower matting:

PROS:
1. These mats would be more likely to stay attached to the smooth shower pan.
2. They come in a variety of colors, textures and shapes.
3. Pre-made tubs come in few standard sizes and shapes so you may find a mat in the shape that will perfectly fit your shower pan.
4. Some of them would have a hole positioned directly over the drain for better water drainage.
5. They usually very comfortable on your feet.
6. They cost just a fraction of what commercial shower mat would cost.
7. They are very light so very easy to move for cleaning. Even when you get free shipping, seller has to pay UPS or FedEx to bring it to your door so the shipping cost is built into the price and you have to pay for it anyway.

CONS:
1. They usually lack more aggressive surface so even a little mildew may make them very slippery.
2. Cleaning around the suction cups may be difficult.
3. Cleaning with a pressure washer may destroy them.
4. Customizing (cutting) rarely possible or could result in unattractive edges.
5. They usually have fewer or no holes so water stays underneath a lot longer promoting mildew growth.
6. They are thin and if suction cups fail to grab onto a pan – there is no additional safety feature prevent them from slipping from under your feet.
7. If exposed to direct sunlight they would deteriorate very fast.