Padded bath mats and matting

Unfortunately bathrooms can be dangerous places. Most of their flooring and furniture surfaces are smooth and slippery (because this aids cleaning) and the materials from which they are manufactured are hard and unforgiving. Add to this the fact that many of these surfaces are designed to get wet and you have the most accident prone room in the home.

This means that areas like a bathroom floor can be hazardous, both because they are easy to slip on, and because it is easy to injure yourself if you fall on their hard surfaces.

The solution to this hazardous problem is to cover the floor and even the bath tub and shower base with a spongy, waterproof non-skid matting and to add rails and grab bars (see Bath rails and bars for more information about handles, rails etc). Doing this can make slips and falls less likely and reduce the level of injury in the event that there is an accident.

Characteristics of protective bathroom matting

This kind of floor covering will be soft to walk on and it will provide a level of cushioning and impact absorption for anyone who falls upon it. Consequently a surface like this can be ideal for any person who is considered to be at risk when it comes to falling or tripping.

Most bath mat floor surfaces will be water resistant and repellent, and impervious to the build-up of bacteria, oils, acids and most other natural or spilt contaminants. They will also be easy to clean and removing them is usually a very simple process. PVC is a popular material for these products.

The walking surface of these mats should be composed of an anti-skid finish that should not become slippery when wet. These mats should not only be secure, they should feel safe and secure to anyone walking upon them.

Bath matting is usually available in standard lengths (off a roll) and it can easily be cut to fit a bathroom area, or a zone around a bath or shower. Fitting matting of this kind is very similar to cutting and fitting a section of carpet.

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