Matting rental programs are sometimes used as an alternative to an in-house matting system. By contracting with a matting rental company, all aspects of the matting system are delegated to them. Mat selection, placement, and maintenance will all be handled by the rental firm. While this sort of arrangement can reduce the work load for the Housekeeping Department, the aspects below of this option need to be examined closely.

• Currently, only one type of mat construction is available through rental programs, that being nylon facing on a nitrate rubber backing. This is the only construction type that is launderable, and therefore usable in a rental program. Thus, special use mats, or mats constructed for specific applications, are not usually available from rental companies.

• In most cases, only the initial installation will be done with new matting. Once the maintenance cycle is established, replacement mats are usually used, with their age being anywhere from a few months to as much as two years. Older mats that have been heavily laundered are incapable of providing adequate protection for your facility’s floors.

• Matting length will be determined by those available from the rental company. While most rental firms have a large selection of mat lengths in stock, temporary shortages can result in different lengths from those originally chosen being used in your facility. In addition, special requests must be made in advance if additional mats are needed for emergency, weather, or construction reasons.

• If a rental mat is destroyed, lost or stolen at your facility, the rental agreement may require you to pay for a new replacement mat. Such an expense can run into several hundred dollars for a single incident.