Which Coir Coconut Matting Should You Choose?
What is Coir Matting
Coir matting, made from coconut husk fibres, effectively traps dirt and debris at entrances due to its brush-like texture. It's popular in homes, restaurants, pubs, and anywhere else that needs a traditional rustic entrance mat. Coir matting is versatile, with 1 or 2-meter roll widths that can be easily cut to fit any area. It's ideal for matwells, porches, and doorways. It's also durable, with a PVC backing for added strength and trimmability. Coir matting is also known as coconut, coya, and bristle matting. It remains a sustainable choice for effective and appealing entrance matting.
What are the benefits of Coir Matting?
Coir matting looks completely different from contemporary cotton or Nylon alternatives. It is also a cost-effective, sustainable, attractive choice with many other benefits, including:
Scrapes Dirt from Shoes
Coir matting roll is great for entrance mats because the rough-textured surface acts like a brush, scrubbing dirt from shoe soles as people enter a building. This keeps interiors clean, reduces slips, and maintains a safe environment.
Moisture Absorption
Coir doormats are exceptional in moisture absorbency. The natural coir fibres in the matting remove and retain moisture from shoes, keeping it off the floors and preventing indoor tracking. This is especially useful in wet or dirty areas like entranceways and porches.
Ideal for Recessed Floors and Porches
Coir coconut matting is great for recessed floors and porches, providing a traditional look and effectively removing dirt from shoes. It can be seamlessly installed in entrance porches or matwells, creating an aesthetically pleasing finish. With 1m and 2m wide rolls, it is perfect for larger areas like walkways in pubs or restaurants. The thickness ranges from 17mm to 23mm, and it can be custom-cut for a perfect fit in any space, combining functionality and style.
Natural and Traditional Appearance
Coir matting roll is made from natural coconut fibres, ideal for a traditional look in entrances. It complements older buildings, whether in homes or commercial settings like pubs or restaurants. It offers a timeless and stylish appearance. Its durability and easy maintenance make it popular for indoor use.
Where are Coir Door Mats used?
Unsurprisingly, an entrance is the most common place to find a coir mat. Unlike other materials, coir coconut matting can be installed in a wall-to-wall format, filling the entire floor area of an entrance porch or in a recessed mat-well for a more premium finish than a contemporary loose-lay mat.
Good quality Coir Matting is suitable for heavy foot traffic, making it ideal for internal walkways in places like traditional pubs or restaurants, where 1m and 2m wide rolls allow larger areas to be covered with a single cut piece.
How Thick is Coir Matting?
Our Coir matting rolls are available in a wide range of thicknesses, but the most popular choice is 17mm. If you are unsure of the correct thickness for your needs, contact a professional floor fitter to order and install your matting or request a sample piece to see how it looks inside the space you intend to use it.
Can Coir Be Cut To Size?
Our Coir Coconut Mating is available in standard and cut-to-length sizes. You can choose from coir roll widths of 100cm or 200cm, which can be cut to any length you require, up to 6 metres.
When ordering a coir mat to your size, we strongly recommend measuring the area as carefully as possible, as mat wells often vary, meaning you don't get a truly square-shaped recess. In addition, we recommend allowing an extra 3cm over your measured size to allow for these variances in the mat well. Then, the excess can easily be trimmed to the perfect size while fitting using a Stanley knife.
Buying Tip: If your mat well is deeper than matting, boards or similar materials can be used to build up the height to the required level, ensuring a flush finish with the surrounding floor. When used in a mat well, the coir matting roll can be laid within the recess without any adhesives, making it easier to lift and clean. Still, if the mat is likely to move, a small amount of adhesive (either a few dots or a cross on the backing) is all you will need to keep it in place.
If you still have questions or need advice, contact our customer service team for assistance.
How to Cut Coir Matting
Cutting your coir is easy, thanks to its PVC backing. Simply measure the size and shape on the back of the mat and cut through the backing with a sharp knife. For a full, step-by-step guide, read our article: How to Cut Coir Matting.
Coir Matting Colour Options
Although natural coir matting is by far the most popular colour choice, it is also available in various colours, including Grey, Black, Dark Brown and others, giving you a greater choice to buy a mat that matches the décor and style of your home or workplace.
Coconut Coir has been used as matting in the UK since the 19th century, long before the days of synthetic fibres that are used in soft flooring today, so it's hardly surprising that part of the appeal of Coir Mats is the old-fashioned timely look that suits older buildings and cottages perfectly. Because of this, natural coir has been the preferred choice for many, but more people are using the new coloured coir to suit modern homes too.
Installing Coir Matting
Our Coir Matting roll is mounted on a PVC backing, which helps to keep the mat rigid and in place once installed. This material can also be cut to the required size using a Stanley knife or similar blade.
- When cutting your mat, we recommend turning it upside down to cut the back.
- Measure the size precisely with a large ruler or tape measure. Remember to check measurements carefully before cutting.
- Make the cuts using firm, straight edges such as a metal bar or spirit level.
Remember that adding an extra 3cm to the measured size is recommended for greater trimming accuracy when ordering your coir matting cut to size.
You can either loose-lay the mats or, if preferred, fix them into position using a small amount of adhesive.
Does Coir Matting Shed its fibres?
Coir is made using the natural fibres of coconut husks, so a small amount of shedding is expected. Coir does shed for a short period whilst new, but this will stop over time, and regular vacuuming can help to remove the loose fibres more quickly.
Why Buy Coir Matting from First Mats?
Whatever type of mat you choose, First Mats guarantees that you will receive matting made only from the highest-quality materials. All of our mats are sourced from established, reputable manufacturers.
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, our customer service team is ready to help. With delivery times from 3-5 working days, your custom-size coir can be with you quickly, too.
Q. Can I Use Coir Mats Outside?
As our coir matting is backed by PVC, coir is not suitable for outdoor environments. This is due to PVC's intolerance to wet and damp places and areas, with rainwater unable to seep through the backing, reducing the lifespan of the mat sustainably. Additionally, even if the mats were coated with water-resistant rubber, the coir fibres are prone to UV damage, fading and rapid shedding in turbulent and unpredictable British weather.
See our Outdoor Rubber Door Mats for outdoor matting options.
Q. How Long Do Coir Mats Tend to Last?
This answer depends on many factors determining how long your coir matting lasts. Key points to consider include:
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Loose-laid or mat-well? Mat-well coir is less prone to fibres bending out of shape and shedding due to the outer frame, which protects the base and cross-section of the mat.
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Thickness / Depth: Loose-laid, thicker coir mats tend to trap more dirt and moisture per square meter but need more upkeep to maintain long-lasting, reliable results.
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Placement – Tying into our footfall argument, the placement of the mat can determine how often it is used within a building. Coir mats at entrances are used the most frequently, while mats suited at room doorways and corridors are less likely to be stepped on.
Q. How to clean Coir Matting?
Regular cleaning ensures your coir matting will maintain its look for years. Vacuuming over the surface regularly is often enough to deal with the day-to-day dirt, but water and a stiff brush can also remove tougher dirt stains. For more tips and advice, see our article: How to Clean Door Mats.
To maintain and prolong the life of your coir mat, please view some of our considerations:
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Cleaning. We recommend deep cleaning your coir mat fortnightly, followed by intermittent dry vacuuming cleaning to remove debris from the mat's top surface. Please read through our Coir Cleaning Guide in this article for more information.
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Avoid wheeled traffic. Wheeled traffic is unsuitable for coir matting due to the crushed coconut fibres under passing traffic. If you need to accommodate wheeled traffic at entrances, please view our entrance mat range of products.
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Only use coir matting indoors. As mentioned earlier, our coir matting is only suitable for indoor use due to the PVC backing.
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