What is Wondermat made from?

Wondermat begins it life as a sheet of blended EVA and PE plastics, made to our specifications, that is turned into the foam material you see by means of giant hydraulic presses and a lot of heat.  Simply put, it's FOAMED PLASTIC.  This is a good thing, for many reasons.  There are no CFC's involved in production, for starters.  Also, no rubber or latex is used, so allergies are not really a problem and hardwood floor coatings can handle it.  Because it's not a PVC compound, there are no PCB's to worry about either.  Very clean and hygienic compared to traditional carpeting or rubber backed mats.

Another common misconception is that all these foam mats use the same quality of foam. They do not! In the process of creating the foam, we all have the option of substituting quality chemicals for cheap ones, or varying the amount and type of fillers used.  A simple way to illustrate this is by the weight of two different products. For example, the Wondermat® item WMR500 has a net weight of 13.5 pounds. An identical LOOKING product from a competitor has a weight of only 9 pounds. The same 36 letters and numbers, the same thickness and the same size tiles, but it's weight is 33% less than the Wondermat® product. Go figure? Chemistry in action.

Does Wondermat have a strong smell?

Wondermat does not have an ammonia smell or a perfume smell like products made with cheap foam.  We don't have any bad chemistry to mask with perfumes to begin with.  When our product is first opened, especially if it was shrink wrapped or in a vinyl bag, it will smell like plastic.  Within a few hours, any lingering smell should disappear to the level of a "new floor" smell at worst, which will dissipate in time.

Our Designer and Coated Series mats do have a stronger odor than our standard mats.  What you smell is the Poly Urethane coating that we use on top of the print film, and that will dissipate in time as well.  Similar in smell to a new linoleum floor.

How do I know if my product is authentic Wondermat® brand merchandise?

We're proud to be making the highest quality foam mats in the world.  Our name and logo are stamped into the back of every full single-sided tile, or the side of every two-sided tile that we manufacture. We don't want to be confused with the cheaper products that use inferior chemistry.  They may look like ours, on some level, but they don't perform like ours over time.  If you have the packaging, you will see the yellow Wondermat® logo on the zippered storage bag the set came it and on the brochure that is included in each set.  
As we have been saying for 15 years: If it doesn't say Wondermat, you just have to wonder! ^TM

Nobody has tested this product like we have.  Before we ever sold a single piece of Wondermat^® back in 1992, we had input from over 500 kids, their parents and over 100 educators through public testing of our prototypes.  Many millions of people have walked all over our products for more than 10 years at major shopping malls across America as part of our own retail kiosk program, through our participation with the annual Better Homes and Gardens mall shows, and in children's entertainment areas with various property management firms.  And that's before we start talking about the thousands of trade show and exhibit booths we've covered.  That's real-life testing over a long period of time, and it has helped us make a better product. We also have off-site, 3rd party lab testing done to make sure our products conform to the requirements of the Consumer Products Safety Commission for both toys and floor coverings. Since we sell our products all over the world, we also test to Japanese and European standards. 

I already have some foam mats. Will Wondermat® connect with the ones I already have?

No. Wondermat® uses only the highest quality pigments, and in the process of making the foam, they become part of the actual foam. We do not use dyes on the surface of the foam like some of the low cost foam products out there.

Why do the larger tile sizes cost more per square foot?

As the size of a foam tile increases, the odds of a surface defect on the tile increase.  This results in lost material that must be factored into the final cost of the product.  For example, a surface defect on a three foot square tile is the equivalent of loosing enough material to make 9 one foot tiles.  It affects the final cost, but our quality standards are so high that we guarantee your new mat will have no significant SURFACE DEFECTS regardless of the tile size.  Don't let anyone fool you.  Major surface defects are not normal;  they're a sign of bad chemistry to begin with and poor quality control during production.  

Can I put heavy thing like furniture on it?

Yes, you may place furniture directly on the mat, but it will compress exactly like carpet does.  You should use floor pads to distribute the weight of heavy furniture to minimize mat compression.  Blunt, but narrow chair legs should be avoided, unless using floor pads to distribute the weight.  Unlike carpet, if your furniture does compress your floor you only have to replace individual Wondermat tiles; not the whole floor. For appliances (refrigerators, washers & dryers) and large fixed objects (Machinery) we recommend building the mat around the object so it rests on solid ground. If you are using Wondermat to isolate vibration or noise from exercise equipment or appliances, ensure the item is stable enough for normal, safe operation before using.

Will it damage a hardwood floor?

Many wood floor manufacturers advise against using Latex or Rubber backed mats on top of their wood floors.  Wondermat contains no rubber or latex. The product itself will not damage any floor that we know of, and there has only been one complaint in 12 years on this issue (which was water, not mat, damage). The problem with putting anything on a wood floor is that you must keep moisture and abrasives from getting between the mat and the floor. If you do get water (or juice or ???) between the mat and the floor, the sub-floor could warp (it's wood!), so clean up spills promptly. If your mat can slide around and there is dirt under the mat, you could scratch the sub-floor, so keep it clean or use non-slip pads to hold it in place.  If you are installing the mat over a hardwood floor, you should remove sections of it periodically to ensure there is no moisture or abrasive material (dirt) present and to let your floor "breath" a little.  It is wood, right? 

Will the color fade if I leave it outside?

Yes, the suns UV rays will cause all the colors to fade over time, but different colors fade at different rates. See the Installation Guide for more details on Outdoor Installations and which colors are best for sunny locations.

Will water hurt it?

Wondermat® is a closed cell foam that DOES NOT absorb water like a sponge.  You may get algae to grow on the un-embossed surfaces if you never give the product a chance to dry out. We suggest the product be allowed to dry out every once in a while and that the product, if used outdoors, be stored inside during the winter months if you you have freezing temperatures, frost, high winds or other weather extremes.

Replacement 1-Foot Letter and Number tiles are available through our Standard Series letter & number page.  Standard Series 1-foot plain tiles are sold in sets of 4, and 2 and 3-foot tiles are sold individually in the Catalog along with all the 2-foot Sport and Designer Series mats.  If you currently have a genuine Wondermat product that you no longer see in our catalog, please call us if you need to reorder something.  We retain all original tooling and processes, so if you need a replacement or additional tiles we can make it for you.  This includes the old 3-foot Sport Series tiles and our entire line of 1-Meter Sport Series tiles.  Same for the 12 and 18 inch Designer Series tiles.

What's the truth about tile thickness?

We all use the metric system in this business. The foaming objective for our Standard Series, Designer Series and Coated Series is 14.5 mm (about 5/8 in.). The foaming objective for single density Sport Series tiles is either 20mm (about 3/4 in) or 25mm (about 1 inch).   That's the goal, but not the actual result.  There just happens to be a .5 mm variance in the foam due to chemical, heat and atmospheric conditions.  It's FOAM.  It happens.   The good news is that because our foam quality is so high, we have LESS of a variance than anyone.

Good chemistry foams good and marginal chemistry foams OK.  Besides a thickness problem, marginal foam also has a tendency to "burn" when it's made (kind of a sandpaper finish).  You have to use good chemistry to begin with if you want to put a surface like our EZ-Clean texture onto a mat. 

There are a lot of definitions for a playground.  Using Wondermat as a play surface depends on what type of activities, equipment, sub-surface and location are planned. Wondermat was intended for indoor use, but it can be used outdoor with several limitations:

Wondermat Sport Series does provide sufficient protection for most of the plastic ground level and low-height play equipment on the market.

Is it safe to use for babies?

We are especially concerned about the safety of the children using our products. Even products that do not contain small parts can be torn or bitten into smaller pieces. Wondermat is definitely not a teething toy and you should not allow your children to chew or bite on this product. The extra safety warning on some of our products is overprotective, and is not required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We just feel, as parents ourselves, that parents should be advised that there is a potential for the child creating small parts by biting or chewing on the material.

That said, technically the tiles and borders that make up our modular Interlocking Floor System are baby-safe.  In 2004, the last of our small parts were removed from our Picture Puzzle designs (WMR503A, B & C).

Our entire Educational Toy line, consisting of, 5.7 Inch tiles, are all rated for children ages 3 and up due to small parts. Our philosophy on small parts goes a little further: Every child is at a different developmental stage, and age is not necessarily the only factor. The truth is there are 10 year olds that should not be exposed to products with small parts. Our advise is that anyone using Wondermat toys or flooring products be developmentally past the point of wanting to put the product in their mouth, regardless of their age.

How do I fix it if it tears?

For a permanent bond, use contact cement. In most cases this will provide a bond stronger than the material itself. Use this type of adhesive to repair torn puzzle pieces and whole tiles. For a temporary bond, use rubber cement. This is useful if, for whatever reason, you want to glue all the pieces of a puzzle into place so they can't be removed. Make sure you follow the instructions on the product, and clean up any residue left on the top or bottom surface of the mat when you are done.

Can I install Wondermat on top of existing carpeting?

Yes and no.  Too much up and down movement of the mat due to deep carpet pile and/or pad is not good, since the tiles can become uneven.  Bigger tile sizes will minimize the number of edges, and thicker tiles will minimize the up and down movement, but the general rule is to install only on a fairly rigid surface.  If in doubt, order a couple of tiles and try it out before you place a full order.  That way if it doesn't look like it will work, you only have to pay return shipping on a few items instead of a whole mat.

The other issue is that all carpet has what is called a "nap," which is the direction that all the fibers are running in.  You see this when you vacuum "in the wrong direction" across a carpet. This nap will tend to make the mat want to slide in the direction of the nap as it moves up and down during use.  If you find that your mat is creeping across the carpet, or it is buckling, then this is what is happening.  The solution is to install plastic carpet runners (spikes down!) on top of the carpet and then put the mat on top of that.  The carpet runners are 2-3 feet wide and sold in rolls at most home centers.  See the Installation Guide for more info.

This actually gets asked quite a bit, and at first we wondered why anyone would want to put an insulating layer of foam on top of an expensive heated sub-floor system.  Obviously the people asking this have some safety issue they are trying to address, so here are the issues you need to be aware of:

1. Because the mat is a foamed plastic, it will respond to temperature changes by expanding and contracting.  The temperature of the sub-floor should not exceed 85 degrees, to avoid excessive expansion. 
2. The mat is going to block the floors' heat in the areas it's installed in and reduce the efficiency of your heating system.

Bearing these facts in mind, our recommendations are to limit your use of Wondermat in areas with heated sub-floors unless you are willing to accept the loss of heating efficiency.  The best rule of thumb is to stay as small as possible.  We absolutely do not suggest attempting a wall-to-wall type installation because of expansion problems, and even if you are doing a large area mat that has no constraints, you may need to segment the mat to allow for expansion if you have several heavy items on different parts of the mat.  See Tips and Tricks in the installation guide for more details on segmenting a mat.