The Problems with Coloured Coir

To help you make an educated choice when selecting the right mat for your building, let's explore the most common issues with coloured coir.

The colour bleeds and can stain surrounding floors

Yes, you read that right – coloured coir, when exposed to water, will start to bleed colour. In areas that are exposed to a lot of water, the dye from the coir fibres may stain the surrounding floor. This is because the colour is only a coating on the fibre and is not set into the material.

Over time, as the coir wears down, you will see the natural colour show through

Discolouration of coloured coir matting will occur with wear and tear. Because the colour is only on the outside of the coconut fibres, as the coir ages and wears, the natural straw or honey colour will start to show through in the wear paths. Your once deep black, bright red, bold green, beautiful blue, chocolate brown, or traditional charcoal grey will start to turn natural. This is not a problem if you are looking for the coir doormat to age with time and give a washed-out look, but it will definitely be frustrating if you are looking for colour fastness for the mat's entire life!

Coloured coir mats can’t get wet.

Just like our video that answers "Can coir mats get wet?", coloured coir mats are no exception. These mats also can’t get wet. Coir is a natural product, so it will expand as it takes on moisture. This puts pressure on the rubberized backing, causing it to stretch and swell, and you may then see ripples or bubbles in the mat. These are also a potential trip hazard, so be sure not to install coir mats in areas where they are exposed to a lot of water.

Coloured coir mats shed and will cause a mess on your floor!

A common complaint we hear about coir mats is that they shed, and shed a lot, especially when they are new. The small fibres come loose when the mats are cut to size, leaving small strands of coir around the floor that then get tracked in on shoes. This can become a cleaner's nightmare.

After understanding these common issues, you might be thinking, 'Can I really live with these problems?' or perhaps, 'This sounds too frustrating!' Fear not, there is a better solution!

Meet Synthetic Coir Matting! Developed by our experts at Matshop to directly address these frustrations and still give the natural beauty and excellent scraping qualities of coir mats, but without the problems that come with it.

The mat is solution-dyed, so colour will not bleed onto your floor. The colour goes right through each fibre, so it will not fade like coloured coir mats. It can get wet and will not swell like coconut fibre does, and it has minimal shedding, unlike coir mats.