When you set up a home office, you'll need several pieces of furniture. While you might immediately add a desk and office chair to your shopping list, there will likely be some other things that you need to buy. As you browse a local office furniture store, you can expect to come across a display of chair mats. A chair mat is a product that you place on the floor beneath your office chair and is available in many sizes, materials, and colors. A lot of people use chair mats because of the numerous benefits that they offer. Here are three noteworthy benefits.
Floor Protection
Perhaps the biggest reason to add a chair mat to your home office is that this simple device will protect your floor from damage. The floor beneath your office chair can be susceptible to damage because of the amount of rolling that you'll do in the months and years ahead. A hardwood floor can slowly develop dents and grooves from your chair's wheels. If you ever move your home office, this damage to the floor will be very apparent without the chair sitting on top of it. When you have a chair mat in place, you won't have to worry about this damage.
Easier Rolling
A chair mat can also make it easier for you to roll your office chair. Some types of flooring can inhibit this movement, which isn't ideal for someone who sits in their home office for the entire workweek. Carpet, for example, can sometimes make it difficult to roll in an office chair. This can especially be true if the carpet is thick. Adding a chair mat over the carpet will immediately make it easier for you to roll around in your chair.
Quiet Movement
In some rooms, rolling an office chair can be very noisy. For example, if you have a hardwood or tile floor and an office chair with plastic wheels, the noise each time you roll the chair may be evident. This noise can be annoying to you, but it may be disruptive to your family members. If your home office is on the top floor of your home, those who are on the floor directly below you may be aware of each movement of your chair. A chair mat, particularly one that is made of rubber, will absorb the sound and allow you to roll around in your chair quietly. Learn more about chair mats at a local furniture store.