Decoupling Matting

Decoupling matting has many benefits and it’s recommended that you utilise it whenever you’re looking to tile your floor. Here’s a breakdown of its many benefits. 

• Increased Floor Durability: Not only is the mat itself durable, but its properties also improve the durability of your tiled floor too by absorbing any stress, reducing the potential of damage to your tiles. 
• Improved Heat Distribution: Decoupling matting helps to distribute the heat from underfloor heating more evenly. Helping you to get the most out of it. 
• Damage Prevention: By absorbing the stress of building movement from natural expansion and contraction alongside other causes of substrate movement, the mat helps to prevent cracks and other damage to the tiles. 
• Waterproofing: Some decoupling mats also offer waterproof properties, helping to protect the substrate from moisture and water damage. 

Designed to separate the subfloor from the flooring, decoupling mats offer many benefits and are the go to choice if you’re looking to tile a floor.

Yes, it’s almost always recommended that you use a suitable primer before installing decoupling matting as it will ensure the adhesive sticks to the floor more effectively and in turn, that the matting stays in place on the floor too. 

Primer also helps to seal any absorbent surfaces like screed which will prevent your chosen adhesive from drying out too quickly and it will help to glue down any lingering dust too, ensuring the adhesive sticks to the floor, not any dust that's present. 

The specific primer will depend on your circumstances and what your subfloor is made out of but by using a primer before laying down decoupling mate, you’ll help to ensure the decoupling mat does its job and helps prevent damage to your tiled floor.

Yes, in fact, it can help to enhance the performance of your underfloor heating and help to keep the cables in place too. Due to the air gap that’s created beneath the decoupling mat, the heat can be more evenly distributed across your floor. 

Many decoupling matting designs also feature pre-formed channels so to speak that provide a useful spot to evenly place underfloor heating cables and help to further ensure the distribution of heat and simplify installation too.