Post #705730 by Chip and Andy on Sat, Jan 25, 2014 6:47 PM

On 2014-01-25 15:15, PeguDoug wrote:
Does anyone have any suggestions on getting a roll of lauhala matting to unroll and lie flat.

Thanks!

You mean like to roll it out, use it, then roll it up for storage until some future time?

A spray bottle with a bit of water will help. You only want to very slightly wet the stuff or it will swell and make your bubbles and gaps bigger. You could also try a steam iron. Not actually ironing the mat, just hitting it with the steam to help shape it. The downside to these two options is having to hold the mat in place/shape until it dries or cools.

When you take it down for storage here is something that will really help for the next time:

Lay newspaper or kraft wrap down on the floor. Christmas wrapping works too. Now lay the matting down with the 'good side' towards the floor, touching the paper. Now roll the mat so the back side goes to the inside of the roll, the good side should face out of the roll.

Next time you pull out the matting and unroll it, any curve in the matting will curve towards the wall/bar instead of out towards your guests. It will make the entire sheet lay more flat to the wall because the curve will favor the wall.