How to Make a Wooden Floor Mat

January 29, 2014

The other day we decided it was a good Saturday to work on a project. I needed a new floor mat for the entrance and so we decided it would be a lot of fun to build a wood floor mat. We searched Pinterest for ideas and found a wooden floor mat that we wanted to model ours after. The link to the plans we followed can be found by clicking here. However, it was full of bright colors and I wanted more of a natural wood look for my home. So, we went out to the store and got all the supplies!

Tools

Power Drill
12″ Miter Saw
Orbital Sander
Angle Grinder – (With Metal Cutoff Blade)
or Jigsaw with a metal cutting blade
Tape Measure
Wrench
Pliers

Other Supplies

3/8 inch drill bit
Pencil
Speed Square

Shopping List

Qty: 4 – 1x2x8 boards (You can use the premium pine or cheap pine
Qty: 16 – 1/4 inch nuts
Qty: 12 – 1/4 inch lock washers
Qty: 6 – 1/4 inch 20×2′ threaded rod – Available at Home Depot or Lowes

Make your cuts

The first step is to make your cuts. You’ll need to cut the 1×2 board you bought into 38 pieces that are 9 inches long. Instead of measuring every single board I simply made a jig on my miter saw. That way I could speed up the project quite a bit!

After making all of the cuts you will have 38 pieces.

Drill the holes

Next, drill the holes through each side of the board. First measure 1 1/4 inches in from the side and make a mark. Put a 3/8 inch drill bit on the center of the mark and go straight down. You must drill as straight as possible so the threaded rods will be able to slide through easily. I created a little wood block jig that was 1 1/4 inches long to use so I knew where to make the marks instead of having to measure every single time.

Be precise! If you have a drill press use it. I don’t so I made sure to take my time and drill as straight as possible. The 3/8 inch bit gives you a little bit of wiggle room which is nice in case everything isn’t 100% straight.

Sand the boards using an orbital sander to remove splinters and sharp edges.

Here is a look at the boards after they’ve all been sanded.

Stain boards

I stained every other board with “Special Walnut” stain from MinWax. Use a rag to wipe it on. Let dry for a couple hours.

Assemble

Push the threaded rods through the boards.

Here is a closeup of how I attached the boards for the far left and far right edges. I did one bolt on the inside and a lock washer/nut on the outside.

How to build a wooden floor mat - DIY Pete

Tighten the nuts using a wrench.

How to build a wooden floor mat process - DIY Pete

Here is a photo of the mat completely assembled prior to sealing.

Remove excess threaded rod using an angle grinder with a metal cutoff blade. You could use a metal cutting hand saw if you do not have an angle grinder.

Seal

Seal your floor mat using polyurethane or spar varnish. I used a brush to wipe on two coats. The oil based urethane gave the wood a nice warm color and made the non-stained boards a light honey color.

How to build a wooden floor mat polyurethane finish - DIY Pete

It was tough to get in some of the crevices using the brush. So, I used some spray urethane to quickly get the hard to reach areas. Let the mat dry overnight or for about 8-12 hours.

Enjoy!

Thanks for checking out this project! I hope the tutorial inspires you to build your own. Please share and like, THANKS!

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