Cutting a rubber mat -- looking for suggestions.

[Baitball Blogger]

Here is my dilemma. My yard is small and I wanted to make every inch of it safe for toddlers. My yard also has a wee bit of a problem holding onto grass in one very shaded part of the yard. I can just get the grass to grow if it doesn't get too trampled. One way to make it work is to cut down on the trampling, which is possible with stepping stones. But, stepping stones in that shaded area would take up a third of the play area.

So, I thought I would solve the dilemma by buying rubber garden tiles. Safer to fall on rubber than stone. But, I priced them and they are astronomically expensive. The next idea was to buy a 3/4 inch stable mat, about 4' x 6', and cut it down to 18 stepping stones that are each 12" x 16". I wasn't too concerned about what they would look like because I'm pretty good at faux painting and I can give them a stone or terra cotta look.

But the cutting part. Hmmm. For this I would purchase whatever tool would work best.

Any ideas?

[Lochloosa]

1. YouTube is your friend.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. That looks like the mat!

Oh my God! It's going to work! Thank you!

[4dog]

2. I would try a little jig-saw (vertical stroke), sometines called a saber saw

No real experience with thick rubber, but seems easier than some kind of shearing tool. Default blade is about 1/4 inch wide, but you can get ones several times as wide, which makes for a straighter cut. As little as $25 but no advice on what to try; mine is an old German one.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. I'll put that on the back burner.

The video above your post suggests a carpet rug cutter. I will try that one first.

But, thank you!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

6. That's why instead of rubber mats, I just used rubbers to keep my yard safe FROM toddlers!!

[sl8]

7. I've had good luck cutting them with a utilty knife.

The "trick", is making mutiple cuts - don't try to muscle your way through. A metal straight edge works better than something softer.

Also, after the first couple of passes, if you try to fold or roll the mat along the cut, the cut will spread open, making subsequent passes easier (easier to see and less drag on the blade). At that point you don't need the straight edge any more.