Guides
How to lay a workstation kit
There is not much to it, which is the point. It is worth reading the two mistakes at the end before you start.
Last checked August 2026
What you need
A broom. That is the complete tool list. No adhesive, no fixings, no cutting, no knee pads unless you want them.
The sequence
- Sweep the floor. Loose grit is the only thing worth removing. Over months it works into the tile joints and stops them seating cleanly.
- Dry lay the tiles. Put them out in position without pushing them together, so you can see the finished shape against the bench and move the whole thing before you commit.
- Push the joints together. Work from one corner across. They locate positively and you will feel each one seat. If a joint does not want to go, something is under it.
- Fit the bevelled edging. Every edge that is not against a wall, a bench plinth or a machine base gets one. Push it onto the outside of the finished deck.
- Walk it. Cross every joint and every edge once. Anything that is going to move will move now rather than in a fortnight.
The two things people get wrong
Leaving an open edge unbevelled
It is the most common one and it is the one that matters. A square 25mm edge across a route somebody walks is a trip hazard, and it is also the edge that lifts first because there is something for a boot to catch under. The edging is in the box. Use all of it.
The exception is an edge that is genuinely against something. A deck butted to a wall or a machine base does not need edging there, and you will have pieces left over. Keep them.
Positioning it by the bench rather than by where you stand
People instinctively line the deck up with the front of the bench. What you actually want is the deck centred on where your feet go, which is usually a little further back and often offset to one side, towards the vice or the machine you use most.
Stand at the bench and work for a minute before you push the joints together. It is much easier to move a dry-laid deck than a seated one.
Lifting it again
Start at a corner and lift one tile at an angle. The joints release the way they went together. Take up as much as you need, sweep or hose the floor, and put it back.
On a drainage deck in a washdown area this is a weekly job and it should be written into the cleaning routine. A deck nobody has lifted in a year is the thing an auditor will point at.
Looking after it
- Brush rather than blow, so debris does not drive into the joints.
- If a tile gets damaged, swap that tile. That is the practical advantage of a deck over a one-piece mat and it is worth using.
- Do not run a powered pallet truck or a forklift over the edging. Foot traffic and hand trolleys are what it is for.
Questions people ask
- How long does it take to lay a workstation matting kit?
- About ten minutes for one person, including sweeping the floor first. The tiles interlock by hand and the bevelled edging pushes on.
- Do I need adhesive?
- No, and you should not use any. The kit holds position on its own weight, and not gluing it down is what lets you lift it to clean underneath.
- Does the floor need preparing?
- Sweep it. That is all. It does not need to be level, sealed, painted or dry beyond the ordinary. Loose grit under a deck is the only thing worth removing, because it works into the joints over time.
- Can one person handle it?
- Yes. That is why the long kits ship as two boxes rather than one. Every carton on the range is under 21 kg and the individual tiles are a comfortable single-hand lift.