Vinyl Link Mat

A Spaghetti Mat is an open, coiled-vinyl scraper — the looped surface looks like a tangle of spaghetti, and that tangle is what pulls mud and grit off shoes at the door. It is a light-traffic outdoor scraper that drains and dries fast, made to keep debris outside the building instead of tracked across the floor inside.

What a Spaghetti Mat Does Before the Dirt Gets Inside

An outdoor entrance is where most of a building's dirt arrives. A scraper mat's job is to take that dirt off shoes before it crosses the threshold — and that matters, because ISSA field data shows about twelve times more dirt enters a building during wet weather. The coiled loops scrape from every direction and let the loosened grit and water fall through to the surface below, so it stays off the floor inside.

Why Coiled Vinyl, and Why This One

The mat is built from looped PVC — vinyl coiled into an open, springy surface about three-eighths of an inch thick. The loops run in no single direction, so they scrape a shoe no matter which way someone steps. The vinyl resists mildew and fading, and the open structure dries quickly instead of staying soggy after rain.

It comes two ways. A backed version has a foam backing that helps it sit still on a hard floor; an unbacked version skips the backing so water runs straight through, which suits a recessed well or any spot where drainage matters. Both are slip-resistant, and either can be finished with an applied vinyl edge.

Where It Belongs, and Where It Doesn't

A Spaghetti Mat fits lighter-traffic entrances — office buildings, small retail stores, banks, post offices, churches, and motels — and it is at its best outdoors, where draining and scraping count more than a finished look. It works in a surface spot or dropped into a recessed well, and it sits in our range of exterior entrance mats for the door that needs a workhorse scraper.

What it is not is a heavy-traffic mat or a drying mat. It is rated for light to medium use, so a high-volume entrance will wear it faster than it should — step up to a heavier scraper there. And it scrapes far better than it wipes, so it will not dry wet shoes on its own. Pair it with an absorbent mat inside for that.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, be honest about the traffic. The Spaghetti Mat is a light-to-medium-traffic scraper, and that is where it earns its keep. At a busy main entrance with constant footfall, a heavier-built scraper will hold up longer, so save this one for secondary doors, service entries, and lower-volume buildings.

Second, choose backed or unbacked, and size it. Pick the backed version to keep the mat planted on a hard floor, or the unbacked version where water needs to drain straight through, such as a recessed well. Standard sizes are three by five and four by six feet, with rolls up to four feet wide cut to length.

Third, plan what pairs with it. Because it scrapes but does not absorb, set an absorbent mat just inside the door so the Spaghetti Mat knocks off the mud and water outside and the second mat dries what is left. That two-stage setup is what keeps the floor inside clean and dry.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and the right scraper depends on the door it guards. We will help you weigh backed against unbacked, match the size to the opening, and decide whether a light-traffic scraper is the right call or the entrance needs something heavier. Tell us the traffic and the setting, and we will spec it to fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Spaghetti Mat made of?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is built from looped PVC — vinyl coiled into an open, springy surface about three-eighths of an inch thick. The loops run in no single direction, so the mat scrapes a shoe whichever way someone steps onto it. It comes in a backed version, with a foam backing that helps it stay put on a hard floor, and an unbacked version that lets water run straight through. The vinyl resists mildew and fading, so it holds up to weather outdoors.

How much traffic can it handle, and how long will it last?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is a light-to-medium-traffic scraper, so it is happiest at secondary doors, smaller retail spaces, offices, and similar buildings rather than a high-volume main entrance. The backed version weighs about 0.69 pounds per square foot and the unbacked about 0.53, enough to stay in place without being a chore to lift and clean. Because the vinyl resists mildew and fading, it keeps its look outdoors. In a busier doorway, plan to step up to a heavier scraper that will last longer under constant footfall.

Does it drain, and should I get the backed or unbacked version?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Both scrape well; the difference is what happens to the water. The unbacked version is open underneath, so water and grit fall straight through — that is the one for a recessed well or any spot where drainage matters. The backed version has a foam backing that keeps it planted on a hard, flat floor where you do not want it sliding. If the mat is going outdoors where rain needs somewhere to go, unbacked is usually the call; on a dry interior floor, backed.

What colors does it come in, and will it look right out front?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

It comes in brown, gray, and black in the backed version, and brown or gray unbacked. The look is honest and utilitarian — a practical scraper rather than a decorative mat — so it suits service entries, side doors, and lower-key building fronts. For a polished main entrance where the mat is part of the first impression, a more finished entrance mat usually fits the look better, with the Spaghetti Mat doing the rough work elsewhere.

Can I get it in a custom size?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes, within its width. Standard mats come in three-by-five and four-by-six feet, and it is also sold in rolls up to four feet wide that we cut to the length you need — so a long or non-standard run is straightforward as long as it stays within that four-foot width. If you want the cut edges finished, just tell us which sides, and we will add an applied vinyl edge there.

Can you add our logo to it?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Not this mat — the Spaghetti Mat is a plain functional scraper, with no logo or custom-color option. Its job is taking dirt and water off shoes, not carrying a brand. If you want your logo at the door, that belongs on a logo construction made for it, which we can point you to. Many buyers use both: a logo mat where people see it, and a scraper like this one where the real cleaning happens.

By Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO, Mats Inc.