When heavy equipment, trucks, lifts, trailers and crews need to cross soft, muddy or sensitive terrain, the right ground protection mat can make the difference between a smooth job and an expensive cleanup. Ground protection mats create a durable temporary roadway or working surface that distributes weight, reduces rutting and protects the underlying ground from heavy traffic. They are used across construction, landscaping, arboriculture, utilities, municipalities, events, pipeline work and countless other applications where equipment needs reliable access without destroying the surface underneath. But not all ground protection mats are created equal. A cheaper mat may cost less today and considerably more over its useful life. Our goal is to provide heavy duty ground protection that delivers dependable performance job after job, season after season.

The purchase price of a mat is only one part of the equation. Consider the cost of repairing a damaged jobsite, replacing destroyed turf, removing mud, bringing in additional aggregate, repairing rutted access roads, renting additional equipment, losing productive hours or repeatedly purchasing plywood that can only withstand a limited number of applications.

Those costs can quickly exceed the price of quality reusable ground protection.

Irontread mats are designed to be an investment rather than a disposable jobsite expense. When a durable mat can be transported from one project to another and reused repeatedly, its cost per job can become dramatically lower than continually buying temporary alternatives.

An Irontread Ground Protection Mat purchased for one project can potentially be used on dozens or even hundreds of jobs depending on the application, equipment, terrain and handling practices. 

That means the important question isn't simply:"How much does this mat cost?" The better question is: "How much will this mat cost me every time I use it?" A higher quality mat with a longer service life can provide a lower cost per use than an inexpensive alternative that cracks, breaks, warps or needs to be replaced after only a handful of projects.

Plywood has been used for temporary ground protection for decades, but it can become an expensive solution when you factor in its entire lifecycle.

Plywood can absorb moisture, deteriorate, break, splinter and become difficult to handle after repeated exposure to demanding jobsite conditions. It also requires frequent replacement and creates additional disposal requirements at the end of its useful life.

Reusable ground protection mats provide a purpose-built alternative.

They are designed specifically to handle repeated installation and removal while creating a stable surface for equipment and personnel. Instead of buying new plywood for each project, reusable mats can be collected, transported, installed again and put back to work.

For contractors and companies completing multiple projects each year, the potential savings can be substantial.

The cost of ground damage isn't always obvious when a project begins.

A truck or piece of heavy equipment may cross an area without protection and leave deep ruts, compacted soil, damaged grass or a muddy access route behind it. What looked like a simple equipment move can turn into hours or days of restoration work.

Depending on the site, you may need to pay for:

• Labour to repair and restore damaged areas
• Additional fill, stone or aggregate
• Landscaping and reseeding
• Mud and debris removal
• Additional equipment or labour
• Cleanup after the project
• Replacement of damaged property or surfaces
• Delays caused by poor site conditions
• Repeated maintenance throughout the project

Irontread Mats don't just protect grass, soil and finished surfaces.

They help create a more reliable working environment for equipment and crews by providing a defined travel surface over challenging terrain. Proper ground protection can improve site access, help reduce equipment getting stuck and make it easier to move materials and machinery through areas that would otherwise become difficult or inaccessible.

For contractors, that can mean fewer interruptions and more productive hours on the job.

Less time fighting the ground means more time getting the job done.

We believe a ground protection mat should be purchased with its entire service life in mind.

Our mats are manufactured from durable recycled plastic materials selected for demanding outdoor applications. Their construction is designed to withstand repeated handling, transportation, installation and removal while providing dependable ground protection under heavy use. Every mat represents an opportunity to replace a disposable or short-lived alternative with a reusable product that can continue working long after its first project is finished.

Durability isn't something we leave to chance. Before our mats reach your jobsite, we focus on the consistency of the manufacturing process and the quality of the finished product. We evaluate the materials, manufacturing quality, dimensions and overall construction to help ensure that the mats we sell meet our standards for durability and long-term use.

That attention to quality is important because ground protection mats don't operate in controlled conditions. They are exposed to mud, rain, snow, sunlight, temperature changes, heavy equipment, repeated loading and unloading, and the everyday abuse of a working jobsite.

A mat that looks good when it arrives isn't enough.

We stand behind the quality and durability of our ground protection mats with a Limited Lifetime Manufacturer's Warranty.

We believe that confidence in a product should extend beyond the day it is purchased. Our warranty reflects our commitment to manufacturing quality mats designed for long-term, repeated use.

Your investment deserves protection, and our products are built with that expectation in mind.

Ground protection isn't only about protecting the surface beneath your equipment. It can also be an opportunity to reduce material waste.

Choosing reusable ground protection over disposable or short-lived alternatives means one mat can potentially replace many purchases over its useful life.

Instead of repeatedly purchasing plywood or other temporary materials, reusable plastic mats can be recovered from a jobsite, transported to the next project and put back to work.

That means:

Buy once. Reuse repeatedly. Replace less often.

Our use of recycled plastic also gives material that might otherwise become waste another useful purpose. By manufacturing durable products from recycled material and designing them for repeated use, we aim to extend the useful life of the material while reducing the need for constant replacement.

The most sustainable product isn't necessarily the one that costs the least or weighs the least.

It is often the product that lasts the longest and gets used the most.

If you regularly purchase plywood or inexpensive temporary ground protection, look beyond the initial purchase price.

Consider how many projects the product can realistically serve.

A simple cost-per-use calculation can help demonstrate the difference:

Purchase Price ÷ Number of Jobs = Approximate Cost Per Job

A $165 mat used on 20 projects represents approximately $8.25 per job before considering any resale value or additional years of use.

Compare that with purchasing disposable materials for every project, or replacing inexpensive mats after limited use.

The longer a quality mat remains in service, the lower its effective cost per project becomes.

For contractors who use ground protection regularly, that difference can add up quickly.

Whether you're protecting a residential lawn, creating an access road for heavy equipment, supporting an arborist crew, protecting a construction site or building a temporary roadway across difficult terrain, ground protection is an investment in your entire project.

The right mats can help you:

Protect the ground

Reduce rutting, soil damage and surface disturbance.

Reduce jobsite costs

Spend less on repairs, cleanup, replacement materials and repeated purchases.

Improve access

Create a stable working surface for equipment, vehicles and crews.

Reuse across projects

Take your investment from one jobsite to the next.

Reduce waste

Replace repeated purchases of disposable temporary materials with a reusable solution.

Protect your investment

Choose durable mats backed by a Limited Lifetime Manufacturer's Warranty.

Cheap ground protection can become expensive when it has to be replaced repeatedly.

Plywood can become expensive when every project requires another purchase.

And repairing a damaged jobsite can be even more expensive. Quality reusable ground protection gives you another option: make the investment once and put it to work again and again.

When your business depends on getting equipment where it needs to go, your ground protection should be dependable enough to go with you.

Protect the site. Reduce the cost per job. Reuse it for years. 

Choose Irontread Mat®!