Never mind the Expanding Universe, what about Expanding Interlocking Rubber Mats?

[tomato]

I think folks have come across the phenomenon before.

I fitted interlocking soft rubber mats to the floor of my Pulsar dome about 9 months ago, in the heat of the summer. For sure, they were a tight fit as I didn't want small items of hardware disappearing below the false floor. In the recent heatwave they expanded big time so I had a set of rolling hills on the obs floor. I assumed they would return back to somewhere close to their original dimensions when the weather cooled, but not so.

How many times do you need to trim them, do they eventually settle down?

[Nigella Bryant]

Hi, bought some but not the pulsar one's, they to expanded in the hot weather but went back to normal by the evening. These were the cheap £10 for 5 mats. In fact I've relaid these in my RoR and going to buy new one's for my pulsar dome.

Edited June 30, 2020 by Nigella Bryant

[carastro]

Lol yes it's like walking on a bubble in the hot weather.  I have trimmed mine round the perimeter of the obsy a couple of times just a couple of mm each time and while I am still getting a bit of a swell this year it's no-where near as bad as previous years.

But the good thing is I think they saved me from what could have been a very expensive accident last week when my Atik camera and EFW fell out of the Samyang adapter and crashed on the floor.  (long story).  

Carole  

Edited June 30, 2020 by carastro

[tooth_dr]

Mine did this too recently, so funny seeing a post about it!

i trimmed mine and have been fine since.

I did use spray on contact adhesive under these mats in another shed and that has worked well.

[carastro]

I just love the title of this thread, I absolutely creased up when I read it.

Carole 

[tomato]

Thanks for the replies, glad to hear your kit survived the fall Carole. They are certainly a much better option than a concrete floor.

Mine are also not the Pulsar mats, they are some of Aldi’s centre aisle specials. Looks like I need to get the Stanley knife out.

[Rusted]

On 30/06/2020 at 15:36, carastro said:

I just love the title of this thread, I absolutely creased up when I read it.

Carole 

I was going to make a joke about dark <cough> mat[ter] but decided against it. 

[newbie alert]

How dry is the concrete subfloor before you covered it?

[andrew s]

@tomato that's my all time favourite thread title. 

Regards Andrew 

[tomato]

8 hours ago, newbie alert said:

How dry is the concrete subfloor before you covered it?

There was a wooden subfloor constructed over the concrete plinth, and the mats were laid on this wooden floor. There is a dehumidifier running inside the dome. They have shrunk a little recently, but will still need trimming.

[tomato]

6 hours ago, andrew s said:

@tomato that's my all time favourite thread title. 

Regards Andrew 

Thanks, I just realised what @carastro wrote in her response, her reaction was just like my observatory floor.😊

[Jkulin]

I did mine during that hot spell and they haven't distorted yet, I got mine from Halfrauds, £10/6 mats and I needed 2 packs.

NB. Just remembered I glued mine down with spray on contact adhesive to the wooden flooring.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Jkulin

[Corncrake]

2 hours ago, tomato said:

Thanks, I just realised what @carastro wrote in her response, her reaction was just like my observatory floor.😊

and it is good to know that her (glass) bit of the universe didnt end in a big crunch !