How to Cover a Trap Door in a Kitchen

Cover the trap door with a durable floor mat.

A kitchen trap door provides access to storage or maintenance for the furnace and other home systems. In most homes, it's rarely used, yet it remains in plain view. Additionally, cracks around the trap door present a cleaning challenge.



Even more importantly, the trap door handle may present a tripping hazard. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website warns of the high rate of hospitalization due to falls in the home. Exposed trap doors can easily cause falls.



However, there are ways to keep the trap door accessible but not exposed--and simultaneously give your kitchen a face lift.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Floor mat or rug
• Nonslip rug pad
• Pair of scissors
• Double-sided tape (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure the trap door area of the kitchen. Select the largest possible area to cover the trap door effectively and reduce the risk of tripping accidents. A small mat in the middle of a kitchen floor looks odd, presents a tripping danger and will require continuous repositioning.

   For example, if there's an island in the kitchen and the trap door is on the left side of the island, measure from the base of the island to the left wall for the width measurement. Take a second measurement for the length (for example, from the kitchen entrance to the counter). Measure twice and write down the measurements.

2. Plan for a border of bare floor around the mat, if desired. For example, if it won't interfere with covering the trap door, leave 12 to 18 inches of clearance in front of the stove, sink and refrigerator to make mopping those areas convenient.

   Subtract the clearance from the measurement in Step 1. If the biggest mat that will fit on the trap door side of the kitchen--or center of the kitchen, depending on the trap door's location--is 8 by 10 feet and you want at least a 12-inch border of bare floor around the mat, plan to buy a mat smaller than 7 by 9 feet.

3. Buy a floor mat in the desired size, as well as a rug pad. Cut the rug pad 1/2-inch smaller than the rug. This keeps the edges of the rug or mat from curling up and also prevents it from slipping. For example, if the mat is 5 by 7 feet, cut the rug pad with a scissors so that it's 4 feet, 11 inches by 6 feet, 11 inches.

4. Sweep and mop the floor. Allow the floor to dry so that grit won't be trapped under the mat.

5. Center the rug pad on the trap door area of the kitchen floor. Line it up so it is even with a wall or island, about 12 inches from each end.

6. Center the mat over the rug pad.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply double-sided tape along the underneath edges of the mat for extra safety. Rug stores carry strong tape for this purpose.

• A thick, woven, natural fiber mat will tend to conceal the trap door handle and any unevenness in the floor better than a rug because of its thickness and texture.

• Sisal, a durable natural fiber, is fire-resistant.

• Common rug and mat sizes that fit in kitchens include: 5 by 7, 8 by 10 and 9 by 12 feet (of course, there are smaller and larger rug sizes. Selection varies by maker and retailer).

• Remove greasy spills by scraping the food off with a butter knife. Rubbing a spill drives the substance deeper into the rug fibers.

• Baking soda works well to remove odors from kitchen rugs. Leave it on overnight and vacuum the rug the next day.

• Select a rug or mat with a nonslip backing or use a rug pad to reduce the risk of trips and falls.

References

• Centers for Disease Control: Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist
• Colorado State University Extension: Rug Selection and Use