# What kind of material would suit this project?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098 "2005-05-30T15:45:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098/1 "2005-05-30T15:45:05Z")

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I practice kendo, and I’ve run into problems trying to practice in my apartment. The kitchen floor is smooth, but the ceiling isn’t high enough. I can swing a shinai on my balcony, but the old rug I have out there isn’t really smooth enough to move properly. I want to find some kind of smooth material I can lay on my porch to create the smooth surface I need.

I’m going to make a trip to a hardware store later, but I wanted to get an idea of what sort of flooring materials would do this. I’d like it to be:

1. Portable, because I can’t make any permanent changes and I’ll eventually move.

2. Durable, because it’s going to get damp and be exposed to Texas summer weather.

3. Relatively inexpensive.

Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098/2 "2005-05-30T16:46:54Z")

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Well, I’d say some sheet linoleum might work. You can probably get balcony-sized scraps from an installer. Or you could try some 6 mil plastic (or a rug protector), but that might be too slippery.

I would say that a caveat is in order – slippery surfaces and balconies sound like a bad combination to me. Make sure that the protective wall/fencing is high enough and strong enough to prevent unintended tests of your ninja landing skills.

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**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098/3 "2005-05-30T18:13:52Z")

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Thanks!

Don’t worry-the balcony railing is high enough to prevent me falling over in the exceedingly rare event that I would.

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**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-material-would-suit-this-project/306098/4 "2005-05-30T18:47:06Z")

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It might be too expensive, but some portable tatami mats might be ideal.