Designing your own DIY grounding mat could be a helpful way to experience the effects of earthing for yourself. If you’ve been reading about earthing vitality lately, you’ll know proponents of this practice consider it critical to overall good health.
Grounding fans believe when you walk barefoot on the earth, you balance your body’s electrical charge and reduce issues like stress and inflammation. However, many people don’t have the opportunity to test the possible health benefits themselves. We don’t all have a space outside where we can walk on the grass freely and balance our positive electrons.
While earthing mats exist to mimic the benefits of direct skin contact with the earth, they can be expensive for people who aren’t sure if grounding is right for them. If you’re willing to invest in the right equipment and spend some time putting together your grounding mat, you can test this process without much initial investment.
What Material Is a Grounding Mat Made Of?
If you’re going to be making your own earthing device from scratch, the first thing you’ll need is the right materials. You can find most of the required products in a hardware store or online, depending on the kind of mats you want to assemble.
The majority of grounding mats and sheets are made of polyurethane (PU) for conductivity and copper components. To build an earthing mat, you’re going to need:
- A hammer
- Ground rod or water pipe
- A length of wire
- A sheet of wire mesh
- A sheet of PU material
- A drill (if you don’t have a nearby window)
- A utility knife, or something you can use to strip wire
- Alligator clips
While this is a relatively simple project, it’s best to be careful. If you’re worried you could end up cutting yourself, it might be worth investing in a pair of thick gloves. A set of safety glasses can also be useful if you’re concerned about flying pieces of metal.
How to Make an Earthing Mat
There are a few ways to construct earthing devices, depending on the kind of results you want to achieve. For instance, you might follow a different process if you’re creating a sheet for your bed than when you’re just building a basic mat for ground use.
One of the easiest strategies involves simply building a sheet for discharging the extra positive electrons from your body into the ground outside. Start by choosing where you want your earthing mat to be set up, and hammer a ground rod or water pipe into the earth below your window. Then follow these few steps:
- Take a long piece of wire with enough length to go through your window or through a hole in the wall to the rod outside. Before you connect this wire, you’ll need to strip the insulation from both ends using your utility knife.
- Run your wire through the window, or use your drill to place a very small hole through the wall.
- Take your copper coupling and flatten it with your hammer until it’s almost entirely smooth. Place the wiring within the copper pipe coupling, and flatten it the rest of the way. This should keep the wiring secured in place when you’re done.
- Wrap your PU material around the wire mesh, placing the copper pipe coupling between both pieces of material to create a conductive surface. You’ll be able to attach these components together with stitching or clips if you prefer. You can improve the conductivity by removing the PU material, but this may feel more uncomfortable.
How Do You Make a Ground Bed?
If you want to make a grounding bed, or an earthing sheet large enough for your bed to access the health benefits while you sleep, the process is similar to the one mentioned above. The main difference is you may need a larger piece of mesh material and an old sheet.
Start by unwrapping a length of metallic mesh and find the size you want your earthing sheet to be. Lay it on top of the sheet in the position where your torso is likely to be at night. Cut the excess and wrap the outsides of the mesh with tape to avoid chaffing and cuts. Next:
- Take your length of wire, and strip around an inch from the insulation at one end. Thread the copper ends into the mesh at the corner of the sheet, closest to where you’ll run the wire out of the window or attach it to an electrical socket.
- Tape the mesh and the sheet to the bed to ensure it doesn’t move around while you’re sleeping. Ensure the tape is fixed properly, or you’ll risk getting irritated by the metal. Tape the wire connection into the mesh too.
- Run the other side of the wire down the bed, across the floor, and outside your window to then connect it to your grounding stake. You could even solder the wire directly to the grounding stake to get the most durable finish.
- After the stake and wire are completely cool, wrap them with tape to protect them from the outdoor elements. Finally, drive the stake into the ground with a mallet as far as it will go up to the taped portion.
How Do I Ground My Bed to the Earth?
Using the steps above, you can ground your bed to the earth every time you use your sheet with your mesh wire earthing mat attached to it. You’ll need to ensure the connection to the sheet and the outside grounding stake remains secure at all times; otherwise, this can disrupt the benefits of earthing. It’s also worth being extra cautious.
During storms, you may not want to have a metallic stake outside of your home, as this could attract lightning. Know when to disconnect your wires and bring your grounding stake indoors. If you’re not sure your earthing solution is working, you can use a multimeter to test whether your personal electric charge reduces when you’re touching your grounding sheet.
If the device is working properly, you should be able to balance your electrical charge whenever you lie or stand directly on the mat with no cloth between yourself and the metal mesh. You can place a thin sheet over the top if you want, but many people find this negates the performance of their earthing equipment, as direct skin contact is best.
If you’re concerned your DIY item isn’t operating properly during particularly dry weather periods, you can consider wetting the pipe or earth around the rod outside. Some people believe moisture helps to carry electrons more effectively.
Do DIY Earthing Products Work?
DIY earthing products are a good way to test the functionality of grounding items before you’re ready to invest in a professional tool. However, they may not work as effectively as some more advanced devices. If you want to make sure you’re getting the benefits of earthing without having to deal with grounding stakes and wire, you might be better off buying a pre-made product.
It’s also worth noting that a DIY grounding mat is usually less comfortable than the commercial products on the market. The mesh wire you’ll need to use to create a conductive surface won’t be as relaxing to lay or sit on as the specialist materials used in a premium earthing mat.
Top-quality products are also available in various designs and sizes to suit different needs. This ensures you can ground your bed or simply use a mat on your floor, depending on your best strategy. Some people find it easier to start slow with a small amount of exposure to earthing items before they’re ready to sleep grounded full-time.
Creating Your Own Earthing Mat
While it is possible to learn how to make your own grounding mat, it’s important to be careful. It’s easy to cut yourself when stripping wire, and you’ll need to ensure you’re not drilling into any water pipes or electricals if you have to make a hole in your wall. There’s also the risk of scratching yourself on the mesh if you don’t tape everything down correctly.
Be cautious with your process and use extra tape for protection if you’re not entirely sure about the connection between the mesh, the wire, and the sheet.