As long as the mats are stored in a clean location where they are free of debris, lint and just general dust in the air, they’ll last a very long time. If you’ve been using your mat and you find that certain parts of the mat are no longer sticky you may experience problems with your images lifting and tearing in that location. The reason for that is that is as the blade is working through your paper to make the cut the blade is swiveling inside of the holder. If the paper is not gripped properly to the mat the paper will lift with the blade. I know how frustrating that can be, but once you change the mat you’ll begin to experience better cuts since the mat will be tacky enough to hold the paper firmly in place.
