Rich,
Here are the statistic based on a filter chamber of 40"x40"x40". This is a filter tank that has 37 cubic feet of volume.
A sheet of Grey Matala matting is 1.6 cubic feet and has 171 square feet of surface area per cubic feet. A sheet of Matala matting, grey, therefore has 273.6 square feet of surface area.
A sheet of J-mat is 2.3 cubic feet and has 120 square feet of surface area per cubic foot. A sheet of J-mat therefore has 277.2 square feet of surface area.
It will take 23 sheets of Matala matting to fill up that 37 cubic foot filter chamber which gives you a total surface area in that chamber of 6,327 square feet.
It will take 16 sheets of J-mat to fill up that 37 cubic foot filter chamber which gives you a total surface area in that chamber of 4,435 square feet.
If you look at retail on both products the 23 sheets of Matala will cost you $1,426.00. The 16 sheets of J-mat will cost you $1,279.00.
Now lets look at what you get for that.
With Matala you get 6,327 square feet or surface area, which is a grand total of 22.5 cents a square foot.
With J-mat you get 4,435 square feet of surface area, which is 28.8 cents a square foot.
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
J-mat is MORE EXPENSIVE per square foot of surface area and it takes up more space!!!!! DUHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Now with J-mat, if you pack it tightly, it will channel and clog so it needs to be spaced out. This will use up half as many sheets of J-mat. Now you have 8 sheets of J-mat at a cost of $639.50 in that 37 cubic foot chamber. Now you have only 2,217.5 square feet of surface area in that chamber. Do you know what that means. This means you need three 37 cubic foot chambers to equal the surface area that the one chamber of Matala has.
You old timers need to learn from the new technology.
Also, there are four densities of Matala matting because they are used for different functions. The black is 62 sq. ft per cubic foot, but still has 92% free volume. The green is 96 sq. ft. per cubic foot, but still has 93% free volume. The blue has 124 sq. ft. per cubic foot, but still has 94% free volume. The grey has 171 sq. ft. per cubic foot, but still has 94% free volume. What does this mean, you ask? It means that no matter what density of Matal matting you use, it WILL NOT clog.
All you have to do is shake it out, or pour water through it. Try that with J-Mat.
Don,
I think you have your facts backwards, Matala matting is impervious to UV lighting and J-Mat will break down over time in UV light.
Also Matala has redone there matting and it is now much more flexible.