Entrance Matting

Make an entrance with our commercial door entrance mats

The main job of a mat is to protect the flooring beneath it. The second most important job of an entrance mat is to retain dirt and moisture. A mat is essentially a vessel for collecting dirt and debris from footwear and preventing it being spread further into your premises.

Commercial entrance mats provide a barrier from the elements. They are especially important during the winter when rainy weather creates the spread of additional moisture and mud. Snowy and icy weather is probably the worst for creating a mess. De-icing salt and grit that gets stuck on the bottom of shoes, especially traditional rock salt (that's the pink stuff), can make a real mess if tread into carpets.

Ignoring the need for matting can mean that extra floor cleaning will be necessary which may result in a raise in maintenance costs. So that's worth bearing in mind when you're thinking about your flooring budget.

So, which type of floor mat is best for your workplace?

When considering which matting system to buy the first thing to consider is, where the mat be located, indoor or outdoors.

Outdoor entrance mats

The majority of our exterior mats are made from rubber. Rubber is a natural material that is hard wearing and works well in situations where a more heavy duty entrance matting is required. An additional bonus of rubber is its black colour meaning it won't mark and hides dirt well. And don't worry about the rubbery smell, there are ways and means of dealing with that.

A rubber door mat will look smart, making a good first impression for visitors to your business. Door mats, rubber in particular, provide a great anti-slip surface. That's really important in locations which experience a lot of snow or ice.

Rubber comes in a variety of designs, raised patterns and nodules really do help to dislodge dirt and debris from your footwear.

The removal of dirt is particularly important in environments where a high level of hygiene is expected. If you need a mat which also works to sanitise shoes you might like to check out the Sanibrush disinfectant barrier matting. Simply fill the mat with your chosen disinfectant liquid and hey presto, your mat turns into a bath for your shoes!

Indoor entrance door mats

The first piece of flooring inside your main business doorway can take a bit of a battering. High footfall can cause unsightly marks and stains on carpeted floors, especially in areas which see many folk over the threshold on a daily basis.

Hard flooring such as laminate, vinyl or natural wood floor boards can become very slippery when wet. Wet floors can cause people to slip and fall causing injury. The best way to prevent this is by providing a sufficient entrance matting system.

What makes a good indoor mat rug you may ask? Well, several factors can contribute to the makings of a great indoor mat of optimum performance.

The most common commercial door mats are those with a nice furry carpet look. These type of mats are available in a nice selection of colours, red, blue, brown and grey are popular as you'll find they'll blend in nicely in most interiors. A mottled colour mat would be a good option if a priority is to ensure as clean an appearance as possible. The mottled design by nature works well at disguising footprints and marks which may occur as people wipe their feet.

Another important factor to consider when selecting your indoor doormat is the backing. Many good quality indoor mats have a PVC back which is heavy enough to stop it moving around on smooth floors. The edging wants to be as flush to the floor as possible to reduce the risk of people tripping on it. A nitrile rubber backing is another strong choice for its tendency to stay in place. After all, we all want to be in control of our mats.

Let's be honest, very few of us enjoy cleaning. The great thing about the Coba-Wash and Lustre range of indoor mats is that when it's time to clean them, you can simply bung them in the washing machine! Hooray! Just think, you can even add your favourite fabric conditioner to make them smell all lovely and fresh too.

Do you live somewhere it rains, a lot? Don't panic, it's not time for your wellies, mop and bucket quite yet. Aquasorb entrance mats can absorb up to 6 whole litres of water per square metre. And thanks to the waffle design of the surface of the mat they're great at scraping mud and dirt off your shoe too. That's a lot of waffley goodness!

Oh, and the back has a specially designed gripper back which not only holds it in place, actually raises it off the floor so that it can dry underneath. What a marvel.

A rather more bespoke type of mat is that of a sticky variety. Sticky Step mat is a plastic mat which literally picks up dust and dirt from anything which comes into contact with it. Wheels of trolleys and buggies are no match for sticky step mat! Some may call it a runners rug, as it's a bit like a cross between a floor runner and a rug. You might find these mats, which have peel off layers, in laboratories and hospitals for optimal hygiene. They're also great for use in new build homes where you want to keep delicious fresh carpet in pristine condition.

Another option for when you like to be really on-brand, is to have your company logo or strap line designed into the pile of the carpet mat. You certainly will make an entrance with a logo mat. Sadly we can't supply those though.

So basically, it's surprising how a humble mat really can be a welcome addition to your workplace. Outside or inside, they play a vital role in maintaining the look, feel and cleanliness of entrances across the UK. Next time you enter a building you've not been before, take a moment to look down and admire the poor old mat that spends its time being trodden on, day and night collecting remnants from your shoes. It's amazing just how interesting they can be.

Made the decision to bring a mat into your home or business? Give us a call on 0808 274 0078 and we'll have your ideal mat with you in no time.