shopping entrance matting
On these rainy days the need for effective entrance mats becomes increasingly apparent; none more so than for high street retailers. Entrance matting is not just about keeping floors clean; moreover, a legal requirement to keeping floors safe for visiting shoppers. Fractured bones are bad enough, but some slip-related accidents can be even more serious should that individual hit their head or fall on a sharp object. That is why entrance mats not only need to look good; they need to perform well too. Investment in heavy duty entrance mat systems, designed for high levels of footfall, is well worthwhile.
All too often the area allocated for entrance matting is simply not large enough. For a very busy area, such as a shopping centre for example, COBA Europe recommends entrance matting between 9 and 12 metres deep. That is approximately 6 footsteps with the potential to wipe/scrape 90% of dirt and moisture from footwear.
But it is not just footwear that needs to be cleaned. Wheelchairs, trolleys and push chairs for example all carry dirt, debris and moisture. A full wheelchair revolution requires about 2.5 metres of entrance matting to do the job properly. It’s also no good having such a plush pile entrance mat that wheelchairs are unable to access easily. One bugbear for wheelchair users is that although matting is very often installed in a recessed well, the wheels can sometimes find it difficult to travel over the surface. A more rigid surface is preferable.
While many offices, public buildings and hotels very often create ‘zoned’ entrance areas, the same cannot always be said of shops. That is why dual-performance matting that wipes moisture and scrapes dirt/debris is so beneficial in these situations. On the whole, the surface will feature a combination of rigid and soft fibres. Some matting allows for debris to fall through the mat, while others have a solid surface which for busy high footfall areas, can be preferable.
And once matting has been installed, look after it! Entrance mats can only perform efficiently if they are cleaned regularly and well-maintained.
Finally, if the huge array of entrance mat systems is just too confusing, then always speak to a reputable manufacturer or supplier who should explain the key features of certain styles or designs of matting. The sales team at COBA Europe are here to help! Tel: 0116 240 1055
