Entryways are some of the most well-traveled areas in buildings. Employees, customers and equipment typically converge in entryways; important meetings often begin with a greeting there. These are the areas on display to anyone who walks through the front door.

Because entryways often attract a heavy amount of foot traffic, they draw more frequent spills, stains, ground-in soil and other damage. To combat the results of wear-and-tear, an effective, well-placed matting system is necessary.

Industry experts recommend a matting system that extends at least 15-20 feet in total length, starting from the outside of the building and covering the breezeway (space between exterior and interior doors), lobby and initial sections of the hallway. Taken together, this series of mats can help trap as much as 80 to 90 percent of tracked-in soil.

Because each style of mat is designed to serve a different function, it is important to choose, place and maintain them correctly.

“Some facilities choose mats based on appearance — for example, they choose mats that are available in a color which matches the décor. But mats also need to be chosen for performance reasons, since different mats are designed for different areas,” explains Brett Snow, national sales manager for Crown Mats and Matting, a manufacturer located in Fremont, Ohio.

For a complete listing of matting manufacturers, visit www.cleanlink. com/buyersguide.

Outside the building
Typically, the area directly outside the building is covered by a rough textured-carpet called “scraper matting.” Scraper matting usually is made from polypropylene fiber, an aggressive substance designed to scrub larger particles of dirt off shoes.

If the area directly outside the building is not protected from the elements by an awning or roof, scraper matting will be less effective at trapping water and removing soil.

Inside the breezeway
The breezeway is a strategic area ideal for trapping dirt.

“The motion of pulling open a door actually turns your body, and places pressure on your foot, twisting it into the floor,” says Gary Clipperton, president of National Pro-Clean, a Dallas -based contract cleaning company which specializes in carpet cleaning. “If you have a walk-off mat in between double doors, you take advantage of this twisting motion to remove dirt.”

“Wiper/scraper matting,” or transitional matting, is typically placed in the breezeway. This matting is usually made from a blend of polypropylene fibers, and is used to trap remaining dirt.

Inside the entryway or lobby
Wiper mats, made of quick-drying olefin or nylon fibers, are placed inside the building in the lobby area. Wiper mats are designed to dust and dry the shoe, and the fine-textured surface traps any remaining soil.

Safety first
In high-traffic areas, matting systems should be designed for safety in order to eliminate potential hazards.

“In a high-traffic area, it is important to use a low-profile type of mat so that you’re not causing people to trip on a mat that’s too high,” Snow explains. Some mats even come with beveled edging on all four sides to prevent tripping.

To ensure safety, it also is important to make sure the matting is affixed securely to the floor surface. Some mats are manufactured with a vinyl mesh backing which is used to keep it firmly in place, or double-sided tape can be applied.

Snow recommends analyzing traffic and usage patterns in order to choose mats correctly.

“Some hospitals and health-care facilities opt not to put mats outside, where people in wheelchairs and senior citizens may have difficulty navigating them,” he says. “Also, you need to make sure your mat is low enough so there’s enough clearance under the door, allowing it to swing open properly.”

Maintenance
For proper maintenance, mats need to be vacuumed daily and cleaned with a carpet extractor periodically, depending on usage. But most BSCs overlook an essential part of cleaning entryways: maintaining the floor below the mat.

“If the floor under the mat is not cleaned and swept frequently, moisture and dirt can become trapped under the mat, discoloring the floor,” Snow says.

To keep high-traffic areas clean, Clipperton recommends scheduling more frequent cleanings.

“The building doesn’t soil equally throughout,” he says. “Soil accumulates more rapidly within the first 20 feet of the entryway, and also in high-traffic areas such as around elevators and reception desks. But most crews clean all areas of the building equally, and fail to schedule in more frequent cleanings in entrances, where they are needed most.”

Lynne Knobloch is a cleaning industry writer based in Mishawaka, Ind.




POSTED ON: 7/1/2001