Invest in high-quality commercial entrance matting to ensure floor safety while maintaining your building’s presentation
Creating cleaner, safer entrance areas while upholding your building’s presentation and longevity, entrance matting is a key floor safety investment for any commercial project. Due to their effective dirt and grit removal and moisture-retaining properties, they also help with fostering a healthy environment.
Unlike residential entrance mats or standard doormats, commercial entrance mats are specifically engineered to provide a safe, slip-resistant surface for foot and wheeled access within high-traffic environments. Minimising the risk of slips, falls and other safety hazard liabilities, you’ll often find them installed at common entry points such as doorways, foyers, and walkways.
There are options to suit both indoor and outdoor applications, depending on your requirements. Offering heavy-duty, industrial durability, your commercial entrance matting can be architecturally designed to complement your building’s decor for a seamless look and feel.
To learn more about the different types of commercial door matting and their benefits, we have dedicated an entire article to ‘Explained: Commercial Entrance Mats’. In today’s blog, we’ll be answering your most frequently asked questions to help you choose the right entrance matting for your high-traffic entryway.
To assist in your decision making, we’ve answered the most popular FAQs about commercial entrance mats
Q: Which entrance matting material is best for outdoor use?
Outdoor entrance matting needs to be able to withstand various climatic conditions, such as rain and heat. The type of ‘typical’ footwear that will pass over also needs to be considered. It also needs to have good scraper properties to remove any heavy soil from footwear prior to entry into the building. Open construction entrance matting also enables debris to fall through, leaving the surface free of hazards.
Certain materials, such as rubber and polypropylene fibres (needlepunch), are more durable than others in external environments as they are less water absorbent.
Q: What type of entry matting is best for indoors?
Indoor entrance matting needs to be tough and durable, further supporting exterior matting’s efforts.
Where there may not be any external entrance matting, this mat then needs to perform well to remove the most damaging debris like soil and grit, while capturing moisture and fine dust.
With their quick-drying properties, certain materials, such as nylon fibres, are more durable than others for indoor applications. Others may also offer resistance to crushing, so we always recommend referring to a product’s specifications for more details.
Q: Do you need both an indoor and outdoor entrance mat?
When considering entrance matting, we always recommend a zoning system. Creating three zones delivers optimum dirt barrier performance, ensuring interior floors are kept clean and hazard free.
Zone 1 – Exterior Entrance Matting
Outdoor entrance matting needs to be fit for purpose, handling various climatic conditions such as rain and heat. The type of ‘typical’ footwear that will pass over also needs to be considered. This mat needs to have good scraper properties to remove any heavy soil from footwear before entering the building. Open construction entrance matting enables debris to fall through, leaving the surface free of hazards.
Zone 2 – Primary Interior Entrance Matting
Interim entrance matting needs to be tough and durable to continue the job from the exterior matting, by removing the most damaging debris like soil, grit and moisture.
Zone 3 – Secondary Interior Entrance Matting
Secondary interior entrance matting is essential for final drying and dust removal. The entrance matting needs to perform well.
If a client’s budget is limited and will not allow for a zoning system, we would recommend going for the primary interior entrance matting as a minimum.
Q: Does entrance matting need underlay?
No, entrance matting generally does not need an underlay. However, it is crucial that the entrance matting is installed on a well-prepared substrate. This includes making sure it is perfectly clean, flat and level. For some mats, a poor substrate will mean the mat will not be properly supported which might result in a ‘bounce’ or be noisy underfoot.
Q: Are there considerations for recessed matting applications?
Many commercial entrance matting systems, such as aluminium matting, are designed to be installed in recessed mat wells. A properly prepared recess suited to the correct depth of the matting will complement the building’s entrance without restricting disabled access.
In the absence of a recessed mat well, ramped edging should be used to prevent trip hazards. Any ramped edging needs to comply with both the requirements of the AS 1428 and the DDA. It should be of a compliant gradient so as to not restrict disabled access in any way.
Q: How long should entrance matting be?
Length is one of the most important elements to consider when choosing entrance matting. People often don’t stop to wipe their feet when entering public buildings, so there needs to be enough matting to ensure optimum moisture-wiping performance. This is why the selected entry matting needs to be long enough to trap maximum moisture and debris as people walk in. A minimum of about six footsteps is recommended.
The length of matting required is also dependent on the amount of daily footfall and as a guide, our team suggests:
- Low (less than 80 people per hour) = a minimum of 3-4 metres
- Medium (up to 400 people per hour) = a minimum of 6-7 metres
- High (around 800 people per hour) = a minimum of 8-12 metres
- Heavy Duty (around 2,000 people per day) = a minimum of 9-12 metres
Explore our comprehensive Classic Integra Entrance Matting for indoor and outdoor applications
Available Australia-wide, we offer a wide range of commercial and industrial entry matting, recessed and surface mount, to suit both interior and exterior applications. Customised to meet your needs, our team will work with you to architecturally design a floor safety solution to enhance your building’s decor.
Classic Integra Verse – Reversible Aluminium Matting
Featuring double-sided reversibility, the Classic Integra Verse range is engineered to withstand the toughest and most demanding of environments.
Suitable for:
- Indoor & Outdoor Applications
- High Traffic
Classic Integra Vantt – Roll-Up Aluminium Matting
Easy to clean, the Classic Integra Vantt range features an alternating pattern of aluminium scraper bars for high-quality slip resistance.
Suitable for:
- Indoor Applications
- Medium to High Traffic
Classic Integra Link – Modular Interlocking Matting
Creating a warm feel, the Classic Integra Link range features an open, yet heel-proof and wheelchair-friendly design.
Suitable for:
- Indoor & Outdoor Applications
- Medium to High Traffic
Classic Integra Zone – Carpet Style Matting
Providing a luxurious look and feel, the Classic Integra Zone range can be used as both a primary and secondary level of matting.
Suitable for:
- Indoor Applications
- High Traffic
View our full range of commercial entrance matting solutions.
Get a step ahead today!
Choosing the right entrance matting system for your project can play a huge role in lowering your building’s cleaning and maintenance costs by reducing unsightly dirt marks, scratches, stains, and everyday wear and tear on your flooring. Classic’s Integra commercial matting range offers high performance without compromising on aesthetics, ensuring you get maximum value from your investment.
With over 40 years’ experience in public access and safety solutions across commercial doormats, stair nosings, tactile indicators, covers and trims, skate deterrents, and car park safety systems, Classic’s the name you can trust. Offering you the certainty of end-to-end support, from consultation and design right through to manufacturing, supply, and installation, we’ll keep your project on track.
To browse our entire range of solutions, view our latest product catalogue. You can download a copy online or we can send you a physical copy in the mail. If you’d like to learn more about our entrance mat offerings and services, speak with an expert by calling 1300 244 377.
