New flooring is a significant investment and therefore it is important to protect your main floor by incorporating strategic walk-off carpet and entry systems. The dirt in buildings predominantly comes in through the main entrance, side doors and service entrances. Effective entry systems can capture and hold 85% of dirt and moisture that comes through the door, successfully improving air quality and extending the life and appearance of your facility’s main floor. An effective entry system takes into consideration where mats are placed, what types of mats are used and what kind of exterior entrance surface is in place.
As the first line of defense against excess dirt and moisture, walk-off carpet and entry systems are specifically engineered to capture debris and moisture before they can make it into the main areas of the building. Studies have shown that it takes about seven steps on walk-off carpet to completely remove all loose dirt from the bottom of one's shoes. So in effect, entry systems will reduce the maintenance cost of your facility’s main floor. There are a few different types of mats for specific applications. Scraper mats are generally placed at the entry points outside the building and have the ability to remove 40-50% of dirt from shoes. Wiper-scraper mats should be placed right inside the door at every entrance. These mats are generally constructed from polypropylene, a highly resilient fiber. The final mat used in an entry system is the wiper mat. These mats serve the purpose of dusting and drying shoes.
Not only will walk-off carpet keep your entry way clean and attractive, furthermore, it will contribute towards health and safety. In areas of high traffic both public and commercial, the risk of slip and fall accidents is a growing concern for companies managing these facilities. Injuries sustained could have harmful outcomes for the individual and could develop into significant costs for your business. Entry systems can reduce the potential of these accidents on hard surface flooring during wet weather.
Walk-off mats offer a range of different textile constructions while providing a large selection of textures and colors. Walk-off carpet systems will achieve superior performance during the lifetime of the product, with the combination of high quality, solution dyed fibers and a long lasting rubber backing. Also, walk-off mats have been specifically developed to preserve its functionality and appearance after many wash cycles. They are also designed to be UV resistant and therefore resilient to fading. Since walk-off mats are constructed to scrape soils off shoes, they must be kept clean and dry in order to be effective. For this reason, daily vacuuming and regular washing will be essential or swapping out in order to extend the life and performance of your entry system. Otherwise, these carpets become over saturated and turn into a source for dirt and moisture.
Different walk-off mats may be more appropriate in certain applications. Some mats are designed to be better for absorbing moisture, dry faster, better designed for outdoor use or have specialized backing systems for use on hard surface flooring. The professionals at Strahm Group can aid you in choosing the best walk-off entry system for your facility in order to extend the life of your main flooring and improve the health and safety of your business.