Preserve the Wear Cycle of Shopping Mall Floors with Suitable Entrance Mats

As floors often take up a large part of the budget – both in new builds and in renovations – in shopping malls, it is crucial that they are protected from the pounding meted out by thousands of pairs of shoes on a daily basis.

Entrance mats to shopping malls must be effective, removing dust and absorbing moisture. Dust must be removed due to the grit and fine debris people carry in on the soles of their shoes, all of which causes fine abrasions on that expensive flooring, while moisture on glossy tiles can cause slips and injury claims. The function of entrance mats is to keep the shopping mall flooring looking pristine and ensuring a reasonable lifespan for the flooring.

So what should specifiers be looking for in shopping mall entrance mats? There are a number of nonnegotiables. The mats must be:

• Static. A static mat will attract the dirtmechanically and is known as an active mat(i.e. it actively sucks in the dirt)

• Absorbent. The mat must be able to absorbmoisture and dry people’s feet / soles of theirshoes. It must also be able to harbour the dirtremoved.

• Heel-proof and robust.

What else should specifiers take into account when selecting entrance floor matting for shopping malls?

• The anticipated traffic volume

• The average stride of an average person

• The average amount of footfalls needed to ensuredirt is cleaned off and moisture is absorbed. Thiswill affect the width of the mat required.

• Realistically consider how many pairs of feet youexpect 1 square metre of matting to handle? Andhow many sets of trolley wheels?