With fall just around the corner and winter firmly in sight, now is the time to think about upgrading or buying winter entrance matting. Installing winter-grade entrance matting is a proven way to keep your facility clean and safe during the winter months.
Winter entrance matting tips
Before you install winter entrance matting here are some tips to follow for ensuring that you get the best results:
Choose and install the correct type of mat. There are two basic types of winter entrance mats – scrapers and wipers. A third type, scraper/wiper, is a hybrid of the other two types. Scraper mats are heavy duty mats with a raised surface design for aggressively removing dirt and debris off feet. Wiper mats are lighter duty mats, usually with a carpeted or fiber surface which removes dust, dirt and moisture from shoes. Hybrid scraper/wiper mats combine the best qualities of the two other types and are an alternative to installing separate scraper and wiper mats.
Placement is everything. Mats should always be placed directly next to the entrance door. A properly positioned mat catches the first step made inside a facility, allowing the mat to trap any dirt, moisture or debris tracked inside.
Do not space mats apart. Spacing mats apart defeats their purpose. Footfalls on the spaces between mats can lead to slippery floor surfaces, increasing the risk of slips and falls.
Keep mats clean. Winter entrance mats should be vacuumed frequently during use to reduce the incidence of tracking dirt and debris further inside.
Avoid rental mats. Rental mats tend to be lighter-duty mats and are often unsatisfactory for the heavy-duty needs of the winter season. It is better to procure and install well-constructed winter entrance mats from a reputable supplier – the benefits in reduced accidents and falls, facility cleaning costs, and floor maintenance is well-worth any additional expense.
Winter entrance mats
At Canada Rubber Group Inc. (CRGI), we stock an extensive collection of high-quality winter entrance mats. These mats include the following types:
Gateway. The best solution for keeping buildings clean from dirt carried in on shoes, especially in areas of high-volume pedestrian traffic. The open grid design effectively scrapes away and traps dirt. This mat possesses excellent soil removal, wear-resistance and noise-reduction properties.
Gateway Ultra. The design of this mat features a combination of PVC bars and absorbent inserts provide excellent cleaning and drying capabilities. This mat possesses excellent soil removal and fluid drainage properties, combined with high wear-resistance and noise-reduction.
Gateway Brush Hog. With its high-density brushes, this mat provides aggressive and thorough removal of soil, snow, ice and grit. This mat has excellent wear-resistance, fluid drainage, soil removal, and noise reduction properties.
Grip Rock Runner. An excellent runner mat for high traffic areas. Triple-layer construction consisting of a top layer with ceramic beads and crushed garnet, a middle layer of fibreglass, and a polyurethane backing layer.
Concierge. This mat consists of thousands of scraping “fingers” designed to remove and trap dirt and snow. Provides superior traction and helps prevent slips and falls with beveled edges on all four sides. Manufactured from high-quality rubber, this mat provides excellent slip-resistance, wear-resistance, and fluid drainage.
Eco-Plus+. This is a new generation mat with excellent scraping and wiping properties. It is made from 100 per cent recycled PET fiber surface molded to a reinforced nitrile/rubber backing that delivers excellent performance in heavy traffic areas.
Eco-Step. A new generation wiper mat made from 100 per cent recycled P.E.T. fiber surface bonded to a vinyl backing for durability and optimal performance. This mat is ideal for light/medium traffic applications.
CRGI can supply winter entrance matting in cut-to-size finished mats, or in roll form.
To find out more about the winter entrance mats we can supply, please contact our sales department directly at crg@canadarubbergroup.com.