Mats and mudguard systems

Nowadays there are many types of buildings that are intended to receive many visitors, be it office, buildings or shopping centers. However the characteristics of simple household mats are often confused with those of professional matting systems. Many think that the carpet used at home is also enough in the workplace. Unfortunately this term is wrong!

Generally in a flat there are living up to 3-4 people. That’s as much as dirt from 6-8 shoe soles, which is easy to handle for regular doormats. On the other hand the daily turnover of an average shopping center is expected to be 500-1000 people. This is as much as dirt from 1000-2000 shoe soles. Therefore it is obvious that in these cases a completely different alternative has to be chosen.

Let’s see why!

Generally in a flat there are living up to 3-4 people. This is as much as dirt from 6-8 shoe soles worn, which is easy to handle for regular doormats. On the other hand, the daily turnover of an average shopping center is expected to be 500-1000 people. This is as much a quantity of dirt from 1000-2000 shoe soles. Therefore it is obvious that in these case a completely different alternative must be chosen as in the first case.

What could be the solution?

At first we shall get to know the zone approach! This means that the entrance can be divided into three different zones.

The first zone is where the primary matting takes place.
This is either just outside the front door or behind it. The main task here is to remove lumpy dirt, mud and snow. An important safety aspect is that the gaps in the elements or the bars are “high heels proof”.

The second zone is where the secondary matting is placed.
This is located either in the wind deflector, rotary door, or inside, right after the primary zone. Here the task is to collect small soiling, or to start a certain moisture absorption. In general, the surface design is mixed, water and dust collection is simultaneously possible.

The third zone is the mudguard of the main traffic zones.
This is located right behind the second zone. That’s where fine dust, sand and water are being removed from the soles. In order to be sure that all the dirt is removed from the soles of the shoes, it is convenient to push this zone out to the front desk.

That’s how cleanliness can be planned. A considerable proportion of the contamination (80-90%) can be absorbed by a well considered choice. In addition it is also much cheaper and easier to preserve the effectivity of entrance mats by keeping them clean, than cleaning the whole building afterwards.

Hint | What size should be chosen?
When it comes to size, the number of entries plays an important role. Traffic also affects the necessary size. Mats being skipped have no effect! In the first zone we recommend mats of at least two steps length. A relevant cleaning effect can already be achieved with four steps length, e.g. with Alutrend® matting systems with brush tread.

Need help?

Call us on +36 30 413 8175, or write an e-mail to tamas.kicska@cleartex.hu!