Matting systems help facilities stay safer, cleaner, and healthier, says Dennis Knapp of Crown Mats and Matting. Here in Q&A format are just a few benefits to consider:
Q: How do mats help keep facilities clean?
A: Effective matting system can prevent as much as 80% of outdoor soils from being walked into a facility. In fact, they play such a vital role in keeping soils and moisture outside that they are required to be installed for buildings seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Q: Will any mat accomplish this?
A: No. An effective matting system requires approximatly15 ft of matting made up of three components: 1) a scraper mat, located outside a facility; 2) a wiper/scraper mat, placed directly inside a facility; and 3) a wiper mat, installed in a building’s lobby.
Q: What does the term high-performance mat refer to?
A: A high-performance mat is typically purchased, not rented, and is warrantied to last for 1 or several years. A rental mat, in comparison, may be guaranteed to last only a few months.
Q: How do you maintain mats?
A: Mats should be vacuumed regularly and in different directions. The roller brush on an upright agitates the mat’s fibers, helping to release soils stored in the mat so that they can be removed. Mats also need to be cleaned occasionally. The most effective way to clean them is with a carpet extractor, which removes deeply embedded soils and contaminants and keeps the matting performing in a top-notch manner.