To keep the indoors clean, you need to scrape off all the dirt from your shoes before entering the house. Therefore, you need a specially designed installation for this purpose in your indoor-outdoor office walkway or house entrance. The good news is that there are special types of floor mats in the market today for that specific purpose — they are called entrance mats. Entrance mats are installed in outdoor-indoor entrances to protect the interior space from dirt, grit, moisture and winter salt. Made from special materials to enhance functionality, entrance mats come in many different sizes, shapes and designs. Incidentally, there are four major types of mats for outdoor-indoor home or office entrances.
Carpet Entrance Mats – view selection
As the name suggests, carpet mats are made from rugs/carpet-like materials. They feature a slip-resistant surface for traction, are durable, and seamed models come in many different sizes and shapes. Designed to trap dirt, moisture and winter salt, carpet mats protect interior floors from being damaged by these rough substances. There are many different models of carpet mats available depending on their functional and aesthetic design properties.
The toughest models are designed for high traffic settings, “heavy-duty” scraping action and outdoor installation sites. Many carpet mats feature a raised edging design to create a damming effect for trapping moisture and dirt — mainly to prevent water from running off the floor mat onto the protected surface. Many carpet mats are made from attractive materials and feature exquisite on-surface designs to enhance aesthetic appeal. Some models are vinyl backed to heighten their surface stamina and inhibit porosity. There are also eco-friendly models that are made from recycled fiber/materials.
Rubber Entrance Mats – view selection
Made from rubber, which is a tough material, these outdoor-indoor entrance mats are appropriate for settings that are too dirty or harsh to install carpet entrance mats. Rubber entrance mats can be installed both indoors and outdoors in commercial and industrial sites. They come in many different surface-pattern designs based on their intended application. Some of them have extra-rough surfaces to enable vigorous scraping action, while others feature slip-resistant surfaces to enhance traction. Some industrial rubber mats have grit-topped surfaces and anti-fatigue features to optimize functionality. Some rubber mats are made from recycled rubber materials, such as tires, to ensure environmental sustainability.
Vinyl Loop (Spaghetti) Mats – view selection
Vinyl loop mats are some of the hardiest entrance mats; in that they are chemical proof. Popularly referred to as spaghetti mats, vinyl loop mats are made from a tough plastic polymer that is immune to many chemicals. They are hence ideal for use in industrial and lab settings. These mats have a tough vinyl mesh that traps dirt and moisture to ensure effective scraping. Some vinyl loop mats are designed as a hollow mesh without any backing — these are suitable for use in swimming pools, spas and locker rooms. Most of these mats feature attractive patterns, colors and design styles for a tasteful layout.
Wall-To-Wall Entry Matting Systems
Designed for large commercial and custom installations, wall-to-wall entry matting systems are installed in large entrances on high traffic sites. By reducing the transfer of dirt, snow and moisture from the outdoors to the indoors, wall-to-wall entrance mats prevent floor damage in large indoor-outdoor entrance sections. Although they require significant implementation costs, these matting systems are flexible, versatile and highly functional. Some of these high performance entry mat systems are made from recycled materials; thereby making them eco-friendly.
