Traffic

Firstly the amount of traffic has a major bearing. For instance, installing a mat designed for a low or medium traffic environment in a major shopping centre where foot traffic passing over the mat is numerically very high, means quick wear and quickly reduced efficiency as the mat wears. Wear does not only mean destruction of the surface material but also rapid flattening through developed traffic channels.

Fibre Weight

There are two determinants here. Firstly, the amount of fibre constituting the surface determined by its weight and generally expressed in ounces per square yard metre. The greater the weight of fibre the longer the potential life. In this catalogue you will find mats ranging from less than 600gms per sq m to as high as 2000 gms per sqm.

Fibre Structure

Then the structure of the fibre. For instance if the fibre is tightly punched there is a greater resistance to traffic patterns and flattening than if loosely punched.

Environment

In addition the environment outside the facility has a bearing because the type and quality of the dirt being carried into the building can help determine which mat is better suited.

Mat Size

The size of the mat chosen, particularly in length, determines the effectiveness at removing dirt from shoes. The more often shoes make contact, the more dirt is removed. It takes as much as 10 metres of matting to remove 99% of dirt. 6 metres will remove about 80% and 4 metres of matting will remove about 60% of dirt from shoes.

Architectural Mats

There are also so-called "Architectural" mats, ften specified for new buildings, which have heir own positives and negatives and are often pecified in areas where they will not be ideal. It can be valuable to seek advice prior to such specification.

Consultants

Each facility should make a decision based on its own particular criteria. Because the assessment of all criteria can be complicated, Mat World offers the services of skilled, trained consultants to help the decision making process. There is no charge or any obligation in utilising the services of these consultants who are available at any of our facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.