Know your matting materials

Whether we are talking about a simple low cost floor mat or an elaborate entrance matting system, the purpose of an entrance mat installation fundamentally remains the same; that is to prevent dirt and moisture being walked in to a building. Choosing the right matting for the location and creating exterior, interim and internal ‘zoned’ areas if necessary is imperative for effective dirt-barrier performance and wear resistance. 

Over the years there have been developments in floor matting design and manufacture, and also the use of more technical materials to enhance certain wear or performance characteristics. The use of recycled materials in entrance matting manufacture is also on the rise and an important feature of any organisation’s ‘environmental credentials’.

A well planned cleaning and maintenance programme is essential to the efficacy of entrance matting and understanding the properties of different entrance matting textiles, whether natural or synthetic, can help to you to decide on the type of cleaning and maintenance regime required.  

So let us take a look at the some of the most popular carpet matting materials and what makes one behave differently to another. 

Types of matting materials

Nylon - At the ‘top end’ of the market we have nylon providing some of the best resilience in carpet surfaced floor matting. Nylon excels for its crush-resistance and comes in many forms such as Polyamide, which is regularly used in heavy duty entrance matting systems. Another benefit of nylon is that it is hard to impregnate which makes it more stain and fade resistant. It is also regarded as a quick-drying option, which is an essential requirement for most entrance areas, especially where smooth floor surfaces are concerned.  

Polypropylene -  A material commonly used in entrance mats, Polypropylene is derived from a thermoplastic polymer and Polypropylene fibres that are usually more abrasive to the touch. This ‘abrasiveness’ delivers an effective scraping action making Polypropylene mats especially beneficial for entrance areas where dirt and debris is walked in.  

Microfibre - When it comes to ‘absorbency’, Microfibre reigns supreme. Microfibre doormats have become very popular for their exceptional performance in trapping both moisture and dirt particles, as well as their anti-bacterial benefits. They dry quickly too – even faster than cotton which is renowned for its quick-drying properties. Microfibre is a synthetic material made from extremely fine individual fibres that are even thinner than the human hair.  Polypropylene and nylon are common yarns.   These flexible and super-fine fibres effectively penetrate those hard to reach areas and can be easily vacuumed cleaned or machine washed.

Cotton - This remains a popular natural material for floor mats but it is best suited to domestic indoor environments because it has a tendency to flatten. Quick-drying, cotton floor mats soak up moisture rather like a towel making them ideal for light duty wet, oily or greasy locations.

Coir - Love it or hate it, coir is still around – although many modern day materials have now superseded this classic type of natural door mat which is today more prevalent in domestic environments. Coir is notoriously slow drying and it soon becomes soiled and worn.

So, while the subject of matting may be mundane to some it’s worth remembering that one floor mat is not necessarily just like another. Choosing the right matting can help to save considerable long-term maintenance costs so it’s one that really shouldn’t be brushed aside.