During the winter months, your matting is subjected to all kinds of different weather conditions. Whether it is snow, ice, rain, wind or sunlight, your matting needs to be pretty tough in order to cope, particularly if it is placed outside and is exposed to all of the elements.
So what do you need to consider?
Is your mat being placed outside?
If your mat is being placed outside, it will need to be able to cope with all of the elements that the weather may throw at it. In extreme, cold weather conditions, certain types of matting, particularly PVC / vinyl backed matting, are liable to crack, split and curl, which can leave your mats creating a possible trip and fall hazard. To overcome this problem you need to purchase matting that is made of rubber, ideally Nitrile rubber which is an extremely tough material, built to cope in all types of weather conditions.
Does your mat have the ability to hold on to water and dirt?
On a particularly wet and rainy day, your mat needs to have the ability to hold on to water and dirt from the footwear of your visitors, to avoid it being tracked around your building and causing a possible slip hazard. Buying a mat with a water dam can be particularly helpful in this situation, as it prevents the water from flowing off the mat and prevents damage to the surrounding floor area. Waterhog mats, for example, hold on to 6.5 litres of water per square metre of matting.
Alternatively, there are a couple of other options. You could either choose to place cotton faced or nylon faced mats in your entrance, providing that they are cleaned regularly.
Cotton faced mats are great for water absorption in an entranceway. However, they would not be suitable if they are being placed in a high traffic area, as the cotton takes a long time to dry and if they are subjected to a lot of wet footfall, can become saturated and no longer effective. Nylon faced mats are more suited to high traffic areas, as they dry out much quicker and therefore prevent moisture and dirt being tracked into your building.
Is your mat being placed in direct sunlight?
If your matting is placed in an area which may be subjected to direct sunlight, you run the risk on lower quality mats of the colour fading, which can soon make the mat look old and worn. Ensure you purchase a mat that is resistant to UV light. Some higher quality mats use solution dyed yarn which often comes with at least a 10 year colour fast guarantee. Your mat will stay looking as colourful as it was when you purchased it.
If you are unsure which mats are right for you or would like to discuss the weather resistance of our mats, please call us on 0121 313 6748 during normal office hours and speak to one of our friendly advisors.
