Choosing the right mat for the right location can be a bit of a headache if you’re not an expert in matting, which it’s safe to say 99.9% of our customers aren’t. Of course we don’t expect you to be, we’d rather you leave that side of things to us, so you can get on with things you deem to be more important than your mats! Knowing the right place to put a dust control mat, sometimes known as a finishing mat, can be confusing, so we’ve put together a little guide to help you make an informed and ultimately correct choice of mat.
What does a dust control mat do?
Clearly there is a clue in the name of the mat, these mats are there to stop dust and other fine dirt. They can also be used for controlling water and moisture on floors too.
Where should you use dust control mats?
Use them wherever there is a lot of foot traffic inside a building. In areas where people often congregate and stand, or in areas where you’d like some floor protection. Such areas may include:
- Along corridors
- Reception areas
- After your primary entrance matting
- Around stairs, lifts and escalators
- Around computer equipment / printers / shredders
- In front of vending machines
- In front of water coolers
- In front of wash basins
Dust control mats are sometimes known as finishing mats. The reason for this is that they can be used as part of an entrance mat system. They form the final (finishing) part, normally the third part, of the system, following the outdoor entrance mat and internal entrance / barrier mat. The reason they are called ‘finishing’ is that, in an effective entrance mat system, they form the final stage of the process of removing dirt and water from traffic passing over the mat. The mats before them will have removed all of the heavier dirt and moisture leaving the finishing mat to remove finer dirt, dust and any remaining moisture.
Which mat do I choose for my dust control mat?
There are several products out there that claim to be dust control mats, but not all can do the job effectively.
- Â Rubber backed: For a high traffic area you should look for mats which are rubber backed, rather than the cheaper vinyl / PVC backed which are liable to crack, split and curl up at the edges over time.
- You need low profile edges to avoid the mat becoming a trip hazard.
- The pile should be a twisted nylon construction, which will resist crushing and also acts to filter dirt and dust to the base of the mat, holding on to it until the mat is cleaned and avoiding it being tracked off the mat and onto surrounding floors.
Where moisture removal is of great importance, such as by vending machines or water coolers, you may wish to go for a cotton or microfibre mat which will soak up a good deal of water and hold onto it. Be aware that a cotton mat may take longer to dry, so may need replacing often if water and moisture is frequently in contact with the mat, to avoid the mat becoming overloaded and thus ineffective.
Examples of effective dust control mats can be found on the Mats4U website here:
http://www.mats4u.co.uk/product/interior-mats.html
If you need any further help choosing your dust control mat, or indeed help in choosing any mats, you can call the customer service team at Mats4U on 0121 313 6748, Monday to Friday, during normal UK office hours.
If you have a more complicated matting need and would like a visit from one of our matting specialists, then you can take advantage of our completely free mat audit offer by clicking on the banner below. A member of our team will be happy to come and visit your premises and conduct an audit in order to help you find the matting solution for your needs.
We hope you found this guide useful and we look forward to being able to help you with any needs you may have today or in the future.
