Flooring that MAT-ters – Is Your Floor Protected?

In addition to protecting and extending the life of your resilient flooring and carpeting, Anderson mats offer a variety of solutions for your facility, including: reduction of maintenance costs by reducing cleaning needs, comfort for standing workers, improvement of safety conditions and reduction of accidents, dissipation of static electricity, protection from moisture and debris free from work platforms, minimization of tripping hazards and promotion of company image and spirit with custom graphics.

Continental is proud offer a full line of floor mats from The Andersen Company. The Andersen Company has become the largest commercial mat manufacturing company in the world, operating three mat manufacturing plants and two rubber compounding plants in Georgia.

 Did You Know?

• 70-80% of dirt & grime tracking in from the outside permanently damages floors.
• As few as 150 people entering a building can track in 1lb of dirt in 5 days costing over $30,000 in cleaning costs annually.
• A 10-15FT mat can capture as much as 85-95% of grime that enters a building.
• Slips & falls are the second leading cause of all workplace injuries (NSC).
• Per the American College of Occupational & Environmental Science, 38% of works in the US suffer from fatigue.
• Mats help prolong the life of your floors without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.

Entrance Mats

Entrance mats are your first line of defense to protect your flooring. They are designed to stop mud, dirt and grime from moving past your doors. Statistics say that 85% of all soil enters a building on the feet of building occupants. Of this, at least 80% is dry soil and the rest is oily. The dry soil can range from large particles to powder-like dust, but an entrance mat can stop as much as 85-95% of dirt that is tracked inside. Per The Anderson Company, entrance mats should do four things:

Stop soil and water at the door

Most, if not all mats claim to do this. The most effective mats provide a combination of scraping and wiping to stop the maximum number of contaminants.

Store soil and water for removal

The most effective entrance mats are designed to provide a place for soil and water to go to for storage. It is important that the storage be designed for maximum storage and ease of removal when the mat is cleaned. It is important that the mat provide a way for the contaminants to be contained so that water cannot spread to the surrounding floor creating a slip/fall hazard. Water that flows off the sides of the mat is referred to as seepage. Mats with flat borders allow water to seep off the edges, thus increasing one’s exposure to slip and fall. Excessive floor damage is also created by the water seepage around the perimeter of the mat. Higher performance mats provide a dam that will hold the water back from floor surfaces and from reattaching to one’s shoes.

 Minimize tracking of soil and water

This capability is best accomplished by a Bi-level construction that provides an upper surface for walking and a lower area where soil and water are stored until removed by cleaning. The amount of soil that a mat allows to be tracked back on to patrons’ shoes is commonly referred to as the performance threshold.

The best mats on the market maintain this Bi-level construction thereby trapping large quantities of moisture and dirt keeping not allowing it to reattach to people’s shoes and be tracked further into the facility. Low performance mats such as those with ribbed or square patterned face yarn alone will not hold up under foot pressure, thus allowing more water and dirt to reattach to shoes and be tracked into respective facilities.

Look for a permanent rubber membrane that will support the face yarn throughout the mat’s productive life. High performance mats have a permanent rubber reinforcing membrane that will permanently support the textile face, increasing product unity and extending useful product life. 

Provide a safe surface

The mat should be slip-resistant to prevent slipping on the floor when it is walked on. Also, any water on the mat should be contained in a reservoir below the traffic surface to prevent slipping on flooring surface adjacent to the mat. Rubber-backed mats provide a better slip resistance than vinyl-backed mats. Rubber-backed mats do not curl as do vinyl mats thus reducing trip and fall exposure. Some rubber-backed mats have cleated surfaces on the bottom that further enhances non-skid properties and allows moisture to dry from underneath the mat.

Logo Mats

Logo mats have become very popular. Custom mats allow companies to include a logo, slogan, mascot, etc. and are available in multiple colors. Logos or other designs can be replicated on the face of numerous styles of mats without any setup charge. Logo mats add a professional look to any entrance, while acting as a further barrier to keep contaminants from entering a facility.

Anti-Fatigue Mats

Anti-fatigue mats can provide comfort and increase productivity. Anti-Fatigue mats are available in a wide range of sizes, weights and materials. It has been proven that the proper use of anti-fatigue mats can enhance worker productivity by over 20%. These mats are designed for use wherever workers spend time standing and will help to eliminate muscular skeletal disorders.

Slip Resistant/Safety Mats

Protection against slips and falls is very important.  Slips and falls are the 2nd leading cause of workplace injuries. Slip resistant and safety mats help provide safe working areas for employees and visitors to facilities. 85% of worker’s compensation claims are attributed to employees slipping on slick floors. The utilization of slip resistant Anderson mats is an ideal solution to prevent such accidents from occurring.

Flow Through Mats

Flow through Anderson mats are your wet area solution. Flow through mats allow liquids to pass through them to eliminate slip hazards. Anti-fatigue properties provide comfort when standing for long periods of time. The thick rubber helps alleviate stress on the legs, feet and lower back.

Ask your Continental Flooring representative about available Andersen Company products. We can offer materials only or complete installation services.  GSA Buyers may wish to register online to view GSA pricing. This feature allows buyers quick, up-to-date access to 17 different GSA contracted manufacturers. Please feel free to call us for product advice, free samples, assistance in specifications, or to place an order. One call does it all!