Floor Mat Systems Blog

Using commercial floor mats have many benefits and they’re a great investment for any business. They help to keep your visitors safer by reducing the risks of slip and fall accidents but they offer another benefit that you don’t hear as much about. They have the potential to help keep your floors looking like new and to save your company money on maintenance. Replacing damaged flooring can be very expensive and using floor mats is the first step in protecting your investment.

The appearance of your establishment is very important because it says a lot about your company. You want to make a good impression by having a clean, well-maintained facility and using floor mats will help. When your flooring looks neat and clean, your facility will look well organized and professional but a scratched up old looking floor will have the opposite effect.

Maintenance Issues

Normally, flooring will last for many years but that’s not the case when it comes to businesses. It takes a lot more effort to care for these floors and they wear out quickly due to the excessive foot traffic they receive on a daily basis. In order to maintain a good appearance and keep your facility presentable, you need to keep your flooring in good shape.

This often requires stripping the floors and re-finishing them to bring back their original luster. Overtime, even this won’t restore their look and you’ll need to replace the flooring. This type of maintenance takes up a lot time and it’s also very expensive. However, using floor mats can make a difference by helping your company make a good first impression.

How Floor Mats Make a Difference

Floor mats are designed to protect your flooring by absorbing the majority of the dirt and debris tracked in every time someone walks through your doors. Dirt, sand and other types of debris stick to the bottom of your shoes and when you walk across the floor, you grind all of this into flooring. This wears down the finish and scratches up the floors leaving them looking dull and worn out.

If you have carpet, the dirt and grime gets ground in and it won’t be long before it looks dirty and worn. Now, think about how many people enter your establishment each day, week or during a month and you can imagine how much damage it’s doing to your floors. It’s easy to see why they wear out so quickly but floor mats can help protect them.

Placement Matters

Where you place your commercial floor mats, will make a difference in how well they protect your flooring. To achieve maximum protection, you’ll need to have outdoor entrance mats at every doorway leading into your facility and indoor entrance mats on the inside. The outdoor mats are your first line of defense and they’ll absorb most of the dirt and debris. The indoor mat will clean most of what’s left greatly reducing the amount of damage your floors receive.

Using commercial floor mats will help protect your floors and keep them looking new much longer than they would without this protection. Following a daily cleaning routine will protect your floor mats and combining the two, will greatly lower your overall maintenance costs and keep your floors looking like new.

Custom logo floor mats make a great investment for any business and they serve multiple functions. They keep your establishment cleaner, help to prevent slip and fall accidents and they help to create a friendly and welcoming environment for your visitors.

You can use logo floor mats to reinforce your company’s brand name because the logo or slogan you choose is the first and last thing visitors see when entering and leaving your establishment. They are essentially a form of free advertisement with the potential to make a lasting impression. Therefore, it’s important to put some time and thought into your design. You need to create something that truly represents your business and the following tips can help.

Determine the Placement of the Floor Mats

The placement of your custom-made logo floor mats will have a direct affect on the design. Therefore, it has to be determined before you create the design to ensure the logo or the slogan you use is positioned correctly. When your guests walk in, you want the design to appear in an upright position, not sideways. The horizontal position is referred to as the landscape orientation and the vertical position is called the portrait orientation. When creating your design, consider the orientation of the floor mat first, so you can position the design correctly.

Keep It Simple

Visitors will only have a few seconds to glance at the mats as they go in and out of your facility, so you need a design that can make a good impression on your clients quickly. A simple logo design with vivid colors usually works the best because they are easier to focus on than complicated designs and visitors will be more likely to remember it.

The color scheme should match your business colors to maintain consistency because this will help visitors associate the design slogan or logo with your company. It’s also important to choose contrasting colors to make sure your design stands out from the background so it will be easy to see.

Choose the Right Size and Shape

Take a few minutes to measure the areas where you plan to put your custom logo mats. The mat’s size and shape should fit the area and look like it belongs there instead of giving the impression it’s out of place. Oversized or undersized floor mats will also take away from the overall effect, making them look awkward and out of place. When it comes to shapes, some of your options include rectangle, octagon, hexagon and semi-circles so consider your choices carefully.

Using custom-made logo floor mats is a great marketing strategy that will help build brand awareness and make a good impression on customers as soon as they walk in. They’ll also help to make your establishment a safer place for your visitors by reducing the risk of slip and fall accidents. Determining the orientation of the mats, choosing a simple design and purchasing the right size and shape for the environment, will all help to ensure your custom-made logo floor mats are well suited for your business.

At first thought, industrial mats may not seem very important but they are a necessity for any company. As a business owner, you’re responsible for creating a safe environment for your employees. Screening workers, providing proper job training and maintaining a clean and clutter free environment are some ways to ensure your employees are safe but industrial floor mats play a major role, too. Below are some of the benefits you’ll receive when investing in good quality mats for your company.

An Increase in Production

At first thought, it may be hard to understand how floor mats can increase production but the anti-fatigue mats can make a difference. When you stand in the same place for long hours, your feet, legs and back will get tired quickly. You’ll begin experiencing pain and a variety of medical conditions can follow. It’s difficult to be productive when you’re in pain and many back and neck injuries along with feet and leg problems are caused from standing for long periods on hard surfaces.

However, anti-fatigue industrial mats are designed to encourage subtle movement even when the person is standing in one spot. This relieves some of the pressure, increases blood flow and reduce the risk of injuries. Your employees will be more comfortable and healthier, which normally increases productivity.

Keep Insurance Costs under Control

When you have employees going to the doctor and missing work regularly due to injuries caused from standing for long periods, your insurance rates will begin to creep up. Your rates are affected by how often the insurance is used and excessive use will result in higher premiums for everyone. While accidents do happen and some injuries cannot be prevented, using mats can help cut back on the number of employees missing work as a direct result of standing in one spot repeatedly and this can help you keep your insurance rates under control.

Protect Your Employees

Some industrial mats are designed specifically for protection. People who work with high voltage equipment run the risk of being electrocuted if something goes wrong but non conductive floor mats can help keep them grounded, reducing this risks considerably. Even the slightest electrical charge caused from static electricity can spark a fire if the conditions are right and using anti static mats that insulate the worker and draws the static electricity from his body, helps to protect your employees and create a safer workplace.

Some types of industrial floor mats can absorb vibrations from loud noises, which help to reduce the risk of workers suffering from hearing problems. Restaurant kitchen floor mats help to prevent many slip and fall accidents and fire retardant mats help to prevent fires caused by sparks when welding or using similar equipment.

Protects Your Investment

When you protect your workers and create the safest possible work environment, you automatically protect your investment in the company. The risks of your facility catching fire or sensitive equipment being rendered useless due to something as simple as static electricity are greatly reduced. Protecting your employees and making their work environment as safe as possible helps to create a happier and more productive work environment. Industrial mats serve many functions, making this simple item one of the most important investments you’ll make for your company.

Drag your feet across a carpeted floor and you can expect sparks to fly when you touch a door handle or even someone else? Most everyone can relate to this type of static electricity and it can be very annoying but it’s also a big problem in the work place, which is why all companies should invest in anti static floor mats.

These floor mats are designed to pull the static from the worker, eliminating the charge. It can also help to prevent more static electricity from building up as the person moves around, so they don’t have to worry about getting shocked when they touch something. Static electricity can be very strong and cause many problems for your company and your employees.

Problems Caused By Static Electricity

No one enjoys getting shocked by static electricity and when it happens repeatedly, it goes from being irritating to frustrating and it can even hurt when you get shocked. Workers become hesitant to touch the equipment because they know they will probably get shocked when they do and this interferes with production. They’re wasting time worrying about whether or not they will feel that shock instead of concentrating on getting the work done.

Nobody wants to work with equipment when you know it's probably going to shock you every time you touch it but that’s what you’re asking your employees to do if you’re not using anti static floor mats. When you think about it that way, you can see how it slows down production.

If your company works with sensitive equipment such as motherboards and computer components, static electricity can cause damage that leaves these items useless. This could result in a huge amount of lost revenue for the company but it’s a problem easily solved.

Many chemicals and gases used in certain types of industries are flammable and the sparks caused from static electricity is enough to ignite them, causing fires to break out randomly such as the one CBS reported on at Barton Solvents Des Moines facility in Iowa. If this happens, your employees could be harmed or the fire could spread causing massive damage but anti static floor mats can help prevent this from happening.

Types of Anti Static Floor Mats

There are different types of floor mats available designed to eliminate static electricity. Many of these mats have anti fatigue properties that help to take some of the strain off the legs, hips and ankles of the workers. This makes standing for long periods more comfortable and reduces the risk of injuries.

The non-conductive switchboard matting is another type designed to prevent electrical shock when working with high-voltage. The stat-guard surface matting was created for desks and similar work areas and they help to protect sensitive components from being damaged by a simple shock.

Anti-static floor mats are designed to absorb the static electricity and prevent the worker from transferring the charge from his body to the equipment he is working on. Anti static floor mats are a good investment that will help to keep your employees safer, increase production and save your company money.

The economy is tough and many people are out of work and finding it difficult to make ends meet. This has some people looking for alternative ways to get the money they need to survive and unfortunately, it’s often at the expense of someone else. In many cases, the hard working business owner finds himself in the middle of a fraudulent slip and fall scheme.

While there are many legitimate cases where workers and customers truly do have an accident and when it’s due to negligence on the part of the business owner, they deserve compensation. However, faking a fall and pretending to be injured seems to be a growing trend that all business owners need to protect their company from, in order to avoid paying out to someone that did not really get hurt.

How Faking a Slip and Fall Injury Affects Others

When people fake slip and fall accidents and the company ends up paying them compensation, it hurts the business. It’s possible that many scammers, who try to get money from a fraudulent accident of this nature, believe that the companies are big enough they can afford to pay. They don’t think they are hurting anyone but that is not the case.

The company has to pay the money from their profits and if they’re already having a slow season, it can be very damaging to their financial situation. For this reason, many businesses have to raise prices to make up for the money they had to pay out, which in turn costs all consumers more money. Every time someone receives compensation for a fake accident, it hurts everyone in some way.

Valleynewslive.com talks about this growing trend in the article Schemes & Rip Offs: Slip and Fall Scams. They reported that “Since the financial collapse in 2008 the number of suspicious slip and falls reported to the NICB have shot up 57% nationally”. That’s a huge number and something that all business owners should be aware of. You need to protect your company from this type of scam and here are a few suggestions on how you can do that.

Tips for Protecting Your Business from Scammers

The first step in protecting yourself from slip and fall scammers is to keep your floors clean and free of debris. Sweep, clean up spills right away, use wet floor signs and keep inventory off the floor. Keep a log of each time the floors are cleaned and inspected to help prove you took preventative steps in the event something did happen.

Use good quality commercial floor mats at entranceways and other areas throughout your facility to help reduce the risks of your visitors or employees from slipping and falling. Entrance mats are especially useful because they will help to keep your floors dry and clean making your facility a safer place for your customers.

It’s also a good idea to install security cameras because capturing the accident on film is the best way to determine if it truly was an accident or if the person is trying to scam you. You won’t have to rely on what they say happened, you can see for yourself. The film can also be used as evidence when you suspect someone is trying to make you the victim of a fraudulent slip and fall scheme.

You may know that commercial floor mats have many advantages for both your employees and your visitors but you may not realize that not all mats are the same. If you’re a new company or business owner buying floor mats for the first time, it would be to your advantage to take some time to learn more about them before you buy.

If you think it’s not a big deal because it’s just a floor mat, think again. Buying floor mats for your business is no different from buying any other type of merchandise or equipment and doing some research first will help to ensure you make a wise decision.

Choosing a style or design for your floor mats is a big decision because there are so many different options available. However, before you get into choosing a style, finding a company that offers good quality products should be your first concern. Here are a few of the main problems you’ll most likely experience if you purchase poor quality floor mats.

Poor Performance

Poor performance is big reason why you need to avoid poor quality commercial floor mats. They just don’t seem to perform their job as well as they should especially after a few months. For example, entrance mats may not absorb the water and debris as well as it should, leaving your floors damp and slick, which is big safety issue.

Poor quality anti-fatigue floor mats won’t provide the same amount of protection as the ones made from good quality materials do. As a result, Your employees could experience more pain in their legs, back and joints than they should. This can result in more lost time from work and slower production. Purchasing good quality anti-fatigue mats won’t guarantee that your employees will never miss work due to problems caused from prolonged standing but it can reduce the chances more than poor quality matting will.

Safety Issues

Poor quality commercial floor mats may look good at first but after a few short months, you’ll begin to notice a big difference. One of the main problems associated with poor quality mats is that they become a safety issue, instead of helping to create a safer environment. Some mats will curl up on the ends, which can cause your customers and employees to trip and fall.

Another problem is that the bottom of the mats can become slick causing it to slip and slide when you step on it, especially if they’re damp. If you’ve ever had a rug or mat slide out from under you before, you know how dangerous this can be for your customers. Once they begin curling up or sliding around, they’ll need to be replaced right away or you may find yourself dealing with a slip and fall accident that could have been prevented.

They Cost More in the End

You can expect to pay a little more for good quality floor mats up front but they’re well worth it. When you begin experiencing the problems mentioned above, you’ll have to replace the mats as soon as possible. If you invest in good quality mats to begin with, they will last you much longer and perform better making your investment a good one. In fact, good quality commercial floor mats can last three or four times longer than poor quality ones, depending on your location, amount of foot traffic and how well you take care of them.

Establishing and making your brand known to attract more customers is a priority for all businesses. Consumers will identify you by your brand and if you make a good enough impression, they’ll remember you the next time they need the products and services your company provides. Using custom-made logo floor mats is a good strategy that can help your company gain more consumer attention.

When someone walks into your facility, the first and last thing that person will see is your logo. Even though they may only glance at it for a few seconds, it will still make an impression and help consumers remember you. Below are a few tips to help you get the most from your investment.

Colors and Clarity are Important

When creating your custom made logo floor mats, make sure your logo, website address and any other information reads clearly. Otherwise, it won’t be as effective and consumers could identify your brand with another company with a similar logo. The colors you use should be consistent with your overall color scheme.

For example, if your logo is a light blue, then it should appear as light blue on the mats, not a dark blue. Another thing to check is the base color of the mats because you don’t want the logo and other information blending in with the base color or your customers won’t to be able to see it clearly.

Size and Shape Does Matter

Choosing the right size and shape mats is also important. The rectangular mats are the traditional shape but other options include the oval, circular patterns and shapes that are flat on one end and round on the other. Put some thought into it so you can choose the size and shape that best suits your logo and the area where it will go.

Quality and Design Make a Difference

Your logo floor mats should look professional with close attention paid to the minor details as well as the overall design. Look for mats made from good quality materials with slip resistant backing and choose the right type of mat for its purpose. For example, don’t put an indoor mat outside an entranceway because it’s not designed to hold up to elements the way the outdoor mats are. It will wear out much faster and it won’t provide as much protection for your customers.

Make a Positive Impression

It’s important to make a positive impression on your customers every chance you get and well-designed, well-placed logo floor mats can help you do that. These mats are vibrant, colorful and they show your company pays close attention to detail and that you care about your customers. They help to build an environment where customers feel comfortable doing business and they help people remember you the next time they need your services or products.

You spend a lot of time creating the perfect logo that’s simple but unique, so why not take advantage of using it every chance you get. Investing in quality logo mats will help make your logo the first and last thing customers see when visiting your establishment and this will help to build brand awareness.

Chair mats are an essential part of any office and they serve multiple purposes. Desk chairs tend to get stuck in the grooves on tiled and even hardwood floors and they are a pain to move around on carpet. Pulling and pushing the chairs around can cause leg and back strain but using chair mats takes care of this problem by allowing the chairs to move around easily.

Chair mats help to protect your flooring from scrapes and scratches caused from moving the chairs around and they can help create a neat and clean appearance that keeps your office looking professional, making them a good investment. Here are a few tips that can help you take care of your mats, so they will look nice and last longer.

Cleaning Tips for Chair Mats

It’s important to keep your chair mats clean because the material they’re made from can turn a yellowish, dirty color if they’re not taken care of properly. The good news is they’re very easy to clean. Just mix some mild soap with warm water and use a damp cloth to wash both sides of the mats.

You can use a small brush to clean off stubborn dirt and stains or to clean the spikes on the underside of the carpet chair mats. Be careful not to rub too hard with the brush or you might damage the cleats. Rinse all the soap off the mats and allow them to dry completely before you replace them. Clean the legs of the chairs and the floor underneath the mats as well to help keep the dust and debris from building up.

Avoid Direct Sunlight and Moisture

The ideal temperature for chair mats is between 60 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit so don’t use them in areas that are colder or hotter for the best results. If your office is near a window where direct sunlight shines in, use blinds or curtains to keep the sun from damaging the mats. It’s also recommended that you don’t use chair mats in areas where moisture is present to reduce the risk of mold and mildew from forming that can cause serious health problems.

Use the Right Mats for the Job

There are different types of chair mats available, so using the right one for the type of flooring you have is very important. Using a chair mats designed for carpet on hard wood flooring can cause damage to the floor instead of protecting it.

The cleats can dig into the surface leaving indentions and scratches that are costly to fix and using these on non-carpeted floors can also damage the cleats. Using a mat designed for hard wood flooring or tile on carpet can lead to slip and fall accidents. The flat bottom has no way to grip the carpet so it can easily slide around.

Since appearances are very important for any business, taking care of your investment is important. You can extend the life of your office chair mats using the simple tips so they can continue to provide you with great service for a very long time.

It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, the opinion of your customers is a big factor in the success of your company. Bad reviews can do a lot of damage that takes years to overcome and that’s why you want to make a good impression as soon as someone enters your establishment. Creating a welcoming environment that provides the customer with a positive experience, requires a combination of things such as having quality products at affordable prices.

Customers want and expect quality but they want the best prices, too. When you provide them with both, they will come back the next time they’re in need of your products or services. However, there are a few things that will send customers running to the competition even if you do have the best prices in town. For example, poor customer service and a cold, indifferent facility will make them think twice about doing business with you in the future but these are things you can take care of.

Always Provide Excellent Customer Service

How you treat your customers when they’re doing business with you does matter. They expect friendly, professional service and that is more than just a quick hi and rushing them through the check out. Customers want to feel like you care about them. One way to do this is by giving each of your customers your undivided attention while you are serving of them. This lets them know that you care about the individual not just the sale.

Providing knowledgeable and professional service is also a big part of providing good service that encourages customer loyalty. While customer service, quality and affordability are all very important things to consider when enhancing the customers experience, it’s important to remember that the small things make a big difference, too.

Little Things Do Matter

One mistake that some companies make is not realizing that what may seem like a minor thing to you, may mean more to the customers than you realize. Take commercial floor mats for example. This may seem like a little thing that wouldn’t affect the way customers view you but when it comes to perception, it does matter.

Entrance mats are the first thing the customer sees when they enter your facility and choosing high quality mats can help you create a presentable, clean and friendly setting. First impressions do matter, so your goal is to create an environment that gives off a positive image and this will help to put the customers at ease while enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Entrance mats and other types of floor mats help to provide a safer environment for your customers and they help to create a warm and friendly feeling by giving your facility a more personal touch. This shows that you care about your facility and your customers.

When consumers have a pleasant shopping experience, no matter what type of business you have, they will return to shop again and depending on what you sell, they may even come back just to look around. Little things do matter when it comes to building good relationships between your company and its customers and commercial floor mats help to enhance the customer’s experience.

When you’re in the market for commercial floor mats, one of the first things you’ll learn is that there are many different options to choose from. Knowing the terms associated with floor mats and what the different types are used for will help you determine which type or combination of mats are best suited for your business.

All floor mats are designed to provide a safer environment for your staff and visitors but they do have different purposes, so you want to choose the right one for the job. The most common types of floor mats are grouped in categories and discussed below.

Entrance Mats

The two most common types of entrance mats are called the scraper and wiper mats. The scraper mats are used outside the entranceway to scrape the majority of the dirt and debris from the shoes and to absorb most of the moisture before the person walks inside. These are tough and durable enough to hold up to this rough environment and they’re your first line of protection for your visitors. The wiper mats are usually placed inside the entranceway to absorb any moisture and to pick up any debris the scraper mats leave behind.

Mats Designed to Protect Your Employees

Some floor mats are designed specifically to protect your employees. The anti-fatigue and the ergonomic mats are good examples of these. Both are created to provide support and comfort for the worker by reducing some of the stress on the body caused from standing for long periods. These mats give a little with movement so they help to reduce fatigue, pain and injuries.

Anti-static mats help reduce static electricity that builds up in the body, which protects the worker from static shock and it helps prevent this static electricity from damaging sensitive equipment. The non-conductive floor mats provide insulation for the employee that protects them from serious shocks when working with high voltage equipment.

Restaurant kitchen mats are designed to help prevent slip and fall accidents in restaurants, cafeterias and anywhere else food is prepared. These mats are usually made from rubber and they’re designed with grease resistant capabilities. They help reduce the risk of accidents that occur in these areas and some of them also have anti-fatigue properties for more comfort.

Specialty Mats

Chair mats, gym mats, locker room mats and even custom made logo mats are some of the commercial floor mats that fall into the specialty category. Other specialty mats could include message floor mats, contamination control mats and eco-friendly mats. You even have a variety of choices to pick from in each of these categories. For example, when you look at gym mats some are heavy duty for weight rooms and others are anti-fatigue mats for clients performing high-impact aerobics.

Years ago commercial floor mats were all basically made the same way and quality was the only thing you really needed to be concerned with but that is not true today. With so many options available, it’s important that you learn about the different types before you buy, so you’ll know which ones will benefit you the most. Choosing the right type of mat for your specific needs will ensure you’re getting the most from your investment.