Slip-Resistant Floor Mats
Mats are designed to help prevent accidents by keeping floors dry and providing added slip-resistance. However, just like seatbelts which are designed to minimize potential harm, they must be used properly in order to be effective. As long as you ensure the following criteria are met, your mats are far more likely to prevent accidents than they are to cause them. Direct Textile Store's commercial floor mats and industrial mats will keep your business clean, safe and more efficient. Whether you need heavy duty industrial floor mats with extra grip or absorbent commercial floor mats to keep your employees' work areas clean, our large selection of commercial flooring has the right size and materials for your business. Reduce workplace injuries with our slip-resistant floor mats. Slip-resistant mats will be sure to protect floors from the corrosive effects of abrasion and damage from dropped tools, oil and grease stains and chemical spills.
Use mats made from quality materials, especially in high traffic areas. Though vinyl-backed mats are often an alluring choice for the cost-conscious shopper, they do not perform well in settings with more than moderate traffic, and they are prone to cracking and curling around the edges. When this happens, if vinyl mats remain in service, they can become dangerous. If you’re looking for a mat that offers long-term durability and safe performance, invest in a rubber-backed mat. Rubber will lay flat. It will not crack or curl and will provide years of reliable service.
Select the proper mat backing surface based on your floor surface. Mats placed on smooth floors like tile, wood, and marble will perform best with a smooth backing surface. A smooth back on a smooth floor creates the most contact between the two surfaces, and therefore the most friction which minimizes movement. Mats placed on carpeted floors will perform best with a full-cleated backing. Cleats are small nubs that grip the carpeted surface to minimize movement. In areas with very heavy foot traffic or cart/buggy traffic, you may want to consider alternative backing options designed to keep mats in place even in extreme conditions. Select M+A mats offer Anchor Safe backing and suction backing.
Maintain your mats properly. You wouldn’t neglect your automobile, skipping oil changes and tire rotations, and expect optimum performance from it, would you? Mats are no different. They should be properly maintained to work effectively. This means regular cleaning to remove excess dirt, sand, and moisture. If you choose to store your mats, they should be rolled properly, never folded. This is especially true of vinyl mats. Unlike rubber, vinyl has “memory,” meaning if it remains in a position for a long period of time, it will not return to its original position. If a vinyl mat remains in a crumbled pile or the corners are bent or folded for a period of time, when you put that mat back on the floor, the humps/waves and bent corners will likely never lay flat again.
