With schools soon to be out for summer, the next few weeks will be an ideal time to invest in new heavy-duty entrance mats. But these mats will need various attributes to prove their worth when the pupils return in September.
Needless to say, August will be the time for installation, just as it will be the perfect occasion to undertake various maintenance and decorating tasks.
Indeed, this will be a big undertaking across the country. For example, in England alone, there are:
- 27,182 schools
- 8,835,000 pupils
- These are looked after by 183 different local authorities
What Attributes Do Entrance Mats Need?
Consequently, there will be a lot of new entrance mats being bought by many councils for thousands of youngsters to walk across as they enter the building for the new term.
However, while this should leave the premises looking pristine when the buildings suddenly fill up again once the holidays end, you will soon discover if the work you have undertaken is up to scratch.
Entrance mats will need to deal with different challenges:
- They should be weather-proof, able to deal with summer heat and winter chills alike
- They need to be heard-wearing as they have to last for years under heavy footfall
- They need to be slip-resistant
- They need to meet the relevant safety standards
Not every mat will be up to this challenge, especially the challenge of wear and tear.
What Sort Of Entrance Mats Does Matcraft Offer?
However, we have several products that can stand up to the requirements of being taken to school.
The Forma HD (Obex grid cut) is designed not only to be tough, but also comes in a choice of five colours, which means there should be one to suit your school, plus it comes with inserts made from recycled polyamide yarn, giving it great green credentials.
It comes surface-mounted or in matwell and has a five-year warranty.
Another option is the INTRAform DM, which is specially designed for dirt retention and moisture retention, which makes it ideal for when pupils walk in on a wet day or come into the building off the sports field.
It has heavy-duty closed-construction aluminium planks, which make it useful for loading as well, so this is great for when your school is taking deliveries. It comes with a 10-year warranty.
For something slightly unusual, there is the Nuway Tuftiguard Bamboo matting. The use of bamboo may sound rather like your school is about to adopt a panda, but the material is outstanding for meeting hygiene and safety standards.
Although technically a form of grass, bamboo is very robust and this product comes from sustainably sourced forests. It has a ten-year warranty.
Apart from any other consideration, it could create some interest among the pupils about the material, the ecosystem it comes from and sustainability issues. Not many mats could claim to have educational value, but this one could.
These are just some of the excellent entrance mats that schools can make excellent use of.
Whether taking deliveries, being walked on by muddy boots after a games lesson or simply being pounded by freshly-polished school shoes in early September, these will serve you well for many years.