Winter is the time when heavy-duty entrance mats are required the most, as they stop vast quantities of snow, slush, mud and water from being dragged into commercial buildings.
This, in turn, helps to battle sick building syndrome, improve the well-being of employees and reduce maintenance costs by making the jobs of maintenance staff easier during a particularly challenging time.
Winter is also a time to look ahead at the upcoming year and examine the various trends, questions and aspirations that could be a key part of entrance mats this year.
Here are three of the biggest trends and how they could transform the mats you use going forward.
Will Sustainability Matter With Entrance Mats This Year?
- Customers demand environmental awareness and sustainability.
- Recycled materials will be increasingly prominent.
- Environmentally friendly processes will improve not only sustainable credentials but also promote building health.
As with carpets, the complex textiles used to make mats are often somewhat difficult to recycle, but with sustainability an increasing factor in the purchasing decisions of customers, businesses need to take a root and branch approach to ensuring that every part of their business has as minimal an impact on the environment as possible.
This means that this year will see an increased focus on recyclable materials and processes that allow for the various components to be broken apart and effectively reused.
This allows customers and clients to see that sustainability is a focus for the business from the very start of the customer journey to the end.
Will Custom Entrance Mats Be More Important This Year?
- Branding will be a pivotal part of every aspect of building and textile design.
- Improved weaving techniques allow for bespoke mats to suit every need.
- Functionality will always take precedence.
As branding permeates every aspect of a business, from product design to ideology, entrance mats will be part of this approach as there are greater opportunities to integrate the first steps into a headquarters into a customer journey.
From colours to textures and embossing, customisation will be at the forefront for many businesses, especially since it emphasises a focus on the little details.
With that in mind, however, branding and aesthetics will never supersede functionality in terms of priorities. Heavy-duty mats will be preferred when they are necessary and essential.
How Will Technological Advancements Affect Entrance Mats This Year?
- Three-dimensional weaving will allow for more detailed designs.
- Smart entrance mats allow for better cleaning and data collection.
- Antifatigue mats with dirt-trapping capabilities will help with the health of inhabitants.
Smart technology has been integrated into every part of the modern commercial building, and entrance mats are not immune to this.
Advanced techniques such as three-dimensional weaving create textiles and mats that not only look amazing but also meet particular needs and standards for trapping and stopping dirt from entering buildings.
As well as this, some mats can be designed with features that help reduce fatigue for people who spend a long time standing. Whilst the full benefits are not necessarily seen in the entrance to a building, it can help employees start the day on the right foot.
Finally, sensors can help detect when people enter and exit a building, which is useful for determining smarter cleaning schedules to minimise health issues.