Entry Mats have a  proven ROI for Building Managers

According to ISSA, the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, entry mats can provide a positive ROI to building managers. Entry mats are necessary to keep buildings clean of dirt and moisture. However, these items should be considered an investment rather than just a necessary commodity.

ISSA indicates that removing one pound of dirt that has found its way into a building costs about $600. The cost is associated to the workload that the building custodians must dedicate to removing by spending more time dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping. The cost includes salary as well as wear and tear on equipment, rugs, carpet, and floor finish.

It is estimated that 24 pounds of dirt can be brought into a building, with foot traffic of just 1,000 people in 20 days. Foot traffic is the reason for 80% of the dirt that enters the building. Appropriate entrance matting will collect the dirt outside of the building or just inside the corridor and make for easy and pointed removal from the custodial staff.

In high-traffic areas, just one square yard of carpet can capture a pound of soil in only one week. Due to the traffic level in these areas this dirt is often pummeled into the carpet fibers, making it more difficult to remove or causing irreversible stains which shorten the longevity of the carpet. An entrance rug which is just a fraction of the cost of carpet, could capture this dirt and can be replaced easier at the end of life—lengthening the life of more costly investments.

A 3-mat entrance system that covers 15-18 feet could prevent 80-90% of the dirt that is tracked into a building. Coupled with a customized comprehensive carpet care program, it will leave the building floors clean of dirt and moisture as well as protect floor finish. Entrance mats can increase the life of floor finish by 50% when they are installed properly.

A 3-mat system is a building’s first defense against the elements. The system should consist of a scraper mat like Crown’s Jasper, which scrapes heavy debris, and allows moisture to drain naturally. Second in line should be a scraper/wiper mat like the Oxford Elite, this mat is designed to remove and contain soil and absorb moisture at the entrance. The final mat is a wiper mat like the Dust-Star—which will absorb the remaining moisture and dries the shoes before they enter the building.

There are so many reasons to include entrance matting into an investment plan for a building, from protecting carpet and floors to safeguarding the health of building users. It is because of this that Crown's network of distributors advise building managers that purchasing floor mats is not a cost, it's an investment that pays dividends.

Never undervalue the importance – and cost savings - possible by selecting high-quality, high-performing floor mats.

Download our 3-Mat System Info graphic for these statistics and a guide to entrance matting.