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It’s true – size really is everything!
November 21, 2011
With so many areas for Health and Safety to cover in shopping centres, the importance of an entrance matting installation is one area that shouldn’t be underestimated. Modern stone and ceramic flooring looks fabulous, but when wet can be a slip accident waiting to happen. And with the size of your entrance matting installation having a direct impact on how much moisture makes it onto your malls floors, in these situations it’s true, size really does matter!
As we all know, the UK can be more than a little damp on occasions, which means wet feet, wet wheels on push and wheelchairs and wet umbrellas all making their way into your centre, which while great for business isn’t so great for your floors. Many centres simply do not have enough entrance matting in place to capture the amount of moisture that is brought in. The root of this problem often lies with the architect, as they specify the size of the matwell installation, but when this simply isn’t large enough, it becomes a problem for the centre manager to deal with.
There are however solutions available, so having an undersized matwell doesn’t mean resigning yourself to breaking out the “Beware Slippery” signs or employing the services of multiple small loose lay mats. Excavating a larger well to increase the matting installation is one option, but this can be messy and awkward as well as both time and budget consuming. This is why Syncros recommend an alternative solution which is both cost effective and non-invasive: surface mounted, permanent or semi permanent solutions are easy to add to the end of an existing matwell area, making them effective for both cost and results.
Syncros offer a choice of Milliken Obex products which are ideal for surface mounting and provide excellent moisture trapping properties, greatly reducing the amount of moisture transferred to floors and so the associated slip risks. Milliken Obex Forma and Milliken Obex Atrium are ideal for high traffic areas, wheel friendly and are complete with a 5 year guarantee. Obex Forma is a PVC tile with a fabric insert, whilst Obex Atrium is a secondary barrier carpeting, both are made from a high twist nylon fabric which is crush resistant, helping to keep the matting fibres open to capture the maximum amount of moisture and allow it to easily and quickly evaporate.
Obex Atrium offers a hugely flexible solution, allowing large areas to be covered on either a semi-permanent or permanent basis. In the case of the latter it’s glued to the floor and edged with screwed down aluminium trim -which is the solution the Chantry Centre in Andover recently opted for, increasing their matting by a width of 8m and a depth of 4m. The semi permanent option also allows large areas to be covered but without being fixed in place, and because of the sizes involved they won’t move around like smaller mats can, but can still be taken up to allow access to the floor beneath. These installations are edged with rubber and as they’re manufactured on a bespoke basis, can also incorporate a shaped semi-circular edge if required.
As the name suggests, Syncros Entrance Matting Systems are experts in the supply and installation of entrance barrier matting, and have been supplying shopping centres and retail sites since 1995. The comprehensive service includes site surveys, consultation and advice on the right matting solution for the site, as well as expert installation and advice on maintenance. With a combination of knowledge, skill, value for money and attention to detail, Syncros ensure your matting requirements are delivered on time and within budget, and with finance options also available, a new matting installation could work out to be more cost effective than you think!
