A GUIDE CHOOSING THE RIGHT ARCHITECTURAL ALUMINIUM AND INFILL MAT

A GUIDE CHOOSING THE RIGHT ARCHITECTURAL ALUMINIUM AND INFILL MAT

November 28, 2024

The purpose of entrance matting in commercial properties, apart from looking attractive and welcoming, is to keep interior flooring clean and dry.  Keeping floors dry is an essential requirement for safety, especially on interior flooring that may become slippery when wet.  Not all entrance mats will do the job.  One size doesn’t fit all.

Alumat offer three types, with a number of options within each type, to meet every need.

TYPE 1.  ALUMAT STANDARD HEAVY DUTY MATS

In most situations, that is accomplished with use of any reputable brand of entrance mat that complies with safety regulations, including fire safety standards.  Aluminium bar and textile infill products work well, as they absorb moisture from footwear.  Alumat offers a range of different mats that do this very well, including the standard Alumat 10 I,  Alumat 10W, and the deeper Alumat 15 I mat options.

If though, the amount of water is too much, the fibres will reach a point that they cannot absorb any more, and the drying effect on footwear ceases.  Some textile fibres may be considered more absorbent, but when stepped on, the weight applied simply releases the water.

To deal with this problem, Alumat have produced 2 new types of aluminium and infill entrance mats that will handle any amount of surface water, keeping interior floors.

TYPE 2.  ALUMAT CLOSED DRAINING MATS

Where there is only a moderate amount of additional water to deal with, what is needed is a mat that can take surface water away from foot traffic, where it can remain until the water evaporates.  Alumat closed drain channel mats ( Alumat 10DAlumat 10WDAlumat 15D and Alumat 15WD) all have textile infill strips alternating with closed water drainage channels at the base of the mat.  The water can collect without coming in contact with foot traffic.  In most cases, these four mat types, are more than adequate.

TYPE 3.  ALUMAT OPEN DRAINING MATS

In some situations the surface water or exposure to the elements requires more.  Any mat that becomes water logged, will cease to function as intended, and the only way to deal with this is to REMOVE the water.  Alumat have developed three new mats, that do this very effectively and can process the removal of over 800 litres of surface water per square meter every minute.

The mats are Alumat 10DOAlumat 10WDO and Alumat 15DO.  See also drainage design

These mats have textile fibre strips, alternating with water drain channels that discharge water under the mat.  Usually placed on permeable grating over a drained catchment area.

Need help selecting the right mat?  Contact us.

Email [email protected], or phone 0800 (ALUMAT) 258628