Product Focus

Entrance Matting

The Definite Freedom Works Guide to Entrance Matting

If we took you into a department store and asked you to point out everything that’s absolutely critical for a great user experience, how long do you think it would take before you pointed to the entrance mat?

These humble architectural details are rarely given as much importance as other details like lampshades and chair selection, yet they play a crucial role in the functioning of built environments.

Why is entrance matting important?
Freedom Works has often been asked why we recommend our entrance matting for all buildings, whether in commercial, residential, aged living, healthcare, industrial, or public sectors.

It’s simple: there is no better way to keep users safe when entering a new space and prevent excessive dirt and moisture from tracking into your building.

How do entrance mats keep buildings clean?
New Zealand is a wild-weathered place, prone to rain and gusts and debris from plant life. When a person enters an environment, they will inevitably drag in some unwanted grime on their footwear or clothing. However, when they travel over an entrance mat, a significant part of that grime can be scraped away and contained.
Then, as the visitor travels through the rest of the building, they take a lot less debris with them. This keeps your building cleaner, prevents damage to floors, and reduces the frequency and costliness of maintenance services.

How do entrance mats reduce the chance of falls and injuries?
Cleanliness is, of course, a major benefit in itself, as no designer wants to see their hard work muddied and spoiled. However, a more pressing factor is safety. When moisture accumulates on the floor of your building, there’s a greater chance of people slipping and injuring themselves. Entrance matting helps soak up moisture, keeping your floors safer for users.

Entrance matting also helps to ease the transition from walking on exterior surfaces – such as rough and gritty concrete, gravel, or asphalt – to walking on smooth interior surfaces like wood, tiles, or vinyl. The entrance mat provides a transitionary period where users can readjust themselves to their surroundings while still walking on a high-traction, low-slip surface.

And let’s not forget those two important words: Building Code. Freedom Works entrance mats are compliant with fire safety regulations, which means that they lower the risk of injury when compared to mats that are not code compliant.

Can’t I just order a rug online?
Yes – if you’re happy to work with a cheap, stock-standard mat that’s just laid down in front of your doorway. Not only do substandard materials look bad, creating a negative impression for visitors, but an unsecured rug may also pose a slipping hazard, adding to the very problem it’s trying to solve.

That’s why Freedom Works only deals in the very best materials and designs. Our entrance mats are made from marine-grade carpet engineered to withstand heavy usage without wearing down or ripping. The tread rails are comprised of heavy-duty materials like aluminium and santoprene rubber, specially designed to absorb shock. Our dedicated installation team can surface mount an entrance mat upon your flooring, a simple and cost-effective approach, or we can rebate the mat into your substrate to create a smoother surface. Either way, that mat's not going anywhere.

Won’t an entrance mat ruin my visual design?
Quite the opposite.

Freedom Works carries entrance mats in various colours, pile styles, widths, and tread rail anodising options. We’re also very flexible when it comes to design, and we encourage our clients to bring us new ideas. Our entrance mats create visually appealing zones and add colour contrast to environments, enriching the aesthetic appeal of your designed space.

Are entrance mats sustainable?
We can’t speak for every supplier, but Freedom Works entrance mats are designed for sustainability. Our marine-grade carpet and santoprene joiners are long-lasting materials that will not require frequent replacement, hence cutting down on waste. We use a high percentage of recycled aluminium, and this material in turn can be recycled at the end of its lifetime. We constantly seek to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of our processes and products, and we partner with organisations like Declare to ensure that we contribute positively to our ecosystems.

How can I find out more about entrance matting?
Here are some resources that can help: