Genesis Entrance Mattings are extremely versatile products that can be used in almost any location. This carefully-developed range of entrance mattings has been used across a wide variety of sectors from domestic, commercial, healthcare, and hospitality; through to leisure and sporting arenas.
And with good reason. Effective barrier matting is the vital first line of defence that protects all floor coverings and finishes from unnecessary soiling and premature damage.
Ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, terrazzo, natural stone, textile, wood, laminate, or vinyl: it makes no difference what type of floor finish has been specified and installed. Unless adequately protected, the floor’s appearance (and eventually its structure) will deteriorate over time due to the effects of wet and dry soiling tracked in on the soles of shoes, and, in some instances, the tyre treads of wheeled traffic.
Today’s high specification and purpose-engineered barrier matting will significantly reduce cleaning and maintenance costs. When effective entrance matting is installed, interior floors not only last longer, they need less attention.
By trapping soil and moisture in one localised area, the frequency of regular and periodic intensive floor cleaning throughout the rest of the building is minimised. As up to 60% of a building’s total cleaning and maintenance costs can relate to floor coverings, the potential savings are considerable.
Barrier matting also helps to create safer environments. On any floor surface, moisture contamination can clearly become a slip hazard, but so can dry contaminants.
For example, clean ceramic floor tiles that normally have a good coefficient of friction value in dry conditions can become surprisingly slippery if grains of fine sand or street dust are walked or blown onto the floor. This is because these tiny dry particles act as a lubricant.
Installation basics
For entrance flooring to be effective due regard must be paid to its location, the level of traffic envisaged, and the type and volume of soiling expected.
In many contracts, entrance flooring is an afterthought, so it is hardly surprising that so many mat installations are poorly specified or inadequately sized. This, in turn, can lead to premature replacement of floor coverings, unnecessary cleaning and maintenance bills, and the occurrence of avoidable accidents. To get the barrier matting specification right, it is important to get considered and calculated answers to a few key questions.
- Where is the entrance area situated?
- Is the external approach sheltered by overhanging architectural elements such as a canopy or a veranda, or is it open to the elements?
- Will barrier matting be installed outside the building to provide a first line of defence?
- Is the area prone to prevailing wind and rain?
- How much soil will have to be collected?
- How busy is the entrance area?
The volume of ‘traffic’ anticipated is critical. Will the matting system have to cater for a few dozen people entering the building or will there be thousands of pedestrians crossing the threshold every day? The type of mat required may also be determined by the type of traffic expected, such as wheeled traffic. It is worth looking at four specific questions in more detail.
- How busy is the entrance area?
The volume of ‘traffic’ anticipated is critical. Some matting system have to cater for only a few dozen people entering a building each day; while others must be able to cope with thousands of pedestrians crossing a threshold every day.
Others need to meet the requirements of very high traffic loads on an occasional basis, such as sports stadia or concert halls. The correct specification of the barrier mat will also be affected by the type of traffic expected, particularly whether it is wheeled traffic, pedestrian traffic or both. - Will the matting system need to absorb large amounts of water?
In extreme cases, where excessive rainfall is likely to be encountered suspended drained reservoir system might be necessary to ensure water can collect without flooding. - Will the location be prone to soiling by unusually heavy levels of dry sandy soil?
This is the third key question, and one that is often overlooked. In some coastal locations, for example, the emphasis should be on using mat components that are designed to effectively brush the soles of shoes and also provide adequate capacity to collect the soil.
Specifiers should also evaluate how much soil will have to be collected, because the sheer amount of soil anticipated will determine the type of mat and the overall size of matting. Most mats are woefully undersized for the tasks they have to perform, and this really is a false economy. - Is oily soiling expected?
This is the fourth key question. If the entrance area is adjacent to a busy car park or garage, different contaminants may have to removed.
Flexible textile tufts and scraping filaments might be appropriate to remove more oily, greasy soil from the soles of shoes. - How busy is the entrance area?
The volume of ‘traffic’ anticipated is critical. Will the matting system have to cater for a few dozen people entering the building or will there be thousands of pedestrians crossing the threshold every day?
The type of mat required may also be determined by the type of traffic expected, such as wheeled traffic.
The Genesis portfolio
Genesis offers Rubber Matting that is used as a scraper mat to prevent dirt, grit and grime from entering buildings.
It has a flat, smooth, surface that makes it perfectly accessible for wheelchairs, trolleys or wheeled luggage. The matting has a raised platform which facilitates the draining of excessive fluid from the surface; while its superior natural rubber compound can withstand extreme weather and medium to heavy traffic. The mat is 12mm deep as standard or comes as a drop-in mat for a Genesis frame in a 12.5 by 1,000 by 1,500mm.
Genesis’s TrakMat Matting is a professional range manufactured from tufted textile formed using two-coloured six polyamide fibres. These have a coiled form maximum dust. Durability is ensured by the thick 100% rubber sole; while reinforced borders offer better resistance to wear and tear and improve stability.
TrakMat matting is antistatic and has a high UV resistance. The matting is also machine washable and carries an Efl fire rating. As standard, TrakMat matting comes in 850 by 1,500mm, or 800 by 1,150mm, in steel grey or dark brown. Other shapes are available on request.
Genesis’s Reversible Superior Insert are designed to be fitted between mill profiles and assembled with galvanized steel rods. They are available in both 12mm and 18mm, in either grey or black. Genesis’s Reversible Fluted Rubber mats feature aluminium sections containing rubber inserts. These are linked with galvanized steel cables and se secured with plated fixings for maximum resilience. They are designed for internal or external use where heavy foot traffic is anticipated. There a two standard thicknesses – 12mm and 18mm – both in black.
Genesis’s TrakMat matting is made up of heavy-duty dust protection rubber and carpet strips, inserted into mill aluminium profiles sections. These sections are connected with semi-rigid PVC strips, reducing noise and allowing the matting to be easily packed up and relocated. The matting is available in depths of 12mm, 17mm, and 22mm thick, and comes in anthracite, grey, neutral, or red.
Feature frames To create a clean division between the entrance matting and surrounding floor coverings, we recommend an installation featuring a Genesis matwell frame with Genesis corner angles and feet. The frame is available in different heights and should be set in place to the surround of the recess and then secured with screw fixings, ensuring the top edge is flush with finished floor level on all sides. This preparation must provide a smooth level base that will ensure the matting sits flat and remains stable under the heavy foot traffic applicable to the application once trafficked. Latex is used in most locations, providing an excellent substrate that can be self-levelled to an exact depth. Where latex cannot be used, materials such as ply or rubber sheeting can be substituted.
Cleaning and maintenance
The first step is to vacuum the mat to remove dust and dirt from its surface, and also vacuum along the profiles to clean interstices.
ntermediate maintenance is undertaken by rolling up the mat on one side or, even better, taking it out of the mat well. It should then be cleaned with a broom or brush to remove dirt stuck below. Once the bottom of the mat well has been vacuumed clean, the mat can be replaced.
Thorough maintenance involves taking the mat out of the mat well. Then, with the profiles positioned vertically, the mat should be cleaned using a high-pressure water spray. Alternatively, the mat should be placed on a flat surface and cleaned by an injection/extraction process or with a dry-cleaning powder.
In either case, after washing, allow the mat to dry in a vertical position. Regular maintenance is required so the barrier matting remains effective. Normal daily soiling can be dealt with using a high-power suction vacuum cleaner.
The use of rubber bladed wet floor tool attachment should increase the effectiveness of the cleaning. During periodic maintenance, the best results can be achieved by a spray extraction carpet cleaning machine. After the framing has been secured in place to the surround of the recess, the base must be brought up to suit the exact thickness of the matting.
The use of a mild detergent (neutral pH) cleaning solution in the carpet cleaning machine should loosen ingrained soiling and aid the removal of oils and grease. More stubborn stains should be treated a solvent-based spot remover prior to recleaning with the detergent solution.
Stair nosings
We at Genesis, pride ourselves on our extensive range of stair nosings. We offer every style of nosing you could ever need and are constantly developing our range to bring new and innovative designs to the market.
Our current range includes: Aluminator Tile in, Aluminium Slimline, Aluminator PVC, Aluminator Slimline, Aluminium Heavy Duty, External Nosings, Aluminator Heavy Duty, PVC Hard Nosing, Retro fit nosings, Tile-in nosings, Stainless steel and a range of accessories to give your staircase the perfect finish.
We have recently released our range of Vision LED lighting profiles that are going down as storm in the flooring and ceramic markets. Vision offers a range of premium profiles for commercial and domestic applications, designed to protect and inspire with variable mood accents. The range is specifically designed to accept universal LED and RGB systems for steps, listello, edges and skirting offering unlimited freedom of design. Developed with simplicity in mind, the range of supporting hardware offers the most frequently installed systems with Polycarbonate diffusers that eliminate any hotspots.
Anti-slip tactiles
A first to market, fully endorsed, health and safety tactile alert system that uses 3M adhesive.
The traditional 6mm diameter shank method or 3M adhered versions offer an incredibly versatile system that can provide an instant DDA and Equality Act 2010 compliant tactile surface to any platform edge, stairway or ramp due to their unique installation methods. Manufactured from Stainless Steel grade 3016 or Polyurethane and available as self-adhesive discs that use 3M self-adhesive backing, shanked tactile studs or corduroy strips.
Genesis Global Systems Ltd
Ellerbeck Way
Stokesley Business Park
Stokesley, North Yorkshire TS9 5JZ
T: 01642 713000
W: www.genesis-gs.com
