Schools, colleges, and universities have some of the busiest entrances of any building.
They experience frequent intense periods of footfall, have multiple entrances and often tightly managed budgets. This makes entrance matting specification for education one of the most difficult to get right.
In this article, we look at key entrance matting considerations for educational establishments and provide guidance for specifying commercial entrance matting in an educational setting.
Type of Building
There are many different types of educational building. Understanding the brand, traffic volumes and how the entrances will be used are some of the very first considerations for your specification.
Educational buildings tend to have many multiple entrance points and you need to consider each individually as well as in the context of the overall design specification.
For example, universities battling to attract new students could use their primary entrance matting as a vital space to make a bold design statement with creative use of colour and pattern.
Centres for professional training may want a sleek premium finish throughout combining stainless steel scraper bars with a muted colour fibre.
Cycle entrances or doors from muddy school sports fields will benefit from a larger walk-off area using a combination of fibre and rubber inserts or a more aggressive bristle brush insert.
However, a simple fibre solution may be adequate for less used, secondary entrances.
A robust entrance matting specification considers the unique needs of the various entrance points. This ensures your specification meets your building’s needs for the long term- both functionally and aesthetically – without overspending or over-engineering.
Specification Guidance
Durability is key, so a commercial entrance matting system is essential. Aluminium recessed matting is the ideal choice for its strength and durability.
For ease of cleaning and maintenance, we recommend a closed construction entrance mat. This ensures debris stays on the surface where it is quick and easy to remove with any rotary vacuum.
By using a combination of inserts you can create a range of complimentary entrance matting solutions using a single product.
Insert Options
As a guide, we recommend a polyamide fibre with a high tuft count to provide maximum moisture absorption and retention.
The higher the number of tufts, the better the absorption and retention.
INTRAlux Elite polyamide fibre is a good insert option for education. In addition to its class 33 wear rating, its 92,990 tufts per square metre can absorb 5.4L/m² of moisture. Also, this superior tufting provides exceptional dust retention to improve indoor air quality.
For additional scraping action for more demanding entrances, you can combine the fibre with rubber or bristle brush inserts.
Example Specifications
INTRAsystems has worked extensively with architects, interior designers, and contractors to provide high-performance entrance matting solutions for schools, colleges, and universities across the country. This gives us an unrivalled understanding of the specific needs of this sector.
The systems we recommend are exceptionally durable to cope with high traffic flow, whilst remaining budget and design-conscious.
To see some of our work and sample specifications used in this sector visit our Education Case Studies page or download our Specification Guide for Schools & Universities.
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