The best preventative measure for your floor or carpeted surface during the winter season is a walk-off mat program. While the initial installment and maintenance costs can deter some users, the fact is that entryway mats remain the best method for keeping harmful materials off the floors you work hard to keep clean and safe.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind when selecting and placing matting for your business:

• Every building entrance should have two styles of mats. The exterior matting should have open fibers. These fibers trap snow, salt, dirt, and sand before it gets into the building. Interior matting should act like carpeting; it will remove moisture and the last trace of soil from shoe soles and wheeled carts.
• A mat should be long enough for a person to walk at least four steps before reaching the exposed floor, but 10-12 feet of mat is ideal. Many building entrances do not accommodate this length, but whatever can be accommodated is best. It is possible to trap up to 90% of incoming soil with adequate length mats.