What is edging, and why does it matter?

Put simply, edging is the “frame” around the outer edges of your entrance mat.  It’s the piece of nosing that bridges the gap between your mat and the floor underneath.

But most people shopping for entrance matting don’t know that edging comes in several styles and types, and each type is designed with specific use cases in mind.  The edging type on your entrance mat can completely make or break how well your mat performs.  And not only that, but having proper edging (or a lack thereof) can make a huge impact on how your building is perceived.

Here’s a perfect example from an apartment building that we were recently visiting.  This new flooring was installed throughout because the property owner wanted to improve the look and feel of their rental building to help justify increased rents.

Imagine you were a potential tenant viewing a suite in this building.  What sort of impression does this mat make on you?

Brand-new flooring isn’t cheap…but a sticky wad of duct tape holding down a loose chunk of cheap matting from the hardware store sure makes it look like it was!

It’s important to have proper edging on your commercial entrance mats, because the edging has a massive impact on how well your mat works…and how safe it is.  Proper mat edging:

• Keeps your mat from flopping over at the ends as people walk over it.
• Prevents your matting from tripping people due to lifting ends and limp, floppy edges.
• Gives your mats weight and heft, so they don’t slide all over your hard surface floors and need to be taped down to stay put.

Because every commercial doorway we service is different, we have three different types of edging to meet those different needs!  But how do you choose the right type of edging?  Here’s two points to consider:

1. How much clearance do your doors have above the floor?

Check to see which way your doors actually open – are they push doors that swing inwards into your building, or pull doors that swing outwards to the outdoors?  Inward-swinging push doors may give you problems with limited clearance between the bottom of your door and the surface of your floor, and may limit the amount of “headroom” your mat has to work.  Our Heavy Edge is best for situations where you’ve got limited door clearance and your doors have a limited range of vertical adjustment, as it provides a low vertical profile but maintains the strength and flop-resistance of our other premium edging types.

2. Does your door have a lot of wheeled traffic and/or users with mobility issues?

Do you manage a building that serves people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids?  Are your entrances used for rolling loads like luggage trollies, moving dollies, or shopping carts?  If so, you might want to consider using our Cart Edging on your mats.  Cart Edge is a wider type of edging with a gentler slope to make it that much easier for wheels to roll up and onto the mat surface.  Cart Edge has a longer run over the same rise, making it a much more gradual ramp for wheels to pass over more easily.  And Cart Edge‘s additional width makes it even that much more resistant to flopping and curling!

There’s a lot of options to consider when choosing the right kind of mat for your building, but don’t worry – you don’t have to do it alone!  Get in touch with us today and we’ll help you make the right choice for your unique needs!