Floors take a beating during winter, whether they’re carpeted or hard. Snow, slush and salt can damage carpet fibers, scratch hard floors and dull their appearance.
Using proper entryway matting can reduce the amount of soil tracked into carpets and on hard floors. This can help preserve the appearance of hard and soft floors, reduce maintenance costs and prevent slips.
Protect the Walkway
Floors are a valuable investment that deserve protection to extend their lifespan and reduce maintenance costs. The best way to do that is with a matting system at the entryway, designed to stop soils and moisture from coming inside your building. These systems can also store these contaminants for easier removal and reduce the risk of floors being scratched by people wearing hard-soled shoes as they walk across them.
In winter, visitors to your business will likely come in with salt encrusted on their shoes. This wreaks havoc on hardwood floors, causing unsightly gouges. You can minimize this damage by covering the floors with a durable protective mat that will absorb the impact of heavy snowfall.
Another option is to use surface and floor protection film, such as Multi Shield. It is breathable, waterproof and impact resistant to protect multiple types of surfaces and cabinets from paint, splashes and debris. However, these films are often pierced by ladders or dropped tools and need to be replaced frequently as they quickly wear out.
Wear Shoe Covers
If you have any employees that spend much of their time outside, it’s a good idea to require them to wear shoe covers. This will help prevent the spread of dirt and rock salt throughout your entire building.
This is especially important during the winter, as rock salt is a terrible thing for commercial floors! Rock salt crystals will scratch polished surfaces and grind into carpeting. It will also jeopardize the longevity of your flooring and may require early replacement.
This economical pack of 100 disposable shoe covers helps keep floors free from dirt and germs. They fit securely over work shoes and boots and are easy to put on. Simply apply a new sheet of adhesive plastic film each time you re-enter the building. These are not as water-proof as Oceantree booties, but they provide a great level of protection and are one-size-fits-all. Keep an extra roll of plastic on hand to ensure you never run out.
Spread Wood Chips
When construction workers have to walk across floors with paint or other materials, wood chips are a great way to keep grit and debris off the floor. They are easy to spread and help reduce the mud tracked in from outside.
They are also useful for filling gaps between the boards. They can be made from sawdust, but the best material is glitza wood flour cement mixed with 80-grit sanding dust that matches the color of the floor. This filler dries quickly, so it must be applied quickly after mixing it.
Avoid using industrial wood chips. These may contain nails, putty, pressure-treated and painted wood that leaches arsenic and chromium, and other toxins. They should be pulled back away from plants and wooden structures to prevent moisture from collecting against them, which can lead to rot. Instead, use alder chips or other varieties that resprout quickly. They also rot very quickly, making them a good addition to compost.
Keep a Large Heavy-Duty Mat
When it comes to keeping the floors of a commercial building looking nice, floor protection mats help. These products are simple to use and can prevent scratching and abrasions that can happen when someone drops a tool or drags something heavy across the floor.
These mats can also keep rock salt and other types of harsh chemicals off the floors. These types of chemicals can ruin the appearance and longevity of hard surface flooring. It is important to educate your employees or building occupants on the importance of keeping salt and other chemicals off of the floors.
There are many options for floor protection mats. For example, Homasote 440 is shock-absorbing and can be cut to any shape needed. It is easy to clean and can reduce maintenance costs of waxed flooring. Another option is a runner from Protective Products which rolls out flat and has a clinging material that helps prevent movement. This type of product is great for protecting wood floors from dents and scrapes when moving furniture.
