When most people think about floor care, they picture mops, floor machines, scrubbers, and finishing products. What rarely comes to mind is the thing that could save the most time, labor, and money of all: a good entrance matting system.
It's not glamorous. But it's one of the most cost-effective investments a facility manager can make.
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Dirt Doesn't Walk In — It Gets Carried In
Studies show that 70% to 80% of all dirt and moisture in a building enters through the front, back, side, and service entrances. Once it gets past the door, it spreads. Within the first six feet of an unprotected entrance, 42% of a floor's finish can be stripped away after just 1,500 people have passed through.
The math is striking: one square yard of carpet can hold an entire pound of dirt in a single week — twice that in wet or inclement weather. The average cost to remove one pound of dirt from a facility runs about $500. Multiply that across a busy building over the course of a month, and you're looking at thousands of dollars in preventable cleaning labor and floor maintenance costs.
The most efficient, cost-effective way to protect your floors is simple: stop the dirt at the door.
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Why 15 Feet Is the Magic Number
A single mat in a doorway isn't enough. The industry standard for effective entrance matting is a 15-foot mat run — and here's why it works.
Each foot of matting gives a person one step. Fifteen feet means six full steps before someone enters the building. That's six opportunities to scrape, wipe, and remove dirt and moisture from footwear before it ever touches your floors.
Fifteen feet of quality matting can trap up to 85% of incoming dirt. That's a dramatic reduction in the wear on your floors and in the time your cleaning staff spends maintaining them.
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The Three-Layer Defense System
Not all mats do the same job. An effective matting program uses a layered approach with three mat types, each playing a distinct role:
Outdoor Mats (Scraper Mats) Positioned outside the entrance for the first 3–5 feet, outdoor scraper mats provide the "first line of defense." Their abrasive surface scours footwear, removing dirt, debris, and moisture before a person even reaches the door. Outdoor mats alone can reduce incoming dirt by up to 40%.
Indoor/Outdoor Mats (Wiper/Scraper Mats) Used between the doors or just inside the entrance, these combination mats cover the next 5–10 feet. They continue scraping while also beginning to dry the shoe. Adding this second layer brings total dirt reduction to around 70%.
Indoor Mats (Wiper Mats) The final line of defense, placed just inside the building. Indoor mats make contact with the entire sole of the shoe to dust and dry it thoroughly, removing any remaining moisture and fine particles that made it past the first two layers.
Together, this three-layer system — outdoor scraper, indoor/outdoor wiper/scraper, and indoor wiper — is the backbone of any serious facility matting program.
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Matting Is a Year-Round Investment
There's a common misconception that matting is a winter-only concern. In reality, dirt and moisture are a year-round challenge. Rain, mud, lawn clippings, dust, and pollen all travel in on shoes regardless of the season. A proper matting program isn't something you pull out in November and put away in March — it's a permanent, always-on component of your building maintenance system.
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Mats Belong in More Places Than You Think
Entrance ways are the obvious choice, but mats add value throughout a facility. Consider placing mats at:
• Interior transition points (office to warehouse, plant floor to cafeteria)
• Restrooms and locker rooms
• Kitchen and food prep areas
• Around heavy machinery
• Anywhere moisture, grease, or debris is likely to track
The more you limit contaminant migration through a building, the lower your overall cleaning costs.
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Renting vs. Owning: What's Worth Considering
Many facilities rely on rental mat programs for convenience, but there are real trade-offs. Rental mats are often only 3×5 or 4×6 feet — far short of the 15-foot run recommended for effective protection. They're also typically limited to wiper-style mats, meaning the scraper component of a proper system may be missing entirely. Rental mats can also wrinkle, creating trip hazards, and the logistics of weekly delivery carry an environmental footprint that adds up over time.
Owning your mats gives you control over size, style, and placement — and lets you build the right system for each entrance rather than working around whatever size shows up each week.
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Introducing A-Tac Matting from Great Western Supply
To help our customers build smarter matting systems, we're proud to offer A-Tac Matting Solutions — a commercial-grade line designed specifically for high-traffic facilities.
The A-Tac lineup includes:
• A-Tac Entrance Mats — Available in charcoal, blue, mocha, and gray, these mats feature a moisture-wicking surface, slip-resistant backing, and a sticky base layer that keeps them securely in place. Commercial-grade and easy to mop and clean.
• A-Tac Roll Matting — Sold in 3' x 100' rolls and cut to the length you need, this option is ideal for long hallways, extended entrances, production areas, schools, and healthcare facilities. Quick to install and built to stay put.
• Custom Logo & Message Mats — Turn your entrance into a branding opportunity. Display company logos, safety messages, directional information, or promotional messaging. A great fit for car dealerships, hospitals, municipal buildings, office complexes, and retail environments.
• A-Tac Cleaning Wipes — Complete your installation with the right maintenance tool. These wipes are specifically designed to clean rubber-backed mats and flooring materials for maximum effectiveness.
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The Bottom Line
Great floors don't happen by accident — they're the result of a complete maintenance strategy. Matting is the first and often most overlooked piece of that system. Get the matting right, and everything downstream gets easier and less expensive.
If you'd like help assessing your facility's matting needs or want to learn more about A-Tac Matting Solutions, contact your Great Western Supply representative or reach out to your nearest location.
Davenport: (563) 445-6644 | Burlington: (319) 752-2637 | Marion: (319) 377-0167 www.GreatWesternSupply.com