Defense Starts At the Entrance

Flooring is usually the first thing that is regularly compromised, especially at high-traffic entrances. Quick fixes using carpet tiles are often preferred, but are they always the best, cost-efficient approach? Your entrance is where the first line of defense should start for trapping dirt and water. Too often, less expensive alternatives like carpet tiles only add to the problem.

The flooring product industry has changed significantly and it will never stop changing, but the one thing that will be consistent is the significant role entrance flooring systems play to ensure the entrance is kept clean and safe for building users and maintenance staff.

Entrance flooring systems play an integral part by helping to keep the entrance safe from slip, trips and falls while providing exceptional defense for managing dirt and water entering your building. When dirt and water are introduced to carpet tiles, significant wear begins to occur, usually requiring frequent replacement and becoming costly after time. The purpose of all entrance flooring systems is to allow dirt and water to fall through the system, trapping debris underneath the system while keeping the top surface clean. These systems partner well with many types of conditions, depths and flooring products. Employing an entrance flooring system in a recessed pit allows for a smooth transition from one top surface to another and are also available for surface mounted applications using specific ADA-compliant frame options.

Entrance flooring systems combine design and functionality with an array of insert and logo options, including the ability to work with other types of surrounding flooring materials to optimize a positive first impression.

Now is the time to integrate an entrance flooring system in your new or existing building and win the war on dirt.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Renee Hite is the assistant Business Development manager for interior wall protection at Construction Specialties. To learn more visit www.c-sgroup.com, call 800/233-8493 or email Renee at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. RIT Saunders College of Business's Lowenthal Hall Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.