Entrance flooring systems can now serve a more aesthetic purpose too, helping convey or reinforce company branding to visitors and staff. Chris Rand elaborates.

ENTRANCE flooring can often be viewed as a purely functional specification, with its primary purpose being the ability to reduce walked-in dirt and moisture. However, thanks to modern manufacturing technologies, entrance flooring systems can now serve a more aesthetic purpose too, helping to convey or reinforce company branding to visitors and staff. Read on, I’ll explain further.

Most contractors will already be aware of the practical benefits entrance flooring systems can bring to an internal flooring specification, helping to reduce the likelihood of slips or trips and maintain the condition of other floor coverings within a building. However, it can also be used to fulfil more than just this functional need.

When it comes to entrance flooring, the industry recommendation is to use at least three metres for light use areas and up to seven metres for busier entranceways, such as those seen in many commercial or business environments. As a general rule-of-thumb, the more matting used, the more effective the system will be at preventing dirt and moisture build-up within interior spaces.

With this in mind, the size of many of these entrance flooring systems can mean a significant proportion of an entranceway is essentially a ‘blank canvas’, offering a great opportunity for company branding.

As the entrance to a building is the first and last thing a visitor or staff member will see, it can be a good place to reinforce any relevant branding. For this reason, many architects or specifiers are now looking for entrance flooring solutions that meet functional and bespoke design requirements.

Whether it’s simply the use of a company’s brand colours, printing a logo or cutting out an inset for the entrance flooring, there are various bespoke solutions available to choose from to help you meet this demand and set you apart from the competition.

With a digitally printed solution, you can achieve more complex and true-to-life designs, without sacrificing on performance. Alternatively, there are flooring manufacturers who offer cut inset logo mats, where a bespoke inlayer can be fitted into the wider install. This can provide a more tactile finish, again without impacting on a system’s performance.

For example, Forbo’s Coral Logo entrance matting is available in 42 different colours and also offers a bespoke print version, perfect for complex logos or branding. There is also the option of a cut-out design service, allowing unique designs and branding to be easily incorporated into the wider entrance flooring system.

There is also the option for personalised Nuway primary barrier matting, allowing branding to start from outside a building too.

As a trusted partner, Forbo has been manufacturing and supplying entrance flooring systems for over a century. Its extensive range of entrance flooring products are proven to prevent up to 95% of walked-in dirt and moisture and are available in a wide range of colourways to suit all design needs.

Check out Forbo’s bespoke flooring solutions, here: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/bespoke and see its entrance floorcoverings, here: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/EFS.
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk
Chris Rand is EFS category manager, Forbo Flooring Systems