DOORMAT: INTRODUCTION
The term ” doormat ” refers to a small carpet made for the purpose of allowing those who enter a place to have properly cleaned the soles of their shoes.
Doormats have always been placed on the threshold of entrances to homes and businesses, but we can also find them on the outer door of a French window that opens onto a garden or terrace. The position of a doormat already makes it clear what its main function is: to maintain unaltered levels of hygiene within the living space or company.
In addition to this objective, doormats allow you to give a touch of style to your entrance: unlike in the past, when doormats were simple rectangular mats, devoid of personality, today they can have different shapes, sizes and colors, going to satisfy every type of customer.
CRITERIA FOR THE CHOICE
To diversify a doormat from the other are also the materials: they are the latter, which more than anything else, affect its final cost. Although high-quality materials correspond to a greater longevity of the doormat, before making a purchase it is important to evaluate its position: an outdoor doormat must have some features that are unnecessary for an indoor doormat.
TYPES
OUTDOOR DOORMAT
An outdoor doormat must be made, first of all, in a fairly durable material: from it will depend, in fact, the durability of the mat itself. Outdoor doormats are designed to withstand the sun’s rays but also to prevent rain from quickly deteriorating them.
One of the most suitable outdoor doormats is made of plastic: PVC doormats can withstand light and temperature changes, rain and dust. The thickness of PVC outdoor doormats also allows them not to lift off the ground even in strong winds.
If you don’t love plastic outdoor doormats, you can opt for rubber ones. A rubber outdoor doormat ensures the cleaning of the soles through the presence of slats created on its surface. It has a fairly high longevity and like the PVC outdoor doormat, it resists high or low temperatures, rain and sunlight.
DOORMAT
An indoor doormat is suitable to be placed on the exits of apartments located inside apartment buildings or in covered atria inaccessible to the weather, especially rain, wind and beating sun.
The more protected location of these doormats allows them to be selected in less durable and more delicate materials. Among the most widely used doormats in indoor environments are those made of coconut fiber. The coconut doormats, in fact, are made of a material that is particularly sensitive to the sun, therefore not suitable to be exposed outdoors.
FLUSH DRYER
Alternatively, you can opt for synthetic fibre step dryers: they are preferred in all entrances with a high rate of passage, such as shopping centres, the arcades of public and private offices or even shops. A synthetic fiber doormat stays very close to the ground and is perfect for placing in very humid environments. You can also use it indoors, such as near a patio door.
MATERIALS
DOORMAT
Some of the materials for outdoor doormats to be placed in covered areas include:
- natural cotton fibre: it is the absorbent material par excellence, but it is also the one that is ruined most quickly by the passage of guests from outside to inside.
- polyamide: it is the material that can remove better debris collected under the soles, but it is the one that absorbs less water. For this reason, you need to run your shoes over the surface of these doormats several times to avoid wetting the interior spaces.
- Natural coconut: coconut doormats are very solid and resist moisture well in addition to cleaning the soles very effectively. At first use you may notice a slight loss of hair but after a few days it will be a very efficient tool. To maintain it, simply dry shampoo and vacuum.
- rubber andcoconut: coconut and rubber doormats are very elegant. They usually have a rubberized perimeter to ensure stability: the central part is made of coconut fiber, which is well absorbent.
- Needle-punched coconut: the doormats in needle-punched coconut are made by mixing synthetic fibres. They replicate the qualities of coconut fibers while avoiding the characteristic loss of fluff that can be observed in the first uses of natural coconut doormats.
DOORMAT
The materials for outdoor doormats are distinguished by their resistance to all kinds of weather events. Some of the most common materials include:
- polypropylene and synthetic raw materials: these are mostly non-slip materials. In most cases they possess the area that adheres to vinyl flooring. These doormats can also be machine washed, keeping the original colors intact.
- rubber: rubber doormats are made with grid patterns. They are very weather resistant and you can wash them by simply wiping them with water.
- cast iron: it does not absorb wetness but it is particularly suitable for country or mountain areas when it is essential to adequately remove crushed stone that gets into the spaces under the sole.
COLORS
If you have decided to buy a doormat you can really indulge yourself. The most common ones are rectangular in shape, but there are also square, half-moon or strangely shaped ones, with shapes ranging from domestic animals to means of transport and elements of nature.
If you opt for coconut doormats, the basic colour will be brown, often decorated with welcome slogans, images or lettering. In the case of synthetic doormats, on the other hand, you can select from a wide range of colors and patterns, while rubber or plastic ones are often simply black. The great diversification of outdoor doormats allows you to choose the one that best matches the style of your home.
LEAVE A COMMENT
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In addition, if you need advice on choosing the right mat for the style of your home, send an email to valeriadesign@casaomnia.it!
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