Benefits Of Owning Vs. Renting Matting

What are the benefits to owning mats, versus renting them? 

Owning your mat puts you in control of your floor safety program. Not to bash rental companies in any way but, they are busy people. Expecting the guy that delivers your uniforms to be as focused as the manager of the facility for proper mat placement, maintenance, and change-out cycle just isn’t realistic. Also, the rental guy is there at most once per week. If your mat needs attention the day after he leaves, you’re at least a week away from getting help. When you own the mat, you’re in control and will make the best decisions about where they should be placed and when they need attention. Also, owning mats can save you money. There are no hidden or extra fees that sometimes pop up in rental invoices. Finally, when you own, you are not bound to a long term contract in case you need to make changes to your floor safety program. 
  — Daniel Silver, Vice President of Product Development, New Pig, Corp.

Purchased mats are typically much more effective at eliminating dirt and debris from facilities, helping to greatly reduce facility maintenance costs, protecting floors from sand and dirt damage and enhancing the overall image of the facility. When deciding between purchasing or renting mats, it’s also important to consider the safety of employees and guests. Rental mats have a tendency to flip or wrinkle, introducing trip hazards and significant liabilities for facility owners.
Ultimately, the primary benefit of a rental-matting program is the simplicity of the program. However, it’s important to consider the hidden costs of the program. For example, a service might come once a week to swap mats, but the facility team is still responsible for maintaining those mats for the remainder of the week.
  — Aaron Mills, Marketing Manager, 3M Commercial Solutions Division

Custom mats provide SPECIFIC solutions. They address EVERY need for basic and unique applications. When you buy an entrance mat you save money and know that what you’ve purchased is exactly what you need. Traffic level, absorption rate, crush resistance, size, and backing are all things to consider when choosing the right mat. When renting mats, you don’t get to choose these options.  
  — Brian Evans, National Sales Manager, Superior Manufacturing

Three important factors when considering owning versus renting, Size/Shape, Quality and Appearance.
Purchasing mats allows owners to get the exact sizes and shapes needed, as well as the overall coverage, of scraping, drying, and combination matting specifically selected for the building, climate and foot traffic. The owner can choose style and color options that complement their building’s interior.  Owning the entrance system also provides the opportunity to create unique looks by incorporating the street address, a special design or a logo.
Rental matting comes in standard sizes such as 3x5, 4x6 and 3x10 and will help mitigate some amount of debris and moisture but they are not big enough to be highly effective.  Typically made of nylon or polyester, mats available in rental programs have some capacity for absorbing moisture however, on rainy or snowy days, they can quickly become saturated and transfer moisture to interior flooring. These mats are not designed to trap dirt and debris until it can be removed, so it builds up on the surface allowing it to get tracked into the building.  Rental mats are limited in color and they are rectangles, which aren’t always the best shape for the space or traffic pattern; consider a revolving door for example.  Standard sized rectangular matting has its place, but if the entryway or walking pattern is not in a straight line, rectangular rental mats are placed in a variety of directions and the result is unattractive.
  — JoAnn Durette, Vice President of Marketing, Mats, Inc.

When it comes to matting for the office or businesses, consumers have two choices: buying or renting.  Although renting might sound like a good option, rental floor mats can actually be less economical and effective than purchased mats.  Consider the maintenance, quality or appearance, complying with sustainable standards and of course, cost. Most businesses already have their floors cleaned daily and this is enough to maintain floor mat as well.  Rental companies also do not launder or replace anti-fatigue, kitchen or scraper mats, so businesses must incur the cost of cleaning those mats, in addition to paying the rental fee.
The appearance of floor mats is too important to leave to a rental mat, which can be limited in styles, colors and quality. Something else to ponder, is environmental impact that rental mats may have when you factor in the fuel used to pick up mats for laundering and returning them, plus the water and chemicals used in cleaning them.  The biggest consideration when planning for floor matting is the actual cost. For example renting a 3’x5’ floor mat for five years can cost almost 10 times the amount of purchasing just one mat.  Entrance and floor mats are one of the first items people notice when they step into a facility, so the quality and appearance of these mats are vital to making a good first impression.
  — John Miller, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Americo Manufacturing

Renting mats is a matter of convenience and is very expensive. It will cost the customer as much as seven times more to rent mats versus purchasing mats. Certain situations require renting mats where convenience is the deciding factor. Below are several bullet points to consider when deciding to rent versus buy:
Renting mats can Cost up to 7 times more
Daily vacuuming and periodic water extraction is a sufficient cleaning program in most cases. . .
Purchasing your mats offers more choices with style, sizes, colors, backing, etc.
All mats are not created equal.
The correct type and size mat with heavier backing options help provide your customers with the safest choice.
  — Mark Roberts, National Accounts Specialist, The Andersen Company

Renting mats only have a value in not having to clean them or pay for them up front.  They only look good if you have a tiny lobby.  Large facilities with a large lobbies using rental matting are reducing safety and often creating a visual mess.  Owned mats can be leased over time to eliminate the large up front cost, can be cleaned in place by customers or their cleaning contractors, do a better job of holding dirt, dust, water, improving air quality, and look great.
  — Mitchell Saltzman, President, Proform

For more information on customizing mats and the benefits of doing so, click here.