Using RouteArrows as indoor floor arrows for office safety during Covid-19!

Given the current and future needs for social distancing and “one way” flow protocols in places of work and other commercial settings, the first question is: can RouteArrows be used indoors?

The answer: YES they can, depending on the intended surfaces and locations!

RouteArrows are made with paper, water-based ink, and a non-toxic adhesive. They were originally designed to stick to multiple kinds of outdoor surfaces and then be worn away by daily traffic.

As the adhesive is fairly strong, we DO NOT recommend using RouteArrows on smooth surfaces. This includes flooring surfaces like tiles, hardwood, cork, linoleum or polished stone, etc. as well as any painted, stained or bare wood and metal doors, walls and trim. This is because removal may be difficult, or it may damage these surfaces or both.

Test an arrow in a concealed spot on the surfaces you plan to use.

We believe RouteArrows can safely be used on most textured flooring surfaces such as: short nap “industrial” carpeting, door mats, some rough surface tiles and textured concrete.

They could also be used on cloth cubicle walls and textured drywall, but again, do a test first.

The next question is: WHERE should RouteArrows be placed to give directions indoors?

For offices or commercial buildings with carpeted or textured flooring, place RouteArrows very near the walls (1-2 inches) so they will rarely be stepped on. This has two benefits: placing them off to the sides will make the arrows both easier to see and easier to remove.

TO CLARIFY: Being repeatedly stepped on will press them into the flooring surface much more completely, which will make them hard to remove and potentially damage that spot. Arrows placed very near the walls will see minimal footfalls, making them much easier to remove!

Use ample RouteArrows at the entrance(s) so your directions are quickly and clearly understood.

We recommend placing arrows across the corridor or hall from individual office doors so the intended direction is immediately seen and understood there as well.

Arrows placed at 6+ foot intervals will also help people with social distance awareness.

Lastly, choose a contrasting RouteArrow color(s) to your intended surface(s) to better grab attention.

Lighter surface = darker arrows & darker surface = lighter arrows.

Or as Kermit says: “I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful”.

We hope this information helps with the challenging task of keeping people safe and healthy.

We didn’t design RouteArrows to be used indoors, but hey, they could really help!

As always, please feel free to call or email with any questions.

Stay safe,

Randall and Roslyn

650-429-8859

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